Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1876-12-14


wal ed till finally fell asleep among
the bales and barrels, and forgot my
troubles.
In the morning. forlorn and des-
olate little creature enough, learned
from some compassionate 'longshore-
man that the great ship where Jim
had been af woik had sailed away
with him on board. 4 wild and pas
sionate burst OF weeping greeted
thi- news. and piIiful throng OF
people gathered about me, fright
men and sailors mostly, but among
them suddenly appeared the quiet
fac" OF n Q Iakrr lady, who was dis
tribuiinY books among the sailors
They told her my tale aud seeing me-
utterly fiirndless. she wiped my tear
stained face with her white han,lkcr-
chief. aud took me away. 1 had no
fIirnds. / was no better than u
master less dog, and worth far less.
But she look me to~a great, clean.
b,re, and quiet place--an institution
they called it-whrre iher. were
many others IA homeless as I. And
there they washed me so clean and
rsh that thought the real me. tI..
ragged. red-eyed unkempt surplus
atom OF humanity that hal been me.
was gone away over the seas with
Jim. AMI this rosy checked child was
another me, newly come into the
world.
Then one day there came n grand
and stately lady, took me away
to live with her, and be her own lit
girl. The lady worc shining silks
and lived in splendid house, and
had lad in IL velvet iack"t who was
about us big rs Jim. 1t was all like
Il strange dream, if / c~uld have only
forgotten Jun. But could not
Jim was surplus population no
longer: perhaps he was drowned; his
ragged jp.ket and crownlcss har
migl b. buried now away dowh un-
der the sea. Nobody about me now
wore patchd shoes, or trowsers ont u,
the knees. and nobody it seemrd -
me. not even he. hal AN eye as bright
anal soft as Jim-'s. or a hand as warm.
And so never forgot Jim. but al
ways in my heart Of hearts seemed
listening and waiting for him.
| S ,m.times when l used to lure
Louis down 10 the wharves, and al
ways when l walked 10y myself my
steps turned thitherward, and thus il /
was that ] never lost sight OF thu
ships, and dimly family. unreasona-
bly,, looked for the return OF Jim.
But il beg n To be- years since dear
oil Jim went away, and Louis was "a
TALL youth home from college, aud
was-well, folks called Inc young
ia'ly-p real lady, you know-with AN
old straw hat and ragged jacket
slowed away in my heart? Even af-
ter grew up, had fits OF silent fret |
ting for Jim that seemed AS IL they
would eat my life away. Mrs. Belden |
said it was because was growing and |
she took me away one bright summer
TO the sea-shore. Oh, the sea- ashore |
cannot tell you what felt when I |
| hA
stretching away from the white line
OF shore, thtobbing and sounding as
IL biimm.d TO the hcrizon's edge. |
This was the sea, the Qlorified sea;
the sea no bng g imy and smoky
and grey with getting its living, but
the seatranslnt-d, purified, made holy |
as ifafier death. The days went and |
came. shining and beautiful. and ev-
Fry day / walked on the shore with |
Louis. ran races with the bre~zr.
picked mp shells or gathered the sea-
weed, or watched the sunset gliding |
the sails Of some far fitting ship. |
Louis face was sweet In those days |
AMI kind as sunlight. and his voice |
was soft and low when he spoke to |
me, for he sail we were old friends |
now, and ha'i known each so many |
years that we ought to love each 9TH
rr always. One afternoon We stray.
I'll father than usual, and. tho twi-
light deepening Us we walked, think |
We both forgot everything save that
were young and happy. and life
was glorious. Lovel The word
lropped warm from his lips. ard
seemed to color all my future with
rose iints. All my past seemed sink
ing out OF sight. The gates OF paru-
disc were opened. and was free To
walk therein il would Not for m.
the barrenness, the disappointment.
that blighted other lives. I might /
make mine what would, with wealth |
and luxury and JOY mt my command
Ah, we'll remember that afternoon
by the sea!-the long line OF white
beach. the ovcrhanging cliffs, the
twilight touching the water with a
col len glow. ami glittering on the
tall m sts, and ship lying at anchor
beyond. Oh, life was so beautiful
ohi- love was so beautiful A light
ness OF heart, capricious, intangible,
elf like mood fell upon me, born per-
haps OF the very overflow Of bliss.
remember cl'pping my hands as
skipped along, and challenged hin
TO race. Perhaps he had urged me !
too persistentIy to respond tn his af
lection. so say when l would be- biz
wife. Wife! I wanted To be no one !
wife just then, but only to love an''
to live. Would I answer him? sighed |
Louis.
"When you catch me-" "Tresponded |
nockingly, fitting about the sand
AWAY I went with Louis followin
preathless. We rounded the curv.
~ The shore, and Wa, jlst about
sinking down upon the sani TO wait
fnr him. when an oil boat with
| broken oar t.utfOht my eya. In La |