Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-12-19
THE STEWARDESS' STORY.
4 Christmas Story.

home fireside, but in the saloon of 8
southwark bound steamer, where there
was nothing to remind one of the bless
ed season of peace and good will. save
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 a plaything in
the hands of the stormy sea. A violent
snow-storm was raging, and on deck the
scene was dreary and arctic Snow and
ice covered everything, and the muff1ed
forms of the sailors passing to and fro
under the glare of the lanterns ap-
peared like the weird ghosts Of dead
arctic voyagers. | was glad to seek the
warm saloon and gather myself into a
corner of a lounge. To watch the move
ments of the passengers was amuse-
ment enough, and served to prevent
me from thinking too tenderly of the
home circle where was missing from
the festivities of Christmas eve.
The usual crowd was collected which
one always sees on a steamer southwark
bound IN the winter time. Here around
a table were gathered a group of men,
probably sugar merchants, striving, in
spite of the motion of the ship, to plav
quiet game of euchre. Stretched on
the sofas were ladies in all the stages of
seasickness. A few children not vet to
bed were crouching on the floor with
their nurses, aud in a warm corner
near the heater lay a poor consump-
tive 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. She was carving
bowls of broth, tumblers of chopped
ice, and all those little delicacies so
welcome to a sufferer from sickness.
The quiet, placid face of the old lady
interested me, and in those few DAYS
already 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
had already folmed the habit of coming
for quiet chat with me the last thing
at night after all her seasick charges
her duties for the day over
was impatient tonight for her leis-
ure hour to arrive, for [ saw a strange
tenderness in the old lady's face, and
felt sure that the season was arousing
old memories IN her heart, which per
haps [ could induce her to tell me. So
when at last she came and sat down on
one end of the lounge where [ was
lying, [ said trying to lead the converse
ton to what felt was uppermost in her
mind It's a rough night for Christ
mas eve'
Yes, ma'am," she replied, smooth
ing the folds of the kerchief across hel
breast g but I've seen many roughel
night at sea in my day, and Thought
fully" sadder Christmas ewes, too
Have you spent many years on the
ocean," [ asked.
Yes, ma'am, but not IN this way.
used to have my own little cabin and
my husbands ship-a coy little place
where I used to be always at his side
and never felt afraid of storm OF
wind"
"Tell me about it." I say. "Sure-
~ a life like yours has much of interest
in it."
"Well, ma'am, I've been thinking il
all over tonight, and if you don't mind
I'll tell you some of the things a sail
or's wife has to pass through, and how
her heart gets wrung very hard some
times.
Il hadn't much knowledge of those
things when got married. to Charlie, fo1
[ was sip of a girl then and knew nc
more of the sea than one learns il
watching the vessels sail out of and into
quiet land bound harbor.
$50 when Charlie asked me to be hi
wife and go to sea with him-for al
though he was young, he had ship O.
his own said yes with all my heart
for [ loved the honest hearted sailor
ma am, ever since we were little chill
dren together [ only thought then Of
the strange sunny lands Charlie haC
told me about, and to 90 to see them
with him was to take a trip to para
disc. Well, we were married just be
fore he was to start on voyage to Bra
Ill / mind me so we'll of that voyage
ma'am, just as if it all happened yes
terday. 1t was late in November Wher
we started, and right here off Hatteras
we had terrible gale I was so fright
ened when the wind howled and whistlec
through the rigging, and almost wished
myself back in the cid cottage with
mother-for | had dear mother then
God bless her memory
The old lady's voice broke, and she
stopped to wipe away the tears which
ran down her cheeks.
But when the wind blew the widest
Charlie only laughed, and at last criec
myself to sleep in his arms like fright
ened child.
And when we came down into the
warm tropic seas was SO happy watch
ing the schools of flying fish and the
great floating fields of gulf weed and
at night, when the sea was shining anc
the ship seemed passing through lake
of silver, all my dreams of paradise
We're realized.
Then came the foreign land, with