The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-12-21
THE STEWARDESS' STORY.
A CHRISTMAS STORY.

was uOtnlng TO remind one OF the bless
ed season of peace and good will save O
solitary cross of evergreen which one
passenger had fastened over her state
room door. 1t was wild night. We
were just off Cape Hatteras, and the
vessel was rolling like plaything in
the hands of the stormy sea. A violent
snowstorm was raging, and on deck the
scene was dreary and arctic. Snow and
ice covered everything, and the muffied
forms of the sailors passing to and fro
under the glare of the lanterns appeared
like the weird ghosts of dead arctic voy-
ayers. L was glad to seek the warm
saloon and gather myself into corner
of lounge. To watch the movements
OF the passengers was amusement
enough, and served to prevent me from
thinking too tenderly Of the home circle
where L was missed frt m 70 festivities
OF Christmas eve.
The usual crowd was collected which
one always sees on a steamer Southwark
bound in the winter time. Here around
table were gathered a group of men,
probably sugar merchants, striving, in
spite of the motion of the ship, to play
quiet game Of euchre. Stretched on
the sofas were ladies in all the stages of
pSooAShhCoos n low hOb you
put to bed were crouching on the floor
with their nurses, and in warm corner
rear the heater lay poor consumptive
girl, carefully watched over by her
mother and brother. She was going to
die under the orange trees. Only the
old story repeated over and over again
every winter.
Moving round among all those who
were sick was the trim, plump figure of
the old stewardess. Sho was carrying
bowls Of broth, tumblers of chopped
ice, and all those little delicacies so
welcome to sufferer from seasickness.
The quiet, placid face of the old lady
Z interested me. and in those few days al
! ready passed since leaving port we had
become firm friends. With the quick
instinct of a woman who had had to do
with all kinds of people, she felt that
liked her company, and she hal already
formed the habit of coming for a qu.et
chat with me tho last thing at night
after all her seasick charges were safely
tucked in their berths and her duties for
the day over. Z
7 I was impatient tonight for. her
! leisure hour to arrive, ior saw strange
tendornAss in the old lady face, and
felt sure that the season was arUuslnS-
= old memories in her heart, 'which per
haps could induce her to tell me. So
when at last she came and sat down on
pne end of the lounge where l was ly
ting, said, trying to lead the converse
tion to what felt was uppermost in her
smind "It's a rough night for Christ
fmas eve."
Y eyes, ma'am," she replied, smooth
ing the folds of the kerchief across her
breast; "but I've seen many rougher
night at sea in my day, and "-thought-
fully" sadder Christmas ewes, too"
Have you spent many years on tac
oceau?" asked.
eyes, a'am, but not in this way J
used to have my own little cabin j, my
, husbands slip-a cozy little place,
where used to be always at lis side,
/ and never felt afraid of stcm nor
wind"
"Tell me about it," 7 sail Surely
life like yours has much O. interest IN
it,"
DWELL, lna'am, I've bed thinking it !
all over tonight, and if VI don't mind,
<,Vife has to pass thropgh' ana now her
81 hadn't mitch kn~ledge of those
things when 1 marria Charlie, for 1 |
was slip OF girl en and knew no
watching the vessel sail out of and into
quiet land bopnd harbor. So when
Charlie asked med be his wife and 20
to sea with him-ior although lie was
vouno. he had q MP of his own-I said
YES with all M heart, for l loved the
honest hearted Mlor, ma'am, ever since
TO ,,ara I;ttIa Aildren together. Ionly
thouebt then IT all the strange sunny
lands Cherli nad told me about, and to
no TO see flm with him was to take q
fr;n TO nar<ise. Well, we were mar.
ried lust efore he Was to start on a
VOYAGE Brazil. 1 mind me so we'll
of that gage, ma'am, just as if it all
happeneSesterday. Ii was late in No
nshen we started, and right here
bras we had terrible gale. I
Eightened when the wind howled
stled through the rigging, and
wished myself back in the old
with mother-for I had q dear
then, God bless her memory"
old lady's voice broke, and she
4 to wipe away the tears which
yn her cheeks.
1t when the wind blew the Wild
tarlie only laughed, and at last
myself to sleep in his arms like
tened child.
And when we came down into the
"a tropic seas was so happy watch
Ae schools OF flying fish and the
shoating fields OF gulf weed; and
Eight, when the sea was shining and ,
ship seemed passing through lake
Ysilver, all my dreams of paradise were
alized. ,,
|"Then came the foreign land, with ,
RNange, swarthy faces, aud words / ,
! Mt know, and odd fruits, and all 4,
Apner of queer things. Charlie was 6
yer tired of bringing me lew and Gu /
trinkets, and 1 made my little ,
q fancy as Chinese toyshop.
p we came home from that voy- |
little Minnie was born. She
=. ing blue eyed baby, and
so anxious for her comfort a
Persuaded me to stay at home 1
b mother, and he went on the neyt :
yage alone.
But couldn't bear it; SO when he s
.me home again, begged him to LEFT q
[ne go back to my home in the little .
iabin. He had found it desolate enough 6
me, SO he said, and We went I
again together.
!, "This voyage we lay long time in n
ne BRAZILIAN port, and before we sailed Il