The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-11-01
HER OWN PILOT
BY WILLIAM II. MERRILL

BY WILLIAM II. MERRILL.
1t all happened at Swampscott. Not a
very promising scene for a romance, you
may say. But on this great stage the
world 4 there are many exits and en-
| frances; and if all the men and women
were not in some sense players, very
pretty audiences might be gathered for
the private and often unconscious the
atricals al even such Il quiet little sea
| side town as Swampscott. 1t is not New
port or Long Branch to be sure, nor even
Nahant if you take Nahanter's opinion
on it. But more beautiful drives it is not
easy to find than the Ocean road to Lynn
and beyond, or out to quaint Old Marble
head-Where fire has so recently devaS-
tated what time, and storm, and the
march OF so called Improvement had
spared. The rocky bluffs are crowned
with dark forests, where one may lie ON
the moss mattressed rocks and hear the
restless spirits Of the pines sing their
Eolian melodies to the accompaniment
of the tar-soundlng sea, amidst solitude
as dense as when the Indian cheftains
brought their families hither to cure fish
and play of vacation. There are three
fine beaches for bathing, and the shore
| line is broken and diversified by rocks,
trees and lawns. The summer houses are
handsome and yet home-lillc, and the
small fishing feet and cottages add to
the picturesqucncss Of the scene. 10 the
left the open sea stretches away to the
horizon, while the encircling harbor and
distant light houses complete a picture
which makes the barren stretches of
beach, scattered along our coast, with
their great human hives OF hotels, seem
like huge burlesques upon pleasure re
sorts.
Well down to Swampscott, one sultry
July day came pretty Grace Chandler, her
poor head tired with months Of ''school-
'ammg.' Her good aunt always saved
a cosy little room, with a sea-veW, win
dow lattlced with creeping vines, for
''Grace." Entertaining angels unaWareS
the dear old soul declared, was well
enough in its way, but she preferred to
be sure Of her angel; and SO she laid
claim to the courageous girl who met the
disaster to her fathers fortune by seek
ing place she did not call it "accept-
ing a situation'- the public school
The High school lads, who had shed their
nd-aboutS, and came to that delicious
ly tormcntng age when boys Just begin
to feel there is a difference in girls, de
clared that the ancient maidCns and crusty
old bachelors OF the school committee
kept Grace in the primary departments
out of pure spite to them. But those OF
US who have 'c0me to forty years could
tell by one look at the subject OF the lads
admiration, that unless ''object teaching''
in that most intricate Of all studies -Wo-
man nature were the purpose OF the
school, Miss Graces place certainly was
not in the upper grade.
OF course | am not going to try and
tell YOU how the young woman looked
What the wise De Maistre said about
pictures-that the best part of them de-
ties description is even more true of
women. She was twenty; slender, but
normally healthful with one Of those
1.-the, delicately outlined, trim figures that
reconcile one to the pull back" and con
vince even the most skeptical beholder
that some women are superior to the
dreadful test Of bathing suit. What
more need be said, except that Grace
had the easy, gliding step that tells Of
the gymnasium; that she could sit a
horse, or pull an oar, or shoot an arrow
like Il girl III the latest English novel ;
and that she had one of those faces and
compilations, often seen in the old New
England towns, limiting plainly of DR..
Holmes double sash plate glass protcc-
ton in winter and out door life and luxury
in summer, for four or five generations
back. She had large, clear, steady eyes
gray as glass" as old Chancer de-
scribed the type for all time illuminate
ing face that at once piqued interest,
and excited admiration. A discerning
man would as soon think Of being silly or
rude to lis grandmother, or disrespecttul
to the molher-ln law he hopes to win, as
Of trying any nonsense with the owner OF
that face, whose calm eyes takes his meas
ure as swiftly and accurately as a fashion
! able woman will inventory the wardrobe
of her rival. Grace was not a phenomc-
nal, but a typical high type of a girl. She
| spelled her culture with an =, and didn't
| prate about it at that. The things that
she needed to use she knew thoroughly,
| but didn't omit to pack away great
many useful odds and ends of informa-
ton, and pretty accomplishments of var-
GUS sorts, for fear OF being called "super-
/ .
| lust as she ate the food that agreed with
| her, and could play hand of whist with
out losing her temper, darn stocking
without verbal or mental accompaniment
! at the nature of the work she never read
! Emerson, nor pretended to dOte on poets,
and in general she could do a girls work
| in the way sensible mother had trained
| her.
Now, Of course there would bc no SUI
ticient excuse for bringing forward at
SWampscott, Gin summer when the days
are long" such a paragon Of a Girl as
Grace Chandler, unless the inevitable
young man were Forthcoming also. His
name was john -prosaic John Wheeler
There rarely is about any young man eX-
cept the Valedictorans at college, and
they are commonly not heard of after
wards. He was Il manly, fresh, pure
| hearted, bright Witted. clean handed
young fellow OF 23. a year out of college.
The fairy godmOther who smiled above
his cradle endowed him with good princ-
| Piles, good taste, and good temper; il lega-
cy that a kings son might covet-if he
knew enough. 1t secured for him good
habits, good breeding, and amiabiity to-
ward himself and others, which, with tact
and industry, constitute very good make
shift for genius and fortune.
Need time be spent in telling how the
magnet and the mental came together
| Proximity did the business-let who will
discuss the mystic law of attraction, and
end no wiser than when he began. The
| beaches are not long, nor the rocks mum
erous, at Swampscott on the sea; and the
two young people soon manifested a sur
prising similarity of taste and habit as to
hours Of walking, loungng, boating and
bathing. Itwas charming to see the sweet
Inconsistencies with which the maiden
would stroll along the smooth sand, draw
| ing her parasol, or searching intently for