The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1876-12-25
THE STEWARDESS' STORY.
A CHRISTMAS STORY.


home freside, but in the saloon oil Q
Southwark bound steamer, where there
was nothing to remind one OF tho bless
cd season OF peace and good will save q
solitary cross Of evergreen which one
passenger had fastened over her state,
room door. It was wild night. We
were just on Cape Hatteras, aud the
vessel was rolling like q plaything in
tho hands Of the stormy sea. 4 violent
snowstorm was raging, and on deck the
scene was dreary and arctic. Snow and
ice covered everything, and the muf1led
forms Of the sailors passing to and fro
under tho glare OF the lanterns appeared
like tho weird ghosts Of dead arctic voy.
ayers. I was glad to seek the warm
saloon and gather myself into corner
Of q lounge. To watch the movementa
Of tbs passengers was amusement
enough, and served to prevent me from
thinking too tenderly OF tho home circle
where I was missed FRI m 10 festivities
OF Christmas eve.
The usual crowd was collected which
one always sees on steamer Southward
bound in the winter time. Hero around
q tablo were gathered group Of men,
probably sugar merchants, striving, in
spite OF the motion Of the ship, to play
q quiet game Of euchro. Stretched on
the sofas were ladies' in all the stages OF
seasickness. A few children not yet
put to bed were crouching on tho floor
with their nurses, and in o warm corner
near the heater lay poor consumptivo
girl, carefully watched over by her
mother and brother. She was going to
die under tho orange trees. Only the
old story repeated over and over again
every winter.
Moving round among all those who
wero sick was the trim, plump figure Of
the old stowardess. Sho was carrying
bowls OF broth, tumblers OF chopped
ice, and all those little delicacieS so
welcome TO a sufferer from seasickness.
The quiet, placid face OF tho old lady
interested me, and in those few days al
ready passed since leaving port we had
become firm friends. With the quick
instinct Of 4 woman who had had TO do
with all kinds Of people, she felt that !
liked her company, and she ha | already
formed the habit of coming for n qu:et
chat with me the last thing at Dight
after all her seasick charges were safely
tucked in their berths mud her duties for
the day over.
I was impatient tonight for her
leisure hour TO arrive. for saw strange
tenderness in tho old lady's face, and
felt sure that tho season was arousin6
old memories in her heart, which per.
haps could induce her To- tell me. So
when at last che came and sat down on
one end OF the lounge where I was ly.
ing, / said, trying to lead the conversa-
tion to what l feh was uppcrmost in her
mind: "1t's rough night for Christ.
mas ovc."
eyes. mG'am," shc replied, smooth
ing the folds OF tho kerchiet across her
breast; "but I've soen many q rorgher
night ut sea in my day, and"-thought-
fully-"sadler Christmas ewes, too"
"Have you spent many years on the
ocean2" I asked.
ayes, ma'aw, but not in this way. ]
used to have ms own little cabin in my
husbands GLip-a coy littlo place,
where I used to he always n. his side,
and never felt afraid OF storm nor
wind"
"Tell mo about it," \ said. "Surely
n liio ike yours has much OF interest in
swell, ma'am, Two been thinking it
nil over tonight, and il you don'tmind,
I'll tell you some oil tho things sailors
vito has to pass through, and how her
heart gets wrung very hard sometimes.
~ hadn't much knowledge Of those
things when I married Charlie, for I
vas a slip OF q girl then and knew no
more OF the sea than ono learns in
watching tho vessels sail ont Of and into
a quiet land bound barbor. So when
Charlie asked me to be bis wife md go
TO seq with him-for although ho was
young, he had ship Of bis OWL said
yes with all my heart, for'l loved tho
honest hearted sailor, ma'am, ever since
we wsre little children together. Ionly
thought tlen OF all the strange sunny
lands Charlie had told me about, and to
90 10 SEQ them with him was to tako q
trip to paradise. Well, wo were mar.
ried Just before he was to start on o
voyage 10 Brazil. / mind me 80 well
Of that voyage, ma'am, just as ii 1t all
yesterday. 1t was late IN No.
vember when we started, and right here
of Hatteras wo had terrible gale. !
was SO frightened when thewinl lowled
and whistled through the rigging, and
almost wished myself back in the old
cottage with mother for had q dear
mother then, God bless her memory"
Tho old lady's voice broke, and she
stopped to wipe away the tears which
-an down her cheeks.
"But when the wind blew the wild.
,st, Charlie only laughed. and at last l
,ri0d myself to sleep in his arms like
child.
And when ve camo down into the
warm tropic seas I WAS so happy watch
ing tho schools. OF flying fish and the
great floating fields OF gulf weed; and
It night, when the sea was shining and
;he ship seemed passing through lake
ofsilver, all my dreams OF paradise were
realized.
"Then came the foreign land, with
strange, swarthy faces, and words |
iidn't know, and odd fruits, and oil
Of queer things. Charlie was
1eyer tired Of bringing mo new and Gu
rious trinkets, and I made my little
,abin as fancy rs Chinese toyshop.
"When we came home from that voy-
lge, my littlc Minnie was born. She
vas q darling bluo eyed baby, and
Charlie was so anxious for her comfort
a ..n kn ataxt AZ hnHnn