Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-04-03
..Thus 1 lay as it seemed for hours, with

l5AlC VI i1NdDSCllHC WIN WhoSS sou
story / had been made familiar. She
turned towards me, and pointed to the
ocean, upon whose eastern edge golden
light was rising. And in that golden
light another figure appeared, the figure OF
Clarice
"Across the sea she came, with the
spreading of golden beams. until she
reached the snow-land upon which Evan
geGne stood. Then, hand in hand, they
gazed at me with tender smiles, and sank
into the basin of snow, which now lay like
ruby cup in the eye of the rising sun.
81 was comforted at the time by this
dream 1t was as though CIarice were
with me upon the Silver Isle. The sea no
longer separated us.
"This comforting impression was not
permanent. Fancies of gloomier nature
have since oppressed me, and nearly all,
strange to say, connected in some way
with the mountain of snow. Sometimes
Clarice seemed to reproach me for having
deserted her but what could ! do p!
Would | not have sacrificed my life for
her? o, my DEAR dear sister what trials
were yours before your sufferings were
ended by death Shall l ever learn the
history of your sad fate? Shall l ever,
ever learn it?
1t is but lately she appeared to me in
terrible dream. She had grown old,
haggard, wrinkled, and was dragging her
weary feet over a stony road, leaving be-
hind her marks of blood. She was hun
cry, and parched with thirst. l ran to.
wards her with cup of water, calling
'Clarice Clarice = She turned at my
cry, and dashed the cup of water from my
hands. You betrayed and deserted me ?
she cried. | am not dead. | am living
in hopeless misery ?
"Thank God, it was only once she ap-
peared to me in this guise Were such
dreams frequent they would drive me mad.
In setting down these fancies in this
place 1 am losing the sequence of events.
l must return to the time when my baby
was born.
s'He was three months old, and | was
in perfect health, when Matthew informed
me that he had written play which he
intended we should represent to our
friends. He had mentioned the matter
to them, and although few of the elder
people had doubts, he had argued them
down, and they not only consented that
the experiment should be made, but prom
ised to be present ON the occasion.
1T was, after all, an innocent expert
ment, and was the means of introducing
new and innocent kind of amusement into
the Silver Isle.
During my illness Paul and Matthew
had transformed large spare room into
miniature theater, had raised stage, fixed
a curtain, and painted scene in which
the action of our little play was to occur.
We were all anxious as well as curious
the result, and OH the appointed
evening our house was filled with visitors
The old people were grave, the young were
in futter of excitement. Such an enter
tainment had never been given upon the
Silver Isle. The room was well lighted,
and there were seats for more than hun
dred persons.
I" What were the feelings of the island
ers as they sat in mute expectation before
the green curtain it is impossible for me to
say. l know what mine were l felt in
clined to laugh and cry at the same time.
"The play was very simple affair. The
characters represented were sailor and
his wife, allotted to Paul and me, and an
old sailor, played by Matthew. Our baby
also took part in the performance. The
scene was a room in the young sailors
house near the seacoast. Happiness and
contentment reigned in the humble house.
hold. The young husband was on the eve
of departure on voyage which was ex-
pected to last eight or nine weeks. There
was pleasant talk about the sea, in Ian
guage really poetical, between the three of
US. This was to be my husbands last
voyage upon his return he would have
enough money to buy fishing-boat, which
was to supply the future means of hveli-
hood. After tender parting he left Us,
saying he would be with US again before
baby was born. 'And what is baby's
name to be I? asked the old sailor. Outside
was heard the distant voice of my husband
singing song of farewell. l answered
him in his favorite song. This ended the
first part of the play.
From the buzz of delight we heard
among the audience, we augured that we
were producing pleasing effect. The Sec
ond part commenced at the time my hus-
bands ship was expected home. The old
sailor and l INDUCED in fond anticipations,
and mapped out happy future. The old
sailor left me to endeavor to pick up some
news about my husband. | will bring
him back with me, he said. While he was
absent l arranged the room in the way that
would give my husband most pleasure. 1
had bought tobacco for him and a new pipe,
and had knitted him a purse, which l
placed upon the table in a dozen different
ways, so as to make them attractive in his
eyes, singing softly to myself as l shifted
the things this way and that. The door
was slowly opened and the old sailor en-
tered-alone. Had he heard news of my
husband? He answered softly, Yes
Then he would be here soon, or perhaps
he was hiding behind the door ran to