The Portland daily press., 1880-12-06
THF PRESS.
A Middle-Aged Love Story.

They had come, little group of friendl,
faces, to watch me off with waving hand
kerchiefs and kindly good-byes; and l stooa
ON the stern nodding and waving back, til
the steamer swept down the river out OF
their sight.
knew 1 should have their prayers tha
the great sea might be gentle wi h me-;
knew they would .atch the weather, an,
look for the telegram of the arrival of ou,
ship; yet knew was taking nothing from
their lives, and that they woulc each o
home hardly missing me; so it was with NJ
great wrench of heart that saw the Milo
put off from us, and took the last look at m,
nativ" shores.
During most of the passage l vas jus
comfortably seasick, 50 sat all day long il
reclining chair on deck, watching the
white caps Oh the purple aud green and blu,
waves that mounted and fell, down, and up.
up and down, away o 1T to the far horizon. ]
saw the shining nautiluses float by, and
now and then a whale, or a shoal of or
poises, or sail, speeding white and full
across the water.
saw also good many other things near
er by; for didn't put my eyes in my pocke,
along with my short-sighted glasses; and no
body was much likely to mind middle.
aged woman in hood and water, roof
dark eyes and brown hair that rippled ilseli
into tangle of rough curls whenever SHE
took OIL her net. She was not so very pret.
ty nor SO very brilliant. but there was piuu-
ant charm about her that attracted h al.
the passengers before toe first day was over
BY the end of the second day, everybody.
from the captain to the ships surgeon, a
from the ships surgeon to the cabin boy,
was eager to show her attention; aud ever,-
,pf Inv fha II
lively retort.
She Won her way at once into my heart BY
the kindly thought that led her to bring Int
tie relishes from the table to tempt my sick
ly appetite, anu to soothe my forehead with
bay-water and gentle touches of her SHAPED,
brow hands, where great emerald gilt
tered. encircleo by diamonds. Very soon
she got IN the habit OF drawing her rug be-
Side nv chai", and sitting OH the deck lean
ing agai st me. 50 that / might s'pet herr as
she said.
This was NV it happened that my quiet,
out-of-the-way corner came to be the centre
of the life and gayety and romance of the
whole shipboard.
1t seemed this young girl, Rosa Armour.
was an only child, and an ornhan, going to
an uuce in Germany, her nearest Of XIII
Dear heart! 1 hope her uncle will be
wise as well as loving" 1 said TO myself yer,
often; for she seemed too fragile bubble OF
humanity to drift OH through life alone.
The tips of her brown curls were lighter
than the rest; and here and tuere were little.
bright touches all over her hair, as though
the sun were shining in spots on it, One
morning sat cuiling these CLEANS of sun
SHINE around my fingers and watching a
nock OF Mother Carey's chickens skim rest
lessly over the restless water, thinking these
Thoughts about Rosa, and having her soft
presence alone to myself for few moments.
NOT many, however soon came up a New
Lealander. OF course there was New Zea-
lander, or an Australian, OH our boat.
You are very iowiy, Miss Armour" aid
he Let me bring you IA chair''
Thauk you, L pr, fer t. sit here on nv
rug, and have Miss Wells pet me,' replied
Rosa, turning up her eyes languidly. .'The
deck is my favorIte seat, if | can only have
an excuse TO sit on it,"
Bat you need something over you," p-r-
sisted the New Zealander, going away and
Coming back directly with his ow heavy
gray wrap. Then he seated himself on a
low camp stool beside her, folding the wrap
over the Two. Il never saw SO rough sea
as This all the way from Ho olulu to San
Francisco" said he, looking out upon the
ge tie swell of tue lazily mounting waves.
'kouSh! cried Miss Armour. II am
sure the ocean is as smooth as a mill-pond.''
oh! nut not So compared with the Pacific
peaceful; IL was rightly named. We have
never Such gales On that as sweep the Attain
TIC, but only The gentiest westerly breezes."
Ihe New Zealander shivered as he spoke,
ah.: drew his wrap closer over his knees.
We have The most charming clima in
New Zealand" he went Oh; I'VE are never
too hot, aud never too cold In fact, we
never think of the weather. And the soil is
the most fertile in the world"
Pity II is in such a out-of -the-way part
OF the earth that nobody can live there
said Miss Armour
BEG your pardon, miss; there are several
Engisn towns OF thirty thousand inhabl.
la Is each; a d we never think of ourselves
as being out-of-the-way, but rather feel sor.
ry Tor Those who live So far off, returned the
other, bending his tall iydre earnestly for
ward.
Rosa leaned her pretty head towards him
In a coniidmy attitude of interest, and
laughed. "Oh, 50 you are the people, and
wisdom is going to die with your said she.
But what do you do out there in the heart |
of the universe?''
I'VE dig gold for one thing, and raise
sheep for another, millions and millions OF |
them; from thirty to forty vessels are con-
stantiy plying to England with the tallow |
and pressed WOOL
What do you do with all the muttonp'
asked Rosa, looking idly at the light in her |
RI &. and then as idly at the light in the |
speakers eyes.
''Ave use what we can." was :he reply;
and sometimes, am sorry to say, we bury |
the tesh-not usually; but SO netiinAs an Or |
der will come to one farmer, for thousand |
sheep, if you please; and all he Can do is to
clip oil the wopl and get out the fat, and
bury the carcasses."
What a pity the meat can't be sent to
tue hungry poor at home! Why do Il
somebody condense it as they do beef in
Texas? said in my practical way.
I'm good time dare say somebody will
but We can't do everything at once" replied
the New Zealander, looking with sudden in
terest at tue game of SWITCHBOARD being
played beside us.
just then along came the ships surgeon, a
blonde youth in uniform, with his hair |
parted in the middle.
Miss Armour" he said, "the gun is to
bs fired at the bow; will you come and see
it done?'
Miss Armour started up at once. turning
the same half confding glance and ready
smile upon him she had been giving us.
Il am going to leave my rug with you'll
shall come back" she said, beamir over
her shoulder u..on me as she took the sur
geon's arni d went away.
Tue New Zealander looked after her, tried
to console himself by drawing his wrap in
a otuCi loiu dCTOSS Ills Knees, Qlu not sue |
coed, and finally got up and lent away. OF
course it was not worth his while to make
himself a.reeable to a mi4ide aged woman
In waterproof and hood. So sat and
looked at the likeness of a lake among the
sunset clouds, aud tried to decide whether
had better take oatmeal cruel or biscuit
tea for my supper; wondering the while half
about the old chord Ia my
memory that was always being struck by a
c"-'a ain musical ring in the New Zeaander's
voice.
-,.,er an hour or so the gun was fired ;and
presently Miss Armour came back, with the
disc der of the strong sea who'd in her hair
and its freshness her pretty pink cheeks.
i've come, as L said,' she murlnured,
dropping at my feet again and smiling up,
as though she h I'd got where she best loved
to be-jnst such a smile as she would have
given TO the stokers down in he engine
room. or to the ships cat. But it was love-
ly to Look upon while it lasted; and we mid
dle-aged people have learned to warm our
selves in any chance ray of sunlight, with
out stop"in5 to consider whether it is likely
10 he perpetual.