Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-02-14

| SWIM pACN " VIC iCllIOLlbi stilSS
of old friends, and shook hands heartily
with them, as did Paul, without any re-
straint of manner, although every face he
saw was strange to him. Their gay bear
ing produced curious effect upon the
islanders. 1t Jared a little, and yet was
not displeasing
"We have thought of you often, " said
Matthew'S friends, and wondered espe-
cially what had become of your little
SON."
"No longer little, responded Matthew,
"a man in heart and inches. This is his
wife, Margaret"
The islanders saluted the woman with
grave courtesy; their decision respecting
her had yet to be made. Their own peo-
pie had a claim upon them, and a common
right to live among them; they belonged
10 the soil But something must be known
of the stranger before they could hold out
the hand of friendship to her.
! Their grave manner did not discompose
Margaret She returned their salutation
with rough grace, and absently, her mind
being occupied. She was thinking whether
life in this fair and lovely isle would be
suitable to her. 1t was not for the inhabi-
tants to welcome her it was for her to
welcome them.
One enduring impression the isle always
produced upon those who breathed its air
an impression of perfect restfulness and
peace. Often during the fever of his busy
life in the great world, had it stolen upon
Matthew. with soothing effect. Through
the glare and turmoil came the soft tapping
of the waves and the movement OF idle
clouds, as he had heard and seen them in
his younger days, and the memory never
failed to bring relief to his jaded mind.
els it your intention to stay for good
with US ?" asked Matthews friends
eff we stay, replied Matthew, az hope
it will be for good. We are here to try.
Margaret would not let US rest she must
see the Silver Isle; she could not believe
that such life as we described to her was
ever enjoyed by mortals. We also, or
rather for Paul when he left was too
young to bear away vivid remembrarces-
desired to rejoin you. For what reason?
You shall know frankly. The world has
not been kind to us; we wooed it, and
.hattered it in a cunning way, but the
points of our quilts were not sharp enough;
and fancy our skins were too tender. We
have taken our part-many parts, eh, Mar
garet ?"-whereat the woman, reused from
her distracted mood, laughed and nodded
pleasantly, and showed her handsome
white teeth" and have received hard
knocks. You see, friends, in the world
one cannot live upon nothing. A little
would dc, for the life is enjoyable and adj
venturous, and there's movement in it.
What puts spice into the days is their un-
certainty, but it is possible to have too
much of this spice; we had OCCASION
ally, and 1t kept us awake. This was
necessary, for where we have been it was
next door to death to sleep too long; in an
hour you are forgotten, and another takes
your place. We knew it, and were always
on the move, trying to climb the ladder,
mounting one step and slipping down two.
1t generally happens, and no one to give
you a hand. For all that, we were not
fools. Wait, we will show you something;
Margaret has rare cunning. Sing"
Thereupon Margaret lifted up her voice,
and sang melody that sounded like the
music of birds. The song was in keeping
with the scene-the blue and white clouds,
the shining water, the fragrant air, all
were in harmony with Margaret's voice.
1t was strange to hear this strong, large
limbed, swarthy- faced woman sing notes as
soft and sweet as ever issued from linnets
throat. The islanders were charmed and
all discordant Impressions produced by the
unaccustomed license of Matthew's speech
instantly vanished.
"Will you believe" continued Matthew
when the song was ended, {" that such
voice was not magical enough to fill our
pockets? What is wanted outside the
| girdle of these silver waves is arrogance,
and strut, and clang, the natural capital of
brazen braggarts, who below sweeter tai
ents into obscurity. Let me tell you.
Paul here was man, two-and-twenty. He
and had been not only father and son to
each other, we had been friends-lovers
almost-heart-an soul companions-com-
rades in the truest sense. We were never
parted we shared and shared alike We
had slept IN garrets, in cellars, in novels,
| in palaces-aye, friends, it is true-in for
ests and barns, and Heaven knows where
and how. We had feasted and starved,
had been courted and laughed at, bowed
to and buffeted Oh, there was color
enough, and we never wearied Some
4 times fortune smiled upon us, and
we saw golden clouds and fairy
ships riding on them; sometimes
fortune trowned upon us, and the ram
poured down. Ugh how it soaked through
our clothes to our skins But it always
passed away, this discomfort, and we were
again as happy as harmless, busy days can
make man. For look you, friends, we
did no man or woman harm. By good or
bad luck we had not learned to cheat or
lie. We simply trudged along the road of
life together, boy and man, and laughed
when we could-and made Others laugh
sometimes-and did not always cry when
the stones cut our feet. So l grew older,
and Paul grew younger; for that is the
way of life until we reach the turning
point, which l had passed when Paul be-
came a man. He was two-andtwenty,
young enough for love. We happened to