Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-12-19

'iiANs AoLNii -AIl0ilCa StCilltu lkC
home. but the East Indies was an UNI
known world. He was so fun of hope
that he tried TO so off in his usual jolly
way, kissing Minnie and telling her she
would be little woman when he came
back-she was fourteen then-and
promising Pepita no end Of curious
things from the foreign lands; but there
was a great heaviness in nay heart, and
when he came and put his arm around
me and said; Keep up Your courage,
Maggie; III soon be back, | couldn't
look at him. | hid my face in my
hands and sobbed like baby.
" After he was gone we settled back
into the old ways; the children went to
school, and mother and kept the house
tidy.
" But | was uneasy; did not dare to
say anything to trouble the girls, bat
never lay down at night without dream
ing of shipwreck, ard when the time
came round WIZ We could expect
news from Charlie, it seemed as if my
heart would burst with anxiety. The
news never came. Day after day we
waited, and little by little sad silence
settled down on our cottage. When
word would come of the arrival Of
ships which sailed.long after Charles
did, we would look in each others faces
and never speak word, but each knew
what sorrow was in the others heart.
Only little Pepita never gave it up.
" My father will come back my father
will come back" she used to say, until
| couldn't bear to hear her, because |
couldn't believe it; and when she used
to stand for hours, shading her eyes
with her hand and gazing off over the
water, it drove me almost wild, because
/ knew what she was watching for.
a summer and winter and another
summer had passed since Charlie went
away, and when Christmas came round
again ! laid my poor mother in the
churchyard and came back alone with
my children to the cottage.
How got through the next year,
ma'am, | can never tell. AS | look
back 1t appears like an awful dream,
but | do remember the Christmas eve.
the third without Charlie. Minnie,
Pepita and sat huddled round the fire
talking in low tones about our lost for
we could bear now To speak of him
sometimes, and it soothed me to hear
the children talk and to see how much
they loved him. Pepita tried that
night to sing one Of the sailor songs he
had taught her, but she couldn't do
that. Her voice broke down, and we
couldn't one of us speak another word
at was Il sad Christmas eve, maam, -
the first one when all hope had really
gone out, and when lay down to sleep
that night felt that, except must live
for the children's sake, it would be such
a blessing to die.
Christmas morning was very clear,
and remember how the sunlight danced
in our little kitchen. 1t fell like bless
ing on Minnie's pretty hair, making ii
sparkle like gold, and reflected on the
picture of Charles ship,--not the lost
one, but the dear old Pepita-rhich
hung on the wall.
The table was spread, and we sat
down to our sad repast. Minnie folded
her hands to say grace, when - OH
ma am, can hardly tell you about it.
even after all these years 49, Pcpita
screamed like one mad with JOY.
sprung to my feet ! couldn't tell what
had happened to me. | saw looking in
at the window-Ch arlie-Charie alive
and we'll
Il don't know how it all was | know
couldn't move. | saw rs in dream
Charlie in the room and Pepita's arms
around his neck then | fell on his
/ shoulder like one dead.
There are not words to tell you
ma'am, of the JOY and happiness We
knew in our little cottage that Christmas
! day We couldn't realize it ourselves
/ didn't dare to take my eyes from
| Charlie for moment, lest | should
look back and find him gone. Minnie
and pepita both sat clinging to him
He had a long story to tell us of ship
wreck upon shipwrcck, Of long waiting
upon lonely islands, watching month
after month for sails which seemed
never to come adventures through
which many poor sailor had passed
and from which many one has never
come back to tell the story rs Charlie
did.
That night, sitting by the fire after
the children had left us alone, | made
Charlie promise me that he would never
leave me again. but would give up the
sea and stay with us in the cottage.
4 didn't realize till long afterwarC
how hard it had been for him to prom
Use me that. | had come to have such
a terror of the sea that ! couldn't real
ize how sailors heart delighted II
it. When years had passed, and Min
ME and Pepita had both married and
left us alone, ! began to feel how hun
cry Charlie was for the life he had loved
so much. He used to spend his time
wandering about the docks and going
IN hoard the sbius In from, some fnraiur