The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-11-23
ACROSS THE SEA,

ACROSS THE SEA.
THE Pomerania was three days out
from Havre, sailing briskly along at
the rate of fourteen knots, her sails
filled by the stiff easterly breeze, and
every one on board cheered with the
prospect of quick run. Most of the
passengers were on deck, stretched in
dolently upon the settees or leaning
idly against the taffrail. Of the latter,
Mr.. Ralph Hawthorne was one. A
sea-voyage was always bore to him,
and by no means novelty, for it came
in the line of his business, and had al
ready come, in his life of thirty years,
fifteen times. But on this occasion its
monotony promised to be relieved by
an apparition that had Just come up
the companionway, in the person of
Miss Nelly Egerton, and was now
standing somewhat uncertainty in the
door, waiting for the vessel to resume
its equilibrium and allow safe exit.
Hawthorne seemed to have some in
tuitive consciousness of her approach,
for he turned around and called out
with welcoming smile, "Wait mo-
ment, Miss Egerton, and I'll give you
hand.h
But she had already come out, DEITY
balancing herself, and accepting his
profered aid only as the ship gave an
other lurch and sent her sliding down
toward the railing.
"What a breezy dayr' she exclaim-
ed, merrily, grasping the rail and toss
ing back the strands of hair which the
wind blew out from underneath the
picturesque little hat and chased about
her forehead.
"It's with us, though, Miss Egerton,
and we can bear it with equanimity. :"
Aren't we making very good run,
Mr. Hawthorne?"
The gentleman nodded. Every good,
if it only keeps up"
"If,' she repeated, meditatively: 81
wonder what there is in life that hasn' t
an # in itP''
Life is made up of contingencies,
Miss Egerton," he replied
Mine seems to be, Just now," she
said, more to herself than to him.
You're all alone on board, aren't
you, Miss EgertonP'' he asked.
"rm sure feel So" she replied.
"Madame De la Vigne came with me
to Havre, but since we left have hard
ly spoken to a soul and besides your
self, Mr.. Hawthorne, there isn't another
English person on board"
But you're not altogether English,
Miss Egerton your accent at least
suggests some foreign element"
MY mother was FRENCH" she said,
"and I've lived in France ever since |
was little girl. | was born, though,
in India > and then she stopped and
looked dreamily down into the rushing
water, as though the name recalled
some sudden recollection. Papa and
mamma both died there" she continu-
ed after a minute" first, and
mamma knew nothing about his rela-
tives, and hadn't any of her own, so at
last she sent me to her old friend Mrs.
Lancaster, who had taught her English
at Madame De la Vigne's pension in
Tours. And SO l grew up there, and
used to talk English to Mrs Lancaster
and French to madame, until Mrs. Lam
caster died, and madame and came to
Paris, where we've given French and
English lessons in the Rue Neuve DIES
Mathurius ever since. That was two
years ago"
land now you're going to American
eyes, Mr.. Hawthorne
''For the first time?'
Eyes"
And you expect to enjoy it, nc
doubt?'
81 hope to, Mr.. Hawthorne"
Ralph Hawthorne was beginning to
find this little self-possessed French
English girl good deal of a puzzle.
True, she was frank enough about her
past, but as to her future and her pur-
pose in coming over the wide ocean all
alone, when she hadn't any relatives on
either side of it, he was quite in the
dark. And there was a quiet dignity
about her that repealed any undue
curiosity, even were he inclined to dis
play it.
"You have friends in New Yorkp''
he ventured after moment to ask.
not so much from curiosity as genuine
interest in her lonely condition. But
the simple affirmative which she gave
checked any further inquiry, and &C.
cepting the fact, he skillfully turned
the subject again to her past life and to
things with which she was familiar.
And when two hours had passed quick
ly by, and the gong had sounded for
dinner, and Miss Egerton had left him,
with her prettily expressed thanks, he
reflected, in the two or three perilous
turns that he then took up and down
the deck, that it was months since he
had exerted himself so much to please
anyone.
But he repeated the experiment the
next day, only frightening out the two