The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1880-01-24
JEANNIE'S LOVER.
The Late Calamity on the Tay-A Scotch
Lassie's Romance and It's Sad Ending.
Gpiftahurg

The Late Calamity on the Tay-A Scotch
Lassie's Romance and It's Sad Ending.
lPittsburg Telegraph
Did you ever see pretty young Scotch
girl, who had been carefully educated and
brought up in the middle class of Scottish So
ciety2 If you nave never had the good for
tune to see one, your life has not yet reached
the zenith Of its possibilities. A bonnie
Scotch lassie with the clint white locks"
that Bobbie Burns loved to speak of,
with big blue eyes, that are almost childish
In their modesty and shyness, with
pretty, round cheeks that wear the lovely
pink tints of perfect health, with supple,
slender figure and neat foot, encased in q
sensible, thick soled boot. and slim hand,
slightly Drowned by the absence of gloves
A classic" with all this j. as pleasant sight
as one could wish for on these cloudy, disa-
greeable days. Just such dainty classic
could have been seen in household in All.
legheny little more than a week ago. She
is not there now. She does not exist save in
the memory of her friends and in that great
receptacle of sorrow, the past. In her place
there is a woman with nothing of brightness
or happiness about her. She has "big blue
eyes" but they are dull and expressionless,
all their brilliancy being washed away by
frequent weeping. Her face is pale, color
less and thin. The sprightly grace that
once gave 8 charm to her walk and her
| figure, has gone, and she walks about like an
old woman who has lost all hope, and
has discovered that the world is full of Bit
terness and care. The first and second pic
lures are of the same person so far as actual
identity and name are concerned, but oh,
how they are at variance in heart and soul
The change is striking, and it came about SO
suddenly that the writer sought to learn the
cause of it ALL and this is the story that was
told TO him: Sometime ago a gentleman
who lives in Allegheny went abroad for a
pleasure trip, taking with him his wife and
young children. Some of the gentleman's
immediate ancestors had been born in Scot
land, and he desired to spend considerable
time in that country, and did so. During the
visit of the party one of the children was
taken sick at Dunkeld, little town in Perth
shire, on the left bank of Tay. The town
had but few accommodations but as the
child was two weak to be moved, the family
were compelled to take lodgings in hotel
and wait for the little ones recovery. The
mother became worn out with watching
the sick boy, and his father asked the doc
tor if he knew of any one who could
be obtained as nurse and promised
liberal pay. The doctor said he knew Just
the right kind of a person, provided she
would consent TO serve as nurse. She was
JEANNE, daughter of the clergyman who had
formerly had charge of the kirk, and who
had died, leaving his only child an orphan,
poor and almost frlendless. She had always
been good to the poor and needy during her
fathers lifetime, and after he he'd left her, she
had gone to the house of friend to remain
until she could obtain some kind of work
The doctor told JEANNE how matters
stood and she at once declared
her willingness to nurse the
sick child, and accordingly took her place at
his bedside. The bright cheerful face of the
girl and her winning manners made her
great favorite with the children and their pa
rents, and when they were about to leave
Dunkeld, the mother insisted on JEANNE
coming to this country with her as governess
of the children and a companion for herself
To this JEANNE objected stoutly, and said,
with many bushes and much confusion,
that she could not leave Dunkeld. Then the
reason came out. She was engaged to be
married TO the young man whom she had
known since childhood, and who was to
marry her as soon as he was able. He was a
guard on the North British railroad.
"Why could not Stewart come toO?" said
the father of the boy whom JEANNE had so
him in Pittsburg and you need not be sepa-
rated"
Then it came ont that Stewart had a sister
who was bedridden, and who he had to sup
port, and this was the reason why the mar
riage had not taken place before. JEANNE
was persuaded to go to Dundee to see Stewart
and ask his advice, and he was urgent in his
counsel that she should accept the liberal
offer that had been made to her and go TO
America He told her he would follow her
here when he was able to provide for his sis.
ter Stewart added that the doctors said that
the sick girl could not outlive the winter.
Poor JEANNE was all tears and sorrow when
she lett with her friends, but she heard regu-
larly from Stewart, and on arriving here she
soon became accustomed to her new life and
liked it greatly. About month ago Stewart
wrote to say that his sister was dead and that
he would leave for America about the LIST of
January. Jeannies songs and smiles be-
came more frequent, and she looked forward
eagerly for the arrival of the new year.
On Tuesday last the papers contained the
account Of the terrible accident to the Edin-
borough train on the bridge over the Firth
of Tay. JEANNE heard about it, and hur-
riedly read the meager account that had
been sent by cable. She did not say much
when she finished the dispatch until her mis-.
tress told her not to worry about Stewart, as
he was probably all right. Then she began
to sob and cried out, at isna' all right; it
was Stewards train and Stewards drownedp
Next morning came the particulars of the
disaster, and a list of the names of those
drowned. Stewards name was among the
list of the trainmen, and when JEANNE read
it she went to her room and would not see
any until the following morning, Then
she came quietly down stairs and went about
her usual duties without word to anybody.
She looked 10 years older than she did be-
fore, but she made no complaints, and has
not referred to her loss since that first sad day.
and her friends in their pity and warm sym
pathy are watching her anxiously to see that
she does not do herself some harm. And
thus even this far away calamity shows how
long reaching are the shadOwy arms of Attic
ton and sorrow.
Knew Her Business.
When Collins went home to dinner Mon-