Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1879-04-22
From the G5,.!ea Rae MJHikiy.l
ALICE STERLING.
". Il. MERRILL.

She was 1.-THE belle Of the beach, SO
Robert Horton heard on the first day OF
his arrival a. the little summer resort
whittier he had come to renew his allegi-
ance 20 his early love: the Sea.
Tie had spent halt-a-dozen years on the
plains. by way Of rounding out the start
ling and varied experiences which the
Young fellows Of this generation manage
70 crowd into 50 brief a space Of time,
and had come 70 1.-The States on sudden
impulse to see his civilized fellow-crea-
turcS on dress parade.
Robert was now confirmed bachelor
of thirtv-fve,-a wel-made, athletic fel-
low. with a broazcd face, clear and steady
gray ewes. clean-cut features, and that
air Of mingled alertnesS and rePOsc which
men acquire who live much alone, o
amid scenes Of danger and physical ex-
element. You would be sure, in looking
at him. that nothing escaped his obserya-
ton. and that no ordinary incident would
excite him OF rutfie his habi,ual compos-
ure. lie passed through the civil war,
from the Baltimore Strect-hght 10 the sur
render of Lee: made and lost a handsome
sum within a year afterwards, IN the OIL
region. then In fermcnt of excitement
and had since that time been reporter IN
New York, d ranch-man In Texas, a pro
spector in Colorado, an Indian-hghter un-
der Custer, a steamboat-captain on the
upper Missouri, and miner in the Black
Hills. Such an experience, nightly i'm
proved. amounts 10 liberal education,
whether the word be held 10 mean merC
accumulation Of knowledge, or the lead
ing out of one faculties. The Young chap,
who manage to worry through college
course on their fathers money. are not
the only educated class" in this country
as some of them seem to suppose. This
school of the world gives to its graduates
moreover, final equipment which Is not
supplied by the curriculum of the univer-
sites atperfect self-posSessiOn, some
thing above and beyond mere self-con-
trol.-which enables one 10 concentrat,
and use 10 the utmost every faculty ant
power within him, on the instant of need
This enyiable result Of the discipline o
life our adventurSome young American.
reach sooner than any other people earth
One Of It's simple physical gains,-stead!
and normal ncryes,-is blessing thai
We poor city-dwellers cannot fail to appre.
ciate: starting involuntarily, as we do
if pencl-point but break in our fingers
and fired with nervous excitement on sucl
slight provOcations.
4 man was shot, across the foot of the
table at which Robert was eating dinner
on his way out Of the mining country
but he did not allow his coffee TO get cold
or his steak to spoil, on that account
The stage was stopped next day by th'
"Road-Agents;' he knew too much t
have any valuables on his person, or t,
fight against any hopeless odds, and ''pu
up his hands while the robbers searched
the party, with even more nonchalanct
than he would have produced a passpor
in Europe,-and the same night tarriet
on his journey and headed a party Il
hunt the robbers down, with no NOR
fear or excitement than if he had beer
going rabbit-shooting. At another plac,
the hotel took fire in the night; ant
through the rush of fright-crazed peopl
apparently oblivious Of the smoke anC
cries Robert walked down to the office
fully-dressed, with his valise packed, ant
asked for his bill At Chicago he stop
ped and took a hand" in mining -stOcl
game that ''he did not understand" an,
in one week made thirty thousand dollars
without losing an hours sleep, or quick
ening his pulse one beat to the minute
or spending a dollar foolishly as the re
suit.
1t was at such man, tilted back i
his chair on the veranda, that Alice Ster
ling cast swift, bright glance on tn
evening of his arrival at the hotel. Their
was speculation in the look, for she was
belle, and he strange newcomer; ant