The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1876-06-01

/
good to me-" she cried. "And oil
father, isn't this beautiful place
such a view of the water! mean t
come down here every day and do m
sketching."
"I'm afraid" said the sire, shaking
his head, that this good lady will
have cause to wish she had thrown
you overheard"
"a "Oh, no, father; she like me and
like her, And I've fallen in love will
Tom long ago, you know"
Tom blushed painfully. Something
strange how stirle | in his mind. Com.
pliments did not sweeten his thoughts
as they did his mothers, for Tom had
never seen better days, and felt as il
he were being made jest OF.
A week passed, during (which the
young girl strolled almost daily to the
cabin. When she was there Tom sell.
dom entered the house. He had grown
shy and sulky he sat on the shore
darkly brooding. or went off silently
to his fishing.
One morning Belle aud her father
departed. Belle kissed the weathered
cheek of her friend, and that was all
For when mention had been made Of
helping her substantially, the widow
had drawn her self sharply up, all the
lady shining in her eye.
81 may have seen my best days, she
said, "but l haven't come to that yet
And if 1 needed any reward, I've had
it now," she added, as she felt the soft
blood mantllng in the check thatBelle
had kissed.
Long after the two had left, Tom
went about with a cloud on his face,
and in his ears were ringing those
mOcking words "Tm in love with
Tom" A disgust for his fishing life
and for himself and for all their mis-.
erable surroundings of poverty filled
the lads heart with an unwOnted Bit
terness.
"Mother," he said one day, as he sat
darkly brooding over the hearth, "you
said you were born lady ;why didn't
you make gentleman of me.?'
"I hadn't any money left when you
came," said the widow, briefly.
"Thcn it's money that makes people
gentlemen and ladies ?"
81 don't know" said the widow, ,puz-
zled; "they somehow mostly have it"
One day Pom came and told her he
was going to sea. There had been a
man down looking 70: hands, and he
had taken Tom gladly, for Tom was a
handy fellow at almost any kind of sea
craft, and would soon make a good
seaman.
"And you must bide here patiently
till 1 come back, mother; for if there's
better days anywhere, 1 shall bring
'em with me be sure"
After that the sea looked bluer and
colder than ever, and the solitary wo-
man lived sort of hermit's life. No
CHEEKY voice of gossiping -neighbor
lightened the dreary cabin, no child
rem prattled about her and enlyBelIe,
the bright, kind-hearted lassie, SEEM
ed to remember to cheer her with q
letter now and then. Belle was away
from home now, visiting some distant
friends, but in her kindly heart she
kept a corner, it seemed, for the poor
old woman who had saved her life.
Three years-fsur-passe away,
and daily of summer afternoon you
might have seen the widow sitting in
her doorway, eager and hollow-eyed,
looking out for some possible ship
that might be Toms. Tom was not
good correspondent, but occasionally
up at the little post Office wandering
epistle waited her trembling hand.
She was growing very old and feeble
now but Tom was getting up in the
world. Tom was first mate of his ship,
Tom was a success, Tom was a gentle
man, and oh. above all things, Tom
was coming home!
Not every one watches in vain,
though we may not always be looking
in the right direction. 1t was so with
the widow. AS she sat one day. with
eye gazing on far-off sun-lit
sails, and seeing how some of them
lowered nearer and nearer, and some,
alas took wing farther and farther
away, the doorway darkened sudden
ly there came rushing upon her, as if
dropped from the clouds, plump,
dark k-eyed, rosy-cheeked lady, who
flung herself into the arms of the
with a cry of joy.
s:Oh, mother" she exclaimed, half
half laughing-"oh. mother,
don't you know me? Why, I'm Toms
wife, and Eye brought the captain
with me
"Mother," said Captain Tom, that
night, "you've seen better days per-
haps, but never have"
"FOr didn't tell you, SAID Mrs
Tom, archIy, "that | was in love with
Tom And father owns half his ship,
you know; so if Toms captain, I'm
second mate you see. And we are
going to take you away to where we
found our better days.
THERE is an old lady near Westmin-
ster, Mass, who for fifteen years has
lived entirely alone. She is s., years
old, and entirely blind. Yet she makes
her own fires in the old fashioned fire
place, prepares her meals, and does
the general work of the house. She
owns considerable property, but does
not care to squander any of it on
hired help or companions.
HUNDREDS of thousands of dollars
81, nf