The Portland daily press., 1878-09-14

gain. It's SO wasteful of nervous forces tc
have ones feelings narrowed up by mocf
heroics and sham Sorrows
"Yes, but l find it more wearing to wish tC
laugh in the wrong places. 1 always feel g
sort of personal responsibility for would-be
clever preachers, and actors, and singers
And fdur pas makes me want to hide my
head A bad Ophelia, for example-and they
are mostly so bad that should dread to have
them play within ear range of Shakspeare's
curse.guarded bones-stirs my ashamed SYM
pathies to their depths. Yet have seen young
women giggle at the spectacle. The outflow
of woman's sympathies, except in cases oil
absolute wrong or suffering, can't be reck-
oned on with any more certainty than the
form in which cresting wave shall break"
"Mr. Wheeler" said Grace, whether sober.
~ or saucly he could not tell, "you know
absolutely nothing about woman's heart.
Your observations have been confined entire.
ly to the beach. Of the deep sea soundings
you are as ignorant as that urchin who is
building sand fort at the half-tide line. No
impudence or sentiment is in ORDER" contin-
ued she, seeing thought taking form in his
face-"my own heart is all beach and shall
lows"
Sand breakers" said John, in desperate
effort to assert himself. "But as long as you
keep so clear light beaming in the windows
of your soul,' and have so many buoys out.
side, the harbor ought to be snug and safe.
"Fiattery and bad pun in one breath! I
shall have to sentence you to the hotel for
three hours"
SAT hard labor" laughed the banished
youth, as he started up at the sound of the
dinner gong.
Yet through all their growing intimacy,
whether in banter or seriousness, agreements
or differences, the young couple got on to.
gether tamously. Though they spoke no
word of love, they instinctively touched upon
many themes and experiences that pertain to
that charmed state. The moonlight had a
new glamour for them. The tide broke and
rippled with sweeter music. Rocking to-
gether in their little boat, seeing nothing but
each others faces and the open sea or over
hanging sky, all the rest of the great, busy
world so near them was for the time obliter-
ated, Without knowing why, or perhaps
realizing the fact, they were growing into
oneness.
Sitting together one evening on the rocks,
they tell to discussing the descriptive terms
applied by poets to the sea, as they watched
the waves break, rush forward like living
things, seemingly to search vainly for rest
ing place. aud then glide back to be en-
guphed by the incoming tide.
II wonder if the poets of the sea have hit
upOu IuO fOly Ucob WOIuS ycb muS6u JOuQ.
81 have often tried to better their CHOICE"
said Grace, "but they seem to have ransacked
the dictionary pretty thoroughly. The
breaking waves dashed high you know !;
they roll, thunder, rave, lave, creep, crawl,
rush, uprear and crest themselves; they sing,
they thunder, roar, murmur and do all sorts
of other things. But will try new word
if you dare; call it 'scamper' for movement,
and-and-'slosh' for sound.''
"Captal! Only it seems to me you have
sacrificed ideal beauty to ALTERATION, trick
of too many of our poets. 'Sloshv-how
charming
"Oh! you can laugh, of course, but they do
slosh, although I'll admit the word is more
expressive than elegant. Take your turn
now. and no flinching."
swell call it 'kiss'-and that combines
both movement and southland John illus
trated the fact by touching with daring lips
the sea shell tint of his companions soft
cheek.
The sea-shell tint deepened several shades
as Grace turned surprised and inquiring
glance swiftly upon him. She saw rather
abashed but not unmanly look on his face,
and with true intuition read the affectionate
impulse and honest homage that prompted
the unusual token.
sit is a custom of the country" said John,
III q uCpLCCdbiuS UOucs always W KISS lOI
good luck when you see the new moon over
your right shoulder"
81 wouldn't have the customs of the coun.
try broken for the world" responded tn
self possessed young woman, "only if I am to
be kissed, don't like it strained" and she
lifted the illusion veil which her good aunt
had tied on, and in Scripture fashion turned
to John her other cheek also.
The last of the summer days came on, and
the full "harvest moon" was rising like a
world offire out of the deep, as John and
Grace went down the beach for swimming
match. The purple sheen of the sea tinted
the sails OF the sloops that lay idly rocking at
anchor. The rocks, trees and lawns showed
back against the sky. Far away, the Boston
outer light shone like newborn star, and
disappearing with the revolving turret. The
twlnking lamps around Nahant neck formed
long crescent of light, like picture OF a
scene in Venice. With full, warm tide, a
balmy air and the witchery of moonlight
thrown over the scene, the young couple
dashed hand in hand into the surf. The love
of one was yet unspoken and that of the 9th
er unconfessed, but their confidence and hap
piness were mutual. Both were good swim
mers-Grace especially being light and swift
in the water from long practice and fondness
for the sport. No shivering dips or timid
paddlings for her; but with a movement
worthy of her name, she would disport her.
self in the water like veritable mermaid.
They were swimming fifty Yards race,
out beyond the surf, and Grace was several
lengths ahead when she heard cry. "The
cramp, GraceW and turned to see John
convulsively at the air.
Before she could reach the spot he had
gone down.
There was no boat that could be made
aVaitahla in tip,o fo ho1n bor
a person within call. She must save, or he
would die. John die? The thought revealed
her heart as she had never seen it in her pas
sive happiness.
In moment the head of the drowning
man appeared above the surface.
Pot yonr hands on my shoulders" she
said quickly but firmly. Il can take you
ashore"
What should have been a touch-a light
pressure for support-became a frenzed
grasp under the peril and desperation
OF the moment, and John bore her down with
him in ten feet of water. As she had been
superior to Mysteries above, she was stronger
than despair below. His hold relaxed as he
touched bottom and tearing herself from his
loosened grasp, Grace seized him by the hair
and bore him out of the grave for another
chance at life.
Seeing at glance that while John was un-
able to avail himself OF her help, he was still
dangerous to face, she dived quickly caught
him by the heel with one hand, and with
swift strokes dragged him through the water
to the beach.
How she did it she never knew, but she
took the dead weight OF his limp body in her
arms and ran with it to the dry sand, as a
mother might run from peril with her babe.
As she turned his face to the moonlight it
was still, and white, and dead. A great fear
smote her heart, but there was no time for
delay, and love was stronger than despair. A
flash of recollection from her reading came to
her help. Putting her fingers deity into his
mouth, she pulled down his tongue. Swiftly
turning his head down the sloping beach,
she rolled him on to his side and rocked him
back and forth, pressing his sides and chest.
Almost instantly the salt water ran gurging
rom bis mouth, land a gasping breath showed
that John was saved.
A man needs to be very thoroughly in love
20 sense things thus, under the circumstances,
out as John felt the pressure of the soft
1ands upon him and saw the sweet, anxious
ace SO near his own and heard the inarticu-
ate murmur OF mingled endearment, fear and
5ladness. he did remember of reading how de-
ightful drowning is,after the struggle is over
1t would be pleasant, and quite the usual
hing, to say that john caught his fair rescu-