The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-04-29
DID HE LOVE MR7
TTinslev's Magazine.l

moments the white wavelets dancing on
the bosom of the blue deep. The Sum
mer's sun lit it up with golden glory,
and the icy snow of Winter melted into
it and left no sign the gray sea-gulls
floated on it, ay, and so did the bodies of
the dead sometimes. We were very poor;
and when mother was ill, could not
leave her to go out and work, nor even to
seek employment that1 could take home
and do beside her; so when this hap
pened, you can think they were hard
times with us. Bread became scarce, and
had it not been for the dried fish, some
times we should have had a sorry dinner.
One of the houses to which used to 60,
when we were little known, belonged to the
Captain of the coast-guard; and | really
enjoyed the days / spent helping Mrs.
Leigh cut down and alter the dresses and
jackets of the young ladies. They were
such dear bright girls; it was like ray
of sunshine bursting into the room when
they came and turned over the things in
my basket, to see Nelly's love-letters"
What merry laughs they had, and what
tangle they made Of all my cottons
and tapes They all knew the story that
had been the cause of our going to live
on the cliff, and they thought none the
worse of us because father had got into
trouble before he died.
They knew we could not help that;
mother had sold the little home was born
in, and given up everything she pos
sessed, to make up the deficit in his ac-
counts and hide his name from shame as
much us possible. When he died mother
moved to this out-of-the-way fishing vii
lage to try and forget and be forgotten.
There was no money now; nothing to
keep roof over our heads but what she
and could earn; 50 she taught a few
of the fisher children to read and write,
and went out to the houses Of the few
gentlefolks who lived near, to sew. How
different they were, these employers!
There was the farmers wife, Mrs. Abby,
as proud and conceited as the finest lady
in the land, with her silks and satins;
too grand by far to look into her dairy,
or lend a hand in the cheese-room. The
flouncings and plaitings, the braidings
and trimmings, Of all kinds, that put
on her gowns, and yet never could heap
on enough to please her. She would
come into the spare bedroom and read
out bits from all the fashion papers; and,
oh dear, how tired was when s o'clock
came and | went home to mother again.
Very different were my busy days at
the Leighs'. | worked in the snug sit
ting-room, while Miss Leigh played, Car
ric drew, and the mother knitted socks
for the Captain. All, there was no pride
about them; only good, kind hearts and
bright looks; and often did Mrs. Leigh
make some soup or Il pudding which she
gave to me, saying: Il am sure your
mother would like it, Nelly; so just run
home with it, my dear; you can stay
longer tomorrow" And Off | used
to run along the road, up
the steep chalk cliff, and in
at the cottage door, disturbing all the
little ones at their reading and writing.
Mother looked up; and how her dear face
frightened when she saw the cause of the
commotion in the black hat and tartan
shawl standing in the doorway. Then |
sat down, and how fast the lessons went
Even that stupid Joe Hawkins did finally
master "twice two are four" The eight
day clock in the corner struck; little legs
and feet scrambled about for hats and
caps, and out they all ran, leaving the
cottage at last to mother and me. The
Joy of those early home-comings. ! was
there to get the tea ready, and mothers
ewes followed me all round the room to
the cupboard where the cups lived, back
to the table, then away again for the tea
pot. O dear old days of long agol
wonder would you care to hear what
our cottage was like? Nothing pretty or
romantic, not bit Of it. Just little,
long, low cottage, with two windows on
one side of the door and one on the other,
and the sloping tiled roof; the walls were
tarred black. Every ly," you are say
ing perhaps SO, only didn't think it
when / used to see the curl of the smoke
from the chimney, the dark-red tiles of
the roof, the black walks, the bright glass
of the windows, the leaves and flowers OF
the few poor plants, and the flicker Of the
fire looking at me, as, tired from my
days work, my eyes lighted on it as |
came up the cliff. "Dingy, ugly place" "
Yes, dare say; but it was my home, and
| loved it.
When the spring came there was good
deal to do at Sea View; Carrie was going
away on visit to her aunt, the Captains
sister, who had no children of her own,
and who might, perhaps, one of these
DAYS, add her hel p to Carries wedding
portion. None of the Leighs had ever
suggested this thought to me, but, as she
had no children of her own, ! built up Il
little romance in my imagination, in
which she was to adopt Carrie and give
her all her money, 50 that she might
marry penniless Jack Lambert | had
heard of-live happy ever afterward.
worked with real delight to turn Carrie
out as well as possible, and between u.
we coaxcd the Captain out of five
pound note, had great envelope OF pat
terms from Framthorpe, and later q biz
brown paper parcel containing the pret
tiest dress material you ever saw,
even went to Mrs. Abdy's and borrowed
the very last fashion-book, "for myself
Of course | would not say it was for thu
Captains daughter. We made the dress
and it looked lovely, and Carrie prettie
than ever, if possible in it. Just in the
middle of all this business, when we wer
working hard all day, letter arrived
saying that Ned, the Captains son, wa
coming back. lie had been at sea whel
) mother and I arrived at the cottage, so
had never seen him, and had great cur
iosity to behold this "sailor boy" OF whom