New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-12-12
AN ANGEL THAT CAME FROM HEAVEN
BY WATER.
BY Il. 7. SHILLABER.

The old fisherman was very pleasant man
except when he was ill.natured, which
happened too often. because he was a man
who loved strong drink, and when he was
drunk too much he was cross and iretful.
The cat and bird knew when he had been
drinking and got out of the way; but his
poor Old wife, not being as spry as the cat
and bird, had - stay and be scolded at.
She used TO pray that some angel might
come and save him from his habit of drink.
ing, for from that fault his other faults
sprurg.
OF course they were very poor, and what
they lived on. for the most part, was the
fish that he caught in the sea- which he
call I'd his garden. He used to say TO bis
wife, when ne was pleasant, that he had the
biggest farm of any man in the world, and
he knew that some time he should get
hoped he might, and go it grew a frequent
Joke with them, al which they both laughed
| and perhaps the cat aud seabird did too.
One day, when the fisherman vas down
by the shore, preparing to go out and catch
| some iish, he heard a queer sound on the
water, that seemed like the cry of a child
He held his hand up to his eyes, to shade
them from the sun. and saw out in the mid :.
die OF the river, floating with the tide, a
stran ge-looking box. Now he often found
floating down the river boxes and barrels
and all sorts OF things. many of which he
got for frewocd; but this box was not like
anything he had seen before. 1t seemed
more like smal! boat than box, and it
moved in the water as if there was some
thing heavy in it.
As he looked at it, wondering what it
could be. lie heard the cry which he had
heard before; and this time he knew it came
from the box, which swung round with the
tide. He therefore got into his boat and
rowec OF 20 see what it was. AS soon as he
reached the box and looked into it he gave
loud shout.
Wife. WIFE, he cried.
She heard him and ran down to the shore,
followed By the cat and seab.rd, thinking
something had happened to him. He had
tied'a rope 10 the box and was towing it
ashore. As soon as the boat touched the
land he turned to his wife, and with face
all smiles said, as he lifted the box care
fully on shore:
wife, told you that some day l should
find a treasure on my farm. Look at thar
She looked into the box with face of
great surprise, and cried out:
AS live. baby! Surely. it is an angel
from heaven, come by water"
Sure enough, there was the sweetest little
baby that ever was seen lying there, smiling
on the fisherman and his wife, who took it
out, greatly pleased with their prize. Then
they found clothes in the box, and knew
that the dear little thing had been cast upon
the water by cruel parents to drift into a
home or perish.
at is not ours to keep said the fisher
mans wife.
Yes, it is," said the fisherman. "I'7e
found II on my farm, and what find there
is mine. | should like to see any one try to
take it away
And be took hold OF an oar, as if he
would Go harm to any one who should think
OF such a thing.
Nav, $Ir,r r,rl 81 Ill. "a
was from that time the pet of all-the fish
er1nan and his wife, the cat and bird.
"Rpple"-a fancy of the tisherman'e,
though be called her "Water-lily," Coral
branch "Sea-foam,' or any pi ltty name
that came first. Size was very dear to him,
and after little while great range took
place in his conduct. The money he used
to spend for drink must be laid out for
Baby. The house was cheerful all the time.
He never scolded his wife, and the cat and
bird knew that some wonderful change
had taken place in him. Ripple and the
cat and bird were great friends and played
together III the time. The tsherman's wife
knew how the change came about, and
would say TO herself, "She is an angel from
Heaven, come by water. ] said SO, and it
Is SOL
Ripple grew very beautiful, with white
complexion, long golden hair, blue eyes,
and had the sweetest smile you ever saw.
All who saw her loved her; but more than
all the fisherman and his wife. The fish
ernan would hold her hours at time
telling her tales of the sea, the home of the
mermaids, who lived beneath and drove
about in cars drawn by beautiful do!phns
or sat on the rocks and combed their hair
She would listen to this till she wished
that she could go down under the sea and
be with them; though she was sorry she
had wished SO, because her friends would
be SO sad 10 part with her. Sne would
loan along the shore and sing songs about
the sea and listen to hear if any of the mer-
maids would answer her.
One bright day she took her usual walk
along the beach, singing her prettiest song,
calling upon the sea maidens to come to her,
when she saw a change come over the
water. 1t seemed all purple and gold
Great fishes came swimming past, and then
she heard the faint sound OF music coming
up out of the sea. She was alarmed at first:
but when right out of great wave came
some Of the most beautiful little maidens
che had ever seen, covered with Jewels,
with great branches of corals in their hands,
she was full of delight.
They came to her and kissed her, and the
first to do SO WAS grander than ali the rest,
who said she was princess, and the rest
were maidens. They all were friends at
ouSo uuu tASy uductu Oh Iuo De6cn ana
sung and played; and the Princess told
Ripple about her home under the sea. where
big diamonds grew on the trees and jewels
hung Lii raiu-drops from every bush. Little
Ripple heard it all, saying hardly word,
she wondered so. Then the Princess begged
her to go down to her home with them,
where these charming things were; and,
though she thought dearly of the fishermen
and his wife, she remembered they were
poor, and asked the Princess if, were she to
go with her, she might not, now and then,
come back and bring them bushel or SO of
diamonds. This the Princess promised, and
Little Ripple said she would 20.
So the Princess called up the dolphin that
drew her chariot, and then they all got in
and went down into the sea. She passed
right by where the fisherman sat in his boat, |
and the car touched his line when he pulled |
it up, thinking fish had bitten at his bait. |
Down they went further and further. Big |
fish swan up and put their noses into the |
car; but the Princess raped them with her |
whip, and they went away.
Soon they came to the kingdom under the |
sea; and then Ripple opened her eyes at the |
sights she saw. The houses were span gled |
with gems and were lighted with diamonds |
as big as pumpkins. There were beautiful |
gardens and orchards, forests of coral trees, |
and vines bearing the rsrest flowers. The |
King; father of the Princess, welcomed |
little Ripple and told her that he had often |
heard her singing on the beach. She had
grand room given her in the palace, with |
leave to go where she pleased; and the |
King told one of his officers to see that the |
fisherman had good lot of fish for his hook
every day. ..sl