The Portland daily press., 1878-09-14
From the Golden Rule.l
Her Own Pilot.
BY VIM. II. MERRILL.

III all happened at SWampscott. Not q
very promising scene for romance, you may
say. But on this great stage, the world,
there are many exits and entrances; and ii
all the men and women were not in some
sense players, very pretty audiences might be
gathered for the private and often uncons cious
theatrlcals at even such quiet little seaside
town as Swampscott. 1t is not Long Branch
or Newport, to be sure, or even Nahant-il
you take a Nahanter's opinion on it. But
more beautiful drives it is not easy to find,
than the ocean road to Lynn and beyond,
or out to quaint old Marbehead-where fire
mas so recently devastated what time. and
storm, and the march of so-called improve.
ment had spared. The rocky bluffs are
crowned with dark forests, where one may
lie on the moss-mattressed rocks, and the
restless spirit OF the pines sing their Eolian
melodies to the accompaniment of the far
sounding sea, amidst solitude as dense as
when the Indian chieftains brought their
families hither to cure fish and play at vaca-
ton. There are fine beaches for bathing,
and the shore line is broken and diversified
by rocks, trees and lawns. The summer
houses are handsome and yet home.like, and
the small fishing fleet and cottages add to
the pcturesqueness of the scene. To the
lett the open sea stretches away to the hori.
zon, while the encircling harbor and distant
lighthouses complete a picture which makes
the barren stretches of beach, scattered
along our coast, with their great human hives
OF hotels, seem like huge burlesques upon
pleasure resorts.
day, came pretty Grace Chandler, her poor
head tired with months of "schooi-ma' am
ing" Her good aunt always saves cosy
little room, with sea-view window latticed
with creeping vines, for 'Gracie" Enter
tanning angels unawares, the dear old soul
declared, was well enough in its way, but
she preferred to be sure of her angel; and so
she laid claim to the courageous girl who met
the disaster to her fathers fortunes by seek.
ing place-she didn't call it accepting a
situaton'-in the public schools. The high
school lads, who had shed their roundabouts
and come to that deliciously tormenting age
when boys just begin to feel that there is
difference in girls, declared that the ancient
maldens and crusty old fogies of the school
committee kept Grace in the primary de-
partment out of pure spite to them. But
those of us who have "come to forty years''
could tell by one look at the subject of the
lads. admiration, that unless ''object teach
ing'' in that most intricate of all studies
woman's nature-were the purpose of the
school, Miss Grace's place certainly was not
in the upper grade.
VI course am not going to try and tell
you how the young woman looked. What
the wise DIR. Maistre said about pictures
that the best part of them is that which de.
hes description-is even more true of women,
She was twenty; slender, but normally health
ful-with one of those 1.-the, delicately out
lined, trim figures that reconcile one to the
''pull-back," and convince the most skeptical
behoder that some women are superior to
the dreadful test of a bathing suit. What
more need be said, except that Grace had
the easy, gliding step that tells OF the gymna-
SUM: that she could sit horse, or pull an
oar, or shoot an arrow like girl 10 the latest
English novel; and that she had one of those
faces and compilations, often seen in the old
New England towns, limiting plainly of DR..
Holmes double-sash plate glass protection in
winter and outdoor life and luxury in the
summer, for four or five generations back.
She had large. clear, steady eyes-"gray as
glass;" old Chaucer described the type for all
time, Illuminating face that at once piqued
interest, and excited admiration. A discern
lug mau would as soon think of being silly or
rude to his own mother, or disrespectful to
the mother-in-law he hopes to win, as of try.
ing any nonsense with the owner of that face.
whose calm eyes take his measure as swiftly
and accurately as fashionable woman will
inventory the wardrobe of her rival. Grace
was not phenomenal, but typical high-type
OF GIRL She never read Emerson, nor pre-
Tended to dote on poets couplet of whose
verses she could not quote. She spelled her
culture with an r, and didn't prate about it
at that. The things that she needed to use
she knew thoroughly, but didn't omit to pack
away great many useful odds and ends of
information, and pretty accomplishments of
various sorts, for fear of being called "superfi-
cial." She read the books she liked. lust as
she ate food that agreed with her, and could
play game OF whist without chattering. a
game ut croquet without losing her temper.
darn stocking without verbal or mental ac
compartment at the nature of the work, and
in general could do girls work in the way
sensible mother had trained her.
Now OF course there would be no sufficient
excuse for bringing forward at Swampscott,
Tin summer when the days are long" such
paragon of girl as Grace Chandler, unless
the inevitable Young Man were forthcoming
also. bis name was John-prosaic john
Wheeler. There was nothing remarkable
about John-there rarely is about any Young
men except the valedictorians at college, and
they are commonly not heard of afterwards.
He was manly, fresh, pure hearted, clean
handed, bright-witted young fellow of twenty
three, year out of college. The fairy god
mother who smiled above his cradle endowed
him with good principles, good taste, and
good temper; legacy that kings son might
covet-if he knew enough. 1t secured for
him good habits, good breeding and aimiabi-
ity toward himself and others, which with
tact and industry, constitute a good make
shift for genius and fortune.
Need time be spent in telling how the mag
net and the metal came together? Proximity
did the business-he who will discuss the
mystic law of attraction will end no wiser
than when he began. The benches are not
long, nor the rocks numerous, at Swampscott
on the sea; and the two young people soon
manifested surprising similarity of taste and
manners as to hours of walking, lounging.
boating and bathing. 1t was charming to see
the sweet Inconsistencies with which the
maiden would stroll along the smooth sand.
drawing funny carcatures with the point of
her parasol, or searching intenty for sea
moses she did not in the least want, or gaz.
ing with abstraction ''far out to sea,' all the
WINE seeing from under the corner of her
jaunty chin hat another equally almless wan
derer coming funnily enough from the oppo
site direction.
AT first the greetings were hypocritically
formal and matter-of-fact.
"Why, good morning Mr.. WheelerI Are
you out so early ?"
ut is quite my habit, Miss Chandler. The
air is so rare and fine, and the view" looking
straight at the pretty dlssembler, $50 beautl-
full"
And then they would find their paths, quite
-; VI Souise running III Tue Same ul-
rectlon. Soon banter added its spice to the
meetings quite by chance-the usual way"
grace was iuhhy In the drollest manner, and
said the oldest things in the soberest fashion
without curve OF merriment in her perfect
lips, or look of Inconsistencies in her Sc
rlous eyes. She would ''chaff'' the Young
man, tell the funniest stories, or shoot him
with quick repartee, until he hardly knew
whether to be amused or vexed.
Let's go and hear what the sad sea waves
are saying" said John one evening in Au-
gust.
"',oh, know all about that" she replied
Win toss OF her loose love-locks. "They are
saying CHOW der, chow-der, clam chow-der,'
and Pm going to have some.
For men must eat and women must stew,
And the chowder pot is b-o-i-ling.'"
II believe you would burlesque anything,o
said John. with decided imnatiar,eo aeConId