The Republican journal., 1877-05-10

tropical name, bringing up visions of d
volcanic mountain, vast cliffs, a tangled
gorgeous forest, and the soft tapping wash
of tropical seas. Is it not 50, sonora 2"
But the sonora had never heard Of the
West Indian islands. Being told, she re-
piled, ''As you say it. it is So There is.
then, much land in the world 2
'it you keep the sea bean for ever
good will come," said Keith, gravely pre-
sentlng it 'but if after having once ac-
cepted it, you then lose it, evil will fall
upon YOU"
The Sister received the amulet with
believing reverence. II will lay it up be
fore the shrine Of Our Lady" she said
carefully placing it in the little pocket
over her heart, hidden among the folds
of her gown, where she kept her most
precious treasures "a bead of rosary
that had belonged to some saint who
lived somewhere some time, Il little faded
prayer copied in the handwriting of Il
young nun who had died some wears be-
fore and whom She had dearly loved and
u llst oi her own most vicious faults. to
be read over and lamented daily; crying
evils such as a preNcrse and inSubortli-
nate bearing, 4 heart troWarl and evil,
gluttonous desires of the flesh, and Il
spirit Of murderous rage. These were
her own ideas of herself, written down at
the convent. Had she not behaved her
sell pervelsely To the Sister Paula, with
whom one should he always mild nn ac-
count OF the attiiction which had sharp
entd her tongue Had she not wrong
fully coveted the cell OF the novice Felpa,
because IL looked out upon the orange
walk : Had she not gluttonously longed
tor more OF the delectable marmalade
made by the aged S;lnchita And worse
than all, had she not, in a spirit Of mlr-
derous rage. beat the yellow cat with a
doves, her especial charge ," "Ah, my
upon her knees. and Slnote her breast
with tears.
Keith watched the sea bean go into the
little heart tpoclltt almost with compunc-
ton. Many Of these anuietS of the sea-.
gathered during his winter ramblts. had
he bestowed With formal warning Of their
magic powers, and many Il fair hand had
taken them, many a soft voice had prom
lsei to Keep them ''tur ever" But hr well
knew they would be mislaid and forgot
ten IN Il day The fair ones we'll knew it
too, and each knew that the other knew,
SO no harm was done. But this sea bean,
he thought, would have Il different fate r.
l;tld up in some little nook before the
shrine, Il Witness to the daily prayers of
the supplemented little Sister II hope
they may do it good, he Thought Vague
ly. Then, rejecting that even the most
depraved bean would not probably be
much affected hy the PRAYERS, he laughed
OF the fancy, Yet did not quite like To
think, after all, that the prayers We're Of
no use. keiths religion, however. was in
the primary rocks.
Far down the beach they came upon 4
wreck. an old and long hidden relic OF
the past. The low sand-blutt had caved
away suddenly and left a clean neW side,
where, imbelded in the lower part, they
saw Il p0ndtrouS mast. 'An old Spanish
galleon." said Keith, STOPPING to examine
the remains. Il know it by the curious
bolts. They ran ashore here, bruu,lside
ON, in one of those sudden tornadoes they
have along this coast once in 4 while,
presume. Singular. This was my very
place for lying in the sun and letting the
blaze scOrch me with its clear scinullant
splendor. never imagined ! WAS lying
on the bones of this old Spaniard."
''God rest the souls of the sailors" said
the Sister, making the sign OF the cross.
''Thcy have been in-WhertVcr they
are, let us SAY, for about three centuries
noW,' observed Keith land must be used
to it, good or bad"
"Nay; but purgatory, senor'
True. | had forgotten that" said
Keith
one morning there came up Il dense.
soft southcrn-sea fog, .'The kind YOU can
cut with a knife" Darlington said II
lasted for days, sweeping out to sea at
night on the land breeze, and lying in Il
gray bank low down on the horizon. and
then rolling in again in the morning en-
veloping the water and the island in Il
thick white cloud which was not mist and
did not seem damp even, So freshly, soft
" salt was the feeling it gave to the faces
that went abroad in it. Darlington and
Keith, OF course, must needs he out in il
every moment of the time. They walked
down the beach for miles in the fog, hear
ing the mullled sound OF the near waves.
but not seeing them. They sailed in the
fog, not knowing whittier they went, and
they drltted out at sunset and Watched
the land breeze lift it. roll ii up, and
carry it out to sea, where distant ships on
the horizon line, bound southwark, and
nearer ones, sailing northWard With the
Gulf stream, found themselves enyelOped
for the night and bothered by their old
and battling foe. They went over to the
reel every morning, these two, and bathel
III the fog, coming back by sense of feel
ing, us it We're, and landing not intre-
quen1ly ii mile below or above the light
house: then what appetites they had for
breakfast And if it was not ready, they
roaned about roaring like young lions
AT least that is what MelvNna said one
morning when Darlington had put lis
curly head into her kitchen door six times
in the course Of one-half hour.
The Sister shrank from the sea fog
she had never seen one before. and She
said it was like a great soft white crta-
ture that came in ON wings, and broodeu
over the earth. les, beautiful, per
haps," she said in reply to Keith, ''but it
is SO strange slnd-and / know not how
to say it-but ii seems like Il place for
spirits to walk, and not Of the mortal
kind"
The were wandering down the beach,
where Keith had lurcu her to listen to
the sound Of the hidden waves. At that
moment Darlington loomed into view
coming toward them. He seemed of giant
size as he appeared, passed them, and
disappeared again into the cloud, behind,
his voice sounding nutlleu as he greeted
them. The Sister Shrank nearer to her
companion as the figure had suddenly
made itself visible. 'Do YOU know it is
a wonder to me how You have ever man
aged to live, so far" said Keith smiling.
But it was not far" said the little
nun. ''Nothing was ever far at the dear
convent, but everything was near, and
not OF strangeness to make one afraid
the garden wall was the end. There we
go not outside, but our walk is always
from the lime tree to the white rosebush
and back again. Everything we know
there not roar OF waves, not strong
wind, not the thick, white air comes to
give us fear, but all is still and at peace.