The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1878-11-07
The Window on the Porch

The Window on the Porch
J How came the window open on that
| stormy morning? II was the Old
story of young hearts and old heads
Two young people falling in love with
/ each other, a person in the shape of a
| father disappearing; the lover poor
the father rich; the girl divided be
1 tween duty and affection; and love tri
umphing in the end, as il generally
does.
I This was why the parlOr window
stood wide open on the stormy morn
| ing; for, at twelve the night before
she had come down to him, wrapped
/ in white furS and crimson hOOG and
had sObbed-
"Oh! Charles, / am very, very wick
ed, and unless Pa forgives me, God
never Will
Tremblingand sObbing softly, though
there was no danger of being heard
amidst the gusts Of wind and The
/ creaking of the bare elm branches, she
] lfA llllll ltdtlA llfl VII WI AAAN
soft snow, until a dark object under
the trees slowly developed itself as a
sleigh and two horses; and the old
driver, who had been beating his arms
I against his breast to keep himself
warm, helped the lady in with grufi
sort Of sympathy. And away they
glided, the black horses before them
and the white snow about them, fall
] Tar,.trs l.
/ living upon ChaTley's breast, and the
little fuT-clad form nestled close to his,
/ They were foolish little people, but not
wicked, whom those black horses
Whirled over the snow to IIymens
altar that bitter Winters night so long
ago.
When they found that balcony win
dow open in the gray mornings dawn,
they found also penitential letter
dropped with tears and an empty bed,
| the pillows of which had not been
rumpled. Pursuit was useless; but
Janet Grey had promised to love, hon
or and obey Charles Oliver, and he had
vowed to love and cherish her, until
death did them part.
Forgive them-neyer!
| So passionate old Robin Grey vowed
with many an expletiye not To BE-
written here. Forgive her!-The ser
pent warmed in his bosom TO sting
| him at last. From his heart and his
home sue had gone forth of her own
| free will, and an exile from both she
must remain forever.
She has married a sailor, second
mate of the Bonnie LGSSie, who made
voyages 10 the East Indies, and brought
home cargOes of spices, fruits and rare
cOnfectiOns, but she did not always
bring home those who went with her,
for in those warm latitudes fevers are
rife, and many a sailor in his hammock
shroud has fiOated from his mOOrings
to the Spice Islands; while at home
many a young wife has watched for
the good ship which would return her
husband to her neYermOre.
Three months of innocent delirium,
the world seeming made for them, and
only lovers worthy to breathe It's air.
Then came the awakening,
One day Charles Oliver mentioned TO
Janet that the Bonnie LGSSie would
sail in two weeks.
"Oh no. you want to frighten me,
Janet exclaimed. Il couldn't live you
know. OH Charlie, 1 feel like faint
ing, am all alone. l have nobody
Charlie, laugh and say, Its all fun,
Janet"
q wish L could. Ny dear, you know
| your husband was sailor when you
were married to him"
~Yes; but never thought he would
be so cruel as to leave me. Charlie, /
really think | shall die"
Her pretty baby face was white and
wan, and her hands so cold that he was
frightened. Then she pleaded to go
with him-only to go with him any
where and anyhow.
He said i was a long and dangerous
voyage. He could not think of her go
ing. And her answer Was
"a dangerous voyage! And l to stay
at home to listen and hear the wind
blow, and think of you? Charlie, stay
at home if you care for me-
Poor Charlie! He held her to his
breast, and tried to teach her her first
bitter lesson-hOw money must be
earned, and how men must earn ii, how
a sailor, and as man he must dis
charge his duty, and never have to
think that he had dragged her from
| the sheltered home of luxury TO suffer
poverty and all its ills, how, in fact,
Men must work and women must weep.
And the sooner It's over, the sooner TO sleep.
1t was very hard to learn, and the
poor girl wife could not comprehend it
Janet could see 10 necessity for this
VOyage-Only cruel choice.
That fOrtnight-all tears and lamen-
tatiOn. That parting for SiN eternities
to her. Charlie and Janet had grief
enough in their two loving hearts to
fill this world and leave q surplus for
some other. At last the day came; and
he left her fainting, and went away
crying like child.
Then Janet was alone, and she
thought that she should die. When
her tears refused to flow as freely as at
/ first, which was not many weeks, she
found some comfort in an old piano, a
sweet-tOned thing. but very shabby,
that stood IN the parlor of her board
ing-hOuse. But her songs were always
sad. 4 wounded bird, dying in her
nest, and calling for her fate, could not
have uttered notes more pitiful 10
listen TO. Only now and then, when a
letter came, she frightened up for a
while.
At last six months were gone, and
liltiC Ntiutt llO lCAlNl. AlAC HAAAD luNnN
be at hand-that, of course, was il.
Charlie would be here very soon. But
nc Charlie came. Those who waited
for the Bonnie LaSsie saw her not. No
| letter, no Charlie. Another month
another-still no news.
! one morning she stood by the win
DOW, watching, and the landlady came
/ 10 her. She was good woman. and
! heSitated to speak: but her bOardiuG-
| house only Kept her out Of poverty, and
! this blue-eyed girl was bOarder. after
all. So she said:
Mrs. Oliver, / don't like to tell Won.
/ but-but-'
-Oh! you've heard i'll news from
Charlie?7
Janet, turning with ashen cheek
clung to her arm.
No, nv dear. OH no, thank good.
ness. its quite different. Your hus-
! band paid your board for six months
in advance, you know
Yes"
well, ahemi its nearly ten months
since he went, and I'm quite poor, and
/ I'm often cheated, very Often-anG-
the fact is, can you pay meg"
I? Oh! no. Charlie-Mr. Oliver
viii settle with you the moment he re-
| turns"
~Yes-but its no use mincing matters
my dear. I'd be glad to wait. But are
YOU sure he will come back? The sea
is treacherOus and they say sailors are
| also. a wife in every mort. There now