Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-02-13
Gales ann Sksttbes.
ENSIGN RANSOM.
AN ENGLISH STORY.

OF our tutNtTedtlpH, lnptlGl itN H''i''
up before me as wildly. as memory touch
es those magic plates which she keeps
stored up In her mysterious chamber.
There were several young people gath
cred in Mrs. Martins "parlor. Probably
there was not another old lady in London
had such a "parlor.' From the long deep
windows. the sloping walls, the low cell
ing, and the chirping Of birds, TO say moth
ing of the scent of wall-flowers and musk,
one fancied ones self in the ground-tioor
apartment of some quaint country cottage
In fact, il was room on the topmost story
of a grand old house in an old city square
In that house Mrs Martin had spent the
last happy married days of her carry
womanhood. and there it was her WISH 10
remain till she died. The house was ial
too large and too costly for widowed
woman's sole occupation. and so she ha9
retreated up and up. until she had reached
a solitude and silence which the occu-
pant of many country High street might
have envied. A perfect curiosity was her
little habitation. its walls covered with PIE
lures, its corners bright with dainty OLD
china, its whole replete with every simple
comfort The old lady herself rarely went
out now. bnt she did not lack visitors
There were some with great names and
great powers. who. in the world of fashion,
found no temptation TO forget their old
friend and there We're many more, bright.
saucy lads, and sweet, enthusiastic girls,
who found with her refuge and rest,
where they could tlutter their incplcnt
wings safely and happily.
can only remember that, at that time.
some great trial was running lis course.
and all England was eager for the sight OF
the evening papers, which one OF Us had
brought in, and the contents of which we
had been all eagerly discussing, raShly
giving our decided judgments on points
over which the jury of twelve good men
and true would have to spend many an
hour of weary consideration.
One witness came in for our special ami
madversion. In her cross-eNanination
some question had been pat to her which
she had declined TO answer. and on APP
pealing to the Judge whether she was
compelled to do 50, had received an an
swer in the negative.
1--WE all know what that means was
the dictum of our Juvenile leader, in which
we all heartily cOncurred. eff what she
must have answered would have been TO
her credit. she would not have hestated.
whether the question was iustiiiable or not
We may be sure that her answer would
probably have evoked some further ques-
tion, with results still more discreditable
to her.
There was quite a little chorus of assent
On this point only Mrs. Martin was quite
silent, and gave her kIitttng-needles Il pc
culiar shit, which we had long learned
10 recognize as what would be described
in parliamentary language as 'murmurs
Of dissent
Don't You think so. too 9'' asked one of
Ms, turning to the old lady with that defer
ence which we always felt to he due To
her, even when her wisdom differed from
that OF our contemporary solomon.
MY dear, it may be so-but il may not. "
she answered. Il know little story on
this very point. knew a gentleman who
was present when the incident happened
We were all attention. y story was not
10 be sighted, even when told to prove
ourselves in the wrong.
Well said Mrs. Martin, '.many years
back, long before was born and that is
nearly sixty years ago, a young man came
out Of little house at the eastern end of
a town by the sea. There was plenty of
life and gayety at the other end Of the
town, which was enlivened by one or two
barracks, a fort. and u castle. But the
eastern end was very poor, and would have
been quite lonely but for the fishermen and
their boats. The house from which the
Young man came was beyond even this
homely hustle, and was little more than a
wooden hut, tarred to defend it from wind
and weather. Its only near neighbor was
a huge windmill, whose garlnt arms were
almost over its humble roof, and, though
its windows and doorsteps were clean and
its curtains white, it was clearly a very
poor place, where none but very poor peo-
pie would live.
''Bnt the young man who came out was
in the full dress of military officer,
though that was screened from first view
by the long gray cloak which the wild
March wind made so necessary. He
looked back and waved his hand toward
the little house. as il he knew that some
body there was watching him, though
certainly, nobody could be seen from the
outside And then he turned and strug-
gled against the strong gale which blew
in from the sea.
He was quite young, and his face was
ninety cut, anu NOulu nave Dtcn Pheasant
but for look of stern and painful sorrow
not nmnixed with bitterness. which seemed
strangely incongruous with his years and
his dress.
''1ie walked on quite through the town.
There were few people taking exercise for
pleasure in that rough weather. and the
crowd of shipping iii the Downs made the
seward view almost less lonely than the
shore. II was very simple little town,
with red-tiled, decent dwelling houses
crowded forward toward the sea, as il
their inmates wanted to watch the boat
men and fishers from as near point rs
they might. Wherever the houses broke
apart, one caught glimpscs of a Wild flat
country, dotted here aud there with weird
trees in Indian file; and the youth looked
wistfully toward these desert fields. as if
he would fain have struck away across
them, instead Of going on. as he did, to-
ward the grim old fort
Yet. there it was clear. festiyity was
going forward, and friendly voices greeted
him as he passed the gray old portal. And
then, over his stern, sad face he dropped
mask Of gsyety, and though he relapsed
into silence at times, he was as polite and
conversible as the best of them.
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