The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1879-08-06
NORAH

We had been out all night watching the
herring-6shers, but as soon as the work was
over, and the faint glimmering of the dawn
appeared in the east, we turned our boats
bow toward the shore, and pulled swiftly
homeward. TARre lay the group of cur
raghs, stills upon the sceen of their labor,
loaded with phosphorescent fish and drip
ping nets, and manned with crews Of
shivering, weary men. The sea, which
during the night had been throbbing con-
Rulsively, Was calm and bright as polished
mirror, while tue gaunt gray cliffs we're
family Swallowed forth by the lustrous
light Of the moon.
Wearied with my nights labor lay list
lessly in the stern of the boat, listening
dreamily TO the measured splash, splash, OF
the oars, and drinking in the beauty of the
scene around me; the placid sea; the black
outline of the hills and cliffs, the silently
sleeping village of Storport Presently,
However,, mysears detected another sound,
which came family across the waters, and
mingled softly with the monotonous splash
ing Of the oars and the weary washing of
the sea.
"Is it a mermaid singing?D l asked
sleepily.' "The village maids are all
dreaming of their lovers at this hour, but
the Midian Maras sing of theirs. Oh, yes,
itmust be mermaid, for hark the sound
Is issuing from the shore yonder, and surely
no human being ever possessed q voice half
so beautiful
To my question no one vouchsafed re-
ply, so lay still half-sleepily and Listens d
to the plaintive wailing Of the voice, which
every moment grew stronger. 1t came
across the water like the low sweet sound of
an Eolian harp touched by the summer
breeze; and as the boat glided swiftly on,
bringing it ever nearer, the whole scene
around seemed suddenly to brighten as if
from the touch of magical hand. Above
me sailed the moony scattering pale vitre-
Gus light around her, and touching with
her cool, white hand the mellow thatched
cabins lying so secluded on the hillside,
the long stretch Of shimmering sand, the
fringe of foam upon the shiDgle. the peaks
OF the hills which stood silhouetted against
the pale gray sky.
A white owl passing across the boat, and
almost brushing my cheek with its wing,
aroused me at length from my torpor The.
sound Of the voice had ceased. Above nv
head flock Of sea-gulls Screamed, and, as
they sailed away, heard the whistle of the
curlew; little pufiins were floating thick az
bees around us, wild rock-doves flew swiftly
from the caverns, and beyond again the
cornorants blackened the weed-covered
rocks. The splash Of our oars had for a
moment created cOmmotion presently
all calmed down again, and again / heard
the plaintive wailing Of the mermaid's
Voice
= The voice suddenly ceased, and as it
did so, | saw that the singer was A. young
girl who, with her hands clasped behind
her, and her face turned to the moonlit sky,
walked slowly along the shore. Suddenly
sh sused, and while. the sea kissed her
feet, and the moon laid tremulous
yhds upon her head, began to Sing again.
AS the last words fell from her tremulous
lips, and theechoes of the sweet voice faded
far away across. the sea, the boat gliding
gently on ran her bow into the sand, and /,
leaping out, come suddenly face to face
with the loveliest vision ever beheld.
Is ita mermaid Z" / asked myself again,
for surely | thoughtno human being could
be half SO lovely.
saw pale Madonna-like face set in
wreath lf golden hair, on which, the moon
light frightened and darkened like the
shadows on a windswept sea. Large lus-
trous eyes which gazed earnestly seaward,
then filled4Aith strange wandering far off
look as they turned to my face. A young
girl clad in peasants dress, with her bare
feet washed reverently by the signing sea /;
hes half-parted lips kissed by the breeze
which travelled slowly shoreward; her
cheeks and neck were pale as alabaster, so
were the little hands which were still
claspeo half-nervously behind her; and as
she stood, with her ,hands wandering rest
lesslt first to my face then tSthe dim line
OF the horizon, tbs moon, Frightening with
sudden splendor, wrapt her from head to
loot in a mantle of shimmering snow.