The Republican journal., 1877-05-10
From the Galaxy for April
SISTER ST. LUKE.
\ STORY OF FLORIDA.
CONCLU DED FROM LAST WEEK. |

The other two came back ut length,
wet and triumphant, with their prize.
They had stopped to bail it out, plug its
cracks, mend the old sail after fashion,
and nothing would do but that the three
should sail home in it; Pedro for whom
there was no room, returning 10y the
way they had come. Darlington, having
worked hard, was determined to carry
out his plan; and said 81.
"A fine plan to give us all Wetting,"
remarked Keith.
''Guu go down there and work ;tn hour
OF two yourself, and see how you like il"
answered the other, with the irrelcvance
produced by aching muscles and prespi
ration dripping from every pore.
This conversation had taken place ut
the edge Of the marsh where they had
numerous channels.
"Nery WELL" said Keith But mind
yon, not !, word about danger before the
Sister. | shall have hard enough work
to persuade he to come with us as it is"
He went back to the ridge. and care
lessly suggested returning home by va
ter. You will not have To go through
the tl1icllct them he said.
Somewhat to his surprise, Sister st.
Luke consented immediately, and fol
lowed without word ;ls he led the way.
She was mortally afraid of the water, but,
during his absence, she had been telling
her beads, and thinking with contrition
of two obstlnacies in one day +; that OF the
thicket and that Of the veil; she could
not, she would not have three. SO COM
mending herself to all the saints, she en-
barked.
''Looll here, Darlington. if ever you
invegle me into such danger again for a
mere FOOLS fancy, | will show You what |
think Of it. You knew the condition OF
that boat and | did not" said Keith
sternly us the two men stood at last on
the beach in front OF the light house.
The Sister had gone within, glad to feel
land undertoot once more. She had sat
quietly in her place all the way, afraid OF
the water of the wind, OF everything,
but entirely unconscious OF the real dan
ger that menaced them. For the little
craft would not mind her helm; her mast
slipped about erlatically; the planlling
ut the bow seemed about to give way al
together; and they were on a lee shore
with the tide coming i'll, and the surf
beating roughly on the beach. They
were both good sailors, but it had taken
all they knew to bring the boat safely to
the lighthouse.
''Io tell the truth, I did not think she
was 50 crippled,' said Darlington. "She
really is Il good boat for her size"
''Nery,' said Keith sarcastically
But the younger man clung to his
opinion; and in order to verify it, he set
himself to work repairing the little craft.
You would have supposed his daily bread
depended upon her being made seuworthy
by the way he labored. She was made
over from stem to stern !; new mast, Il
new sail; and, finally, scarlet and green
paint were brought over from the village
and out she came as brilliant as Il Young
parouuel. Then Darlington took to sail
ing in her. Proud of his handy work, he
sailed up and down, over to the reef, and
up the inlet and even persuaded Mel
Nyna to 60 with him once, accompanied
10y the meek little Sister.
''Why shouldn't you both learn how to
manage hcr.' he said in his enthusiastic
"She's us easy to manage as Il child"
''And as easy to tip over" replied Mel
vNna, screwing up her lips tightly and
shaking her head. ''Iou don't catch me
out in her again, sure us my names Saw
yer"
For Melvyna always remained Saw
Yer in her own mind, in spite of her
spouse's name she could not, indeed be
anything else -,aObiesse ObliW. But the
Sister, obedient as usual, bent her eyes in
turn upon the ropes, the mast, the sail,
and the helm, while Darlington waxing
eloquent over his tavorte science, de
livered a lecture upon their uses and
made her experiment a little to see if she
cumprehcnded. He used the simplest
words for her benefit, words of one syla-
bic, and unconsciously elevated his voice
somewhat, rs though that would make
her understand better; her wits seemed
to hln always of the sloWest. The Sister
followed his directions and initiated his
motions with palnStaking mlnuteness.
She did very we'll until a large porpoise
rolled up his dark, gllsteniny back close
alongside, when, dropping the sail-rope
with Il scream, she crouched down at
Melvyna's feet and hid her face in her
veil Darlington from that day could
get no more passengers for his paroquet
boat. But he sailed up and down alone
III LIS lltllC ClStlt, NIlCI ll1il
ment palled he took the remainder Of the
scarlet and green paint and adorned the
shells of various sea crabs and other
crawling things So that the little Sister
was met one afternoon by a whole pro-
cession of unearthly creatures. strangely
variegated, proceeding glavely in single
file down the beach from the pen where
they had been confined. Keith pointed
out to her, however, the probability Of
their being much admired in their own
circles as long as the hues lasted, and she
was comtorted.
They strolled down the beach now
every afternoon, sometimes two, some
times three, sometimes four when Mel
vyna had no cooking to watch, no bread
to bake for she rejected with scorn the
omniprescnt hot biscuit of the South, and
kept her household supplied with light
loaves in spite of the difficulties of Yeast
Sister st. Luke had learned to endure the
crabs, but she still fled from the tiddlers
when they Strayed over from their towns
in the marsh; she still went carefully
around the great jelly fish sprawling on
the beach, and regarded from safe dis
tance the beautiful blue Portuguese men
war, stranded unexpectedly on the
dangerous shore, all their fair voyagings
over. Keith collected for her the brilliant
sea-weeds, little fiecks of color on the
white sand, and showed her their beau
ties he made her notice all the varieties
of shells, enormous conches for the tritons
to blow, and beds of wee pink ovals and
cornucopias, plates and cups for the little
web-foOted fairies. Once he came upon
sea bean.
"It has drifted over from one of the
West Indian islands," he said, polishing
it with his handkerchief Zone of the is