The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1877-12-27
THE STEWARDESS' STORY.
A CHRISTMAS arORY.

lIlE ~ NV " Wv '''N'N 49, 49,
home hrcside, but in the saloon OF a
southwark bound steamer, where there
was nothing 10 remind one Of the blessed
season of peace and good will save n soll-
Lary cross of evergreen which one passcn-
ger had fastened over her staterOom door.
1t was a wild night. We were Just of
Cane IIattcras, and the yepsel was rolling
like a plaything in the hands OF the
stormy sea. \ violent snOWHtOrm was
raging, and on deck the scene was
dreary and arc.ic. Snow andicc covered
everything, and the muiIlcd forms OF the
sailors passing TO and fro under the glare
OF the lanterns appeared like the ghosts
Of dead arctic v%oyagcrs. ] was glad to
seek the warm saloon and gather myself
into n corner of n lounge. TO watch the
movements Of the passengers was Amuse'
mcnt enough, and served to prevent me
from thinking too tendcrly OF the home
circle where was missed from the fes.
]tiyitics Of Christmas eve.
The usual crowd was collected which
one always sees on a steamer southwark
bound in the winter time. Here around
II llDlt W'It HdblI'I'' "a E'''H W "'F'J
probably sugar merchants, striving, in
spite Of the motion Of the ship, TO play a
quiet game of euchrc. Stretched on tho
solaa were ladies in all the stages Of sea
sickness. A few children not yet put to
bed were crouching on the floor with
their nurses, and in a warm c0rncr near
the heater lay a poor Consumptive girl,
carefully watched over by her mother
and brother. She was going to die UNI
der the orange trees, OnIy the old story
repeated over and over again every win
ter.
Moving round among all those who
were sick was the trim, plump lghrc OF
the old stewardcss, She WAS carrying
bowls oi broth, tumblers of chopped ice,
and all those little dcIicacies 70 welcome
TO a sufferer from scasiCkness. Tho
quiet, placid face Of the old lady inter
csted me, and in those few days already
PASSED since leaving port w had become
linn 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 formed
the habit OF coming for n quiet chat with
me the lat thing at night after all her
scMtick charges were safely tucked IN
their bcrths and her duties for the day
over.
waa impatient tonight for her leisure
hour to arrive, for ! Haw II strange tender
ness in the old lady's face, and felt sure
that the season was aIousing old memories
in her heart, which perhaps could in
duCc her to tell me. so when ut lust
she came and sat down ON one end OF the
lounge where J was lying, I said, trying
90 lead the conversation 10 what felt
was uppermost in her mind "Its II
rough night for Christmas eve"
" Yes, ma'am,' she replied, smoothing
the folds Of the kcrchief across her breast
"but pve seen many a roughcr night at
sea in my day, and'-thonghtiully-
"saddcr Christmas ewes, too"
""IIave you spent many y ars ON the
oceanY' | asked.
Yes, ma'am, but not in this way. |
used TO have my own little cabin IN my
husbands ship-a coy little place, where
| used to he always at INSIDE, and never
ielt afraid Of storm nor wind
Tell me about it, | said. "SurcIy
n life like yours has much of interest in
it,
"Weli ma'am, Ivc been thinking il
all over to night, and if you don't mind,
III tell you some of the things Il sailors
wife has to pass through, and how her
heart gets wrung very hard sometimes.
al hadn't much knowledge OF those
things when | married Charlie, for | was
a slip of n girl then and knew no more of
the sea than one learns in watching the
vessels sail out of and into a quiet land
bound harbor. So when Charlie asked
me to be his wife aud go to sea with him
for although he was young, he had u
ship of his own said yes with all my
heart, for | loved the honest hearted
sailor, ma'am, ever since we were little
children together. ] only thought then
of all the strange sunny lands Charlie
had told me about, and TO 80 to see them
with him was to take Il trip TO paradise.
Well, we were married Just before he
WAC to start on a voyage to Brazil. !
mind me W well of that voyage, ma'am,
Just M if it all happened yesterday. II
was late in November when We started,
and right here off llatteras we had Il ter
rible gale. ! was 50 frightened when the
wind h0wled and whistled through the
rigging, and almost wished myself back in
the old cottage with mother-for | had O
dear mother then, God bless her mem
Dry"
The old lady's voice broke, and she
stopped to wipe away the tears which
ran down her checks.
But when the wind blew the widest,
Charlie only laughed, and at last cried
myself to sleep in his arms like a fright
ened child.
And when we came down into the
warm tropic seas | was no happy watch
ing the schools OF flying fish and the
great floating fields OF gull weed; and at
night, when the sea wa, shining and the
ship seemed passing through a lake of
silver, all my dreams OF paradise were re-
allied.
"Thcn came the foreign land. with
strange, swarthy faces, and words | didn't
know, and odd fruits, and all manner of
queer things. Charlie was never tired OF
bringing me new and curious ,rinkets
and made my little cabin as fancy ms :
Chinese toyshop.
When we came home from that yoy
age, my little Minnie was born. She wa
a darling blue eyed baby, and Charli
wa 70 anxious for her comfort that h
persuaded me to stay ut home will
mother, and he went on the rex voyag
alone.
"But | couldn't bear it; 50 when h
zane home again, ! begged him to let M
~ back TO my home in the little cabir
He found il desolate enough withol