The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1879-03-01


j =" Alas, ] know not. j shall die--that
| lis slid
"Nonsense, Arthur. say, go to sea
You couldn't go into a shop and you
would not if you could. You do not
wish to remain here amid the scenes OF
your happier days. Think of it: at sea
you would be free from all sneers of the
heaftless, ard free from all contact with
things you loath. Think oft"
Arthur started to his feet and paced
the floor for some minutes. When he
stopped new lite seemed already at
work within him.
"IfI went TO sea, what could j do?"
You understand all the laws Of
foreign trade?'
Yes. You know / had thorough
schooling at that in my fathers counting
heuse."
"Then you can obtain the berth of q
super-cargo."
fare you sure / can get one :"
"Y@.o
DIR. Weston, / will CO."
Arthur walked home enc evening to
the house of wealthy merchant, John
Melburne. 1t was palatial dwelling,
and many hopeful, happy hour had he
spent beneath its root. He rung at the
bell, and was admitted to the parlor. I'm
few minutes Grace Melbnrne entered.
She was only twenty. She had been
waiting until that age 10 be Arthur's
wife.
Some words were spoken, many min
utes OF painful silenc ensued.
tsGrace, you knew all. / am going
from my native land beggar. j can
not stay longer now. Grace, did 4 know
you less than i do many-or, knowing
you well, did know you as / do many
should give back your vows, and free
you from your bondage. But believe, i
should trample upon your heart did / do
that thing now. know your love is too
pure and deep to be torn from your
bosom at will. So ] eay--wait! There
are other feelings in the heart beside.
love. That love is poor, profitless pas
sion which puts aside all other censide.
rations. We must love for eternity, and
80 ou love must be free. Wait. / am
going to work--aye, upon the sea to
work"
But why upon the seag Why away
where my poor heart must beat ever in
anguish, fear and doubt as it follows
your"
because cannot remain here. Hun
,dreds of poor fools have imagined that /
summed them because I was rich. They
know not that it was the tainted atmos-
phere of their moral life that summed.
They gloat over my misfortune. Men
may cali me foolish, but it will kill me
to stay here"
"Alasi must it be?"
SIT must. You will waltz"
81 will wait even to the gates of the
tomb"
"Then Heaven bless and preserve
you"
The ruined youth was upon the ocean
his voyage commenced his duties as
laborer for his daily bread all fairly
assumed. All! it was strange life for
him TO enter upon. From thu ownarship
of immense wealth to the trade books Of
q merchant ship was o transition indeed.
But ere he went on deck again, he had
fully resolved that he would dolhis duty,
come what would, short of death. He
would forget that he ever did else but
work for his livelihood. With these
resolves clearly determined in his mind,
he already felt better.
At first our supercargo was too weak
to do much. He was very sick, and it
lasted nearly two weeks, but when that
passed of and he could pace the vibrat-
ing deck with q stout stomach, his appe>
itegrew sharp and his muscles began to
grow strong.
At first he craved some Of the many
delicacies he had long been used to, but
they were not to be had, and be very
soon learned to do without them. The
result was that his appetite became
natural in its wants, and his system
began to find itself nourished by simple