Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-11-05
ON THE CLIFF.

An Adventure at yarmouth.
Fifteen years ago yarmouth was quiet
little village. The whistle of the iron horse
vas not to be heard within many miles, and
the passage of the coach between Dolgelly
and Carnavon was the sole event of the day
There was one hotel and some half-doZen
shops and other houses where lodgings were
to be obtained but slight as was the Rccomo-
dation it fully equalcd the demand
"Just the place for fellow to be able to
sketch without people coming to look over
his shoulder" was the comment of Hugh
Carson, a young artist, as he took his first
stroll upon the sands.
tall, wel-built young fellow, with legs
rather long for his body, and face rather
heavy in repose but bright and winning when
he smiled. The tide was out, n few fishermen
were mending their nets and tarring their
boats, and lady and child were down upon
the rocks near the edge of the sea.
"A bright bit of color on those dark rocks, "
he said, with the island on the left and the
sea beyond, and that abrupt headland coming
in-just the thing to begin with"
He had his sketching-book under his arm
and his color-box in his pocket, and, sitting
down on the nd-hills he set rapidly to
work. For an hour and half he worked
steadily, and then the bright bit of color and
the child moved off toward the shore. Still
be worked on at his sketch, and was almost
startled when "A shadow passed across his pa
per. He glanced mp and saw girl of some
twenty years old, with a younger one of sew
en- or eight. The child dropped the hand she
was holding and came fearlessly up.
please may ! look at your picture ?"
He nodded silently and went on with his
painting.
80 cousin Amy, such a pretty picture
and there are you and me out on the rocks
Do look :"
The girl glanced at the artist, but neither
by look or motion did he second the child's
request and with little shrug of her shoul-
der she turned away and walked on slowly
until overtaken by her cousin.
what bear l am ~ the young man said
to himself II ought to have got up and
grinned and taken of my hat | suppose, and
asked her to look at it but it's no use I
can't get on with women. l never can think
what to say TO them. | have no doubt she
thought me perfect bear. And so | am.
But suppose it's my nature And he went
on with his painting. "One O'Clock; it's
time to go in to dinner The tide is coming
up and covering the rocks ! will Enish it to-
morrow morning"
The next day he worked until dinner, and
was greatly contentod with the result.
at will make a capital thing" he said. 81
have been very lucky with the lights. | do
thin it will be the best thing have done
His pleasure was little marred by the fact
that the two girls, had again been out on the
rocks, and had on their return passed close
by him but this time the child had kept
close to her cousin
Offended evidently his muttered com
ment, 'and no wonder. II wish l was not
such bear"
The following morning he was late in start
ing for stroll across the sands. The tide
had already turned, and there are few places
on the coast where il comes in more rapidly
than on the yarmouth sands For long
time its approach is SO gradual that it can
hardly be noticed but when it reaches q GER
tain point it comes in with startling speed.
There are those girls on the rocks again, -
he said, and he shaped his course SO us to
carry him to the right of them. He had not
| gone fifty yards along the edge Of the sand
when he heard loud cry behind him. He
| looked round, and saw that the elder girl,
who was reading, had risen from Il camp
stool on which she was sitting, and that the
child was on the rocks already cut off by O
rapidly increasing stream Of water. The cry
of the child on discovering her situation was
echoed by her companion, who was about to
rush into the water when Hugh came up.
"All right, little one :" he shouted cheerily.
"Pll fetch you out"
SO saying, he waded into the water, which
was already nearly up to his waist, reached
the little girl took her in his arms, and car
ried her to the shore.
'"Hhere you are, as right as possible, he
said, as he put her down; but you must
mind, missy, for the tides are very rapid
here"
THANK you so very much, sir" the elder
| girl said 't is most kind of you"
The artist looked into the flushed face OF
the girl, and the eyes in which the tears were
standing, and his habitual shynoss fell upon
him. Mutterng something about its being
no odds at all, he raised his hat, and turning
upon his heel, again pursued his walk.
HE really is bear" Amy Herbert said,
as she hurried off with the child toward the
sand-hills, pursued by the fastrisiug tide
and yet, by his voice, am sure he could be
very nice if he liked"
Amy Herbert had no experience whatever
Of shy men. She was the only daughter of q
very wealthy Manchester cotton-spinner, and
Manchester does not class shy young mer
among its productions. She was accustomed
to admiration, for she was pretty and an heir
ess, aud in both capacities made much of (;
but, though little wAyward and willful,
from always having her own way she was
| Ithll1 uuADpllNNAi huu Hho 40 bAAbhh anu Ap'o
BILE girl as was to be found in the metropo
| lis of cotton.
For the next ten days Hugh Carson missed
the young lady and child from the shore, bu
several times he saw the hutter of q light
oolored dress high up on the hills behind Bar
mouth.
THAT rising tide has given her a fright
he said to himself, ''and they've taken to the
| hills Rather a nuisance, because l have
done with these fats, and shall be doing the
| hills myself. However, they are extensive
enough without our running against eact
other, as we always seem to be doing here.
In fact, as Hugh and his acquaintance
| took their meals at about the same hour, and
both came in at the very last moment before
them, it is not singular that each day they
had either morning, afternoon, or evening
| met Mt least once in the quiet little street
and each time Hugh raised his hat, Miss Her
bert bowed frigidly and her little cousin nod
ded brightly. Once when he passed the
door of their lodging, just as they were goinG
in, the child ran across the road as her cousiI
entered, and put her hand into his, and talked
TO him for two or three minutes, and convey
ed to him the thanks of her mamma, who wal
not strong, and did not go out much, fol
having carried her across the tide. For thu
next three days Hugh Carson was engaged il
painting picturesque farmhouse lying fal
ON the hill The subject was good one
and he set to to produce finished picture Oh
the spot and worked at it from early morn
ing as long as the light lasted, making hi
breakfast and lunch off milk and bread ant
cheese obtained at the farmhouse. UpoI
the third evening he was returning hom'
from his work. walking along the edge of thu
hill, looking down upon the sea, when h'
came upon the little girl lying upon thu
ground, crying bitterly.
"Why, little one, what is the matterT