The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-08-13
NORAH.

over, and the faint glimmering of the dawn
appeared in the east, we turned our boats
bow toward the shore, and pulled swiftly
homeward. There lay the group OF cur
raghs, still 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-
vulsively, was calm and bright as 4 polished
mirror, while the gaunt gray cliffs were
family shadowed forth by the lustrous
light of the moon.
Wearied with my nights labor I lay list
lessly in the stern of the boat, listening
dreanily 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, my ears 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.
"ls it mermaid singing?" I asked,
sleepiiy. "The village maids are all
dreaming OF their lovers at this hour, but
the indian Maras sing of theirs. Oh, yes,
it must be a mermaid, ior bark! the sound
is issuing from the shore yonder, and surely
no human being ever possessed voice half
80 beautiful
To my question no one vouchsafed re-
ply, so lay still half-sleepily and listened
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 moon, 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 shingle, 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 ftom my torpor. The
sound of the voice had ceased. Above my
head flock of sea-gulls screamed, and, as
they sailed away, heard the whistle of the
curlew; little puffins were floating thick as
bees around us, wild rock-doves flew swiftly
from the caverns, and beyond again the
cormorants blackened the weed-covered
rocks. The splash OF our oars had for
moment created commotion; presently
all calmed down again, and again l heard
the plaintive wailing of the mermaid's
voice. a,
The voice suddenly ceased, and as it
did 80, l saw that the singer was young
girl who, with her hands clasped behind
her, and her face turned to the moonlit sky,
walked slowly along the shore. Suddenly
she paused, and while the sea kissed her
bare feet, and the moon laid tremulous
hands upon her head, began to sing again.
AS the last words fell from her tremulous
lips, and the echoes of the sweet voice faded
far away across the sea, the boat gliding
gently on ran her bow into the sand, and I,
leaping out, come suddenly face to face
with the loveliest vision ever beheld.
"Is it mermaid?" / asked myself again,
for surely thought no human being could
be half so lovely.
l saw pale Madonna-like face set in a
wreath of golden hair, on which the moon
light frightened and darkened like the
shadowson windswept sea. Large lus-
trous eyes which gazed earnestly seaward,
then filled with strange wandering far-ofi
look as they turned to my face. A young
girl clad in peasants dress, with her bare
feet washed reverently by the signing sea
her 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
clasped half-nervously behind her; and as
she stood, with her hands wandering rest
lessly first to my face, then to the dim line
of the horizon, the moon, Frightening with
sudden splendor, wrapt her from head to
foot in mantle of shimmering snow.
For moment she stood gazing with
peculiar far-away look into my face; then
with sigh she turned away, and with her
face still turned oceanward, her hands still
clasped behind her, wandered slowly along
the moon-lit sands.
As she went, fading like spirit amid the
hadows, ! heard again the low sweet sound
OF the lplaintive voice which had come to
meaeross the ocean, but soon it grew fainter
and fainter until only the echoes were
heard. Tl,'y .....
I turned to my boatman, who now stood
waiting for me to depart. ....,
"Well, Shawn, is it a mermaid?" I asked
smiling.
He gravely shook his head. .,?{t.
"NG, yer honor; 'tis only poor colleen
wild broken, broken heart"
tulned and looked questioningly at him,
but he was gazing at the spot whence the
figure OF the girl had disappeared.
"God Almighty, risht the dead |! he said,
reyerently raising his hat, but him that
brought such luck to Nora OConnell de-
served His curse, God knows"
This incident, coupled with the strange
manner of my man, interested me, and l
began to question him as to the story Of the
girl whose lovely face was still vividly be-
fore NJ. But for some reason or other he
seemed 10 shun the subject, so for a time !
too oheld my peace. But as soon as found
myself comfortably seated in the cosy par
lor of the lodge, with a bright turf fire
blazing before me, summoned my hench-
man to my presence.
"Now, Shawn" Is id, "close the door,
draw your chair up - the fire, and tell me
the story of the lovely colleen whom We saw
tonight"
"Would yer honor really like to hear?
"I would; it will give me something to
dream about, and prevent me from thinking
too much of her beautiful face