The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-09-16
roR Tnr DrMocRAT.
WHEN rnE TIDE cAME NJ


Village of - by the spRshore The ho.
tel, OF a. the fishermen call it, the
tavern, was a low dingy building with
few comforts, yet having the usual
number Of boarders, composed chiefly Of
maiden la.lies Of uncertain age. and
what object (insile from pleasute)
they could have in coming here il more
than tho wisdom of nay thirty.iive
years Of single blesaedncas can Imagine.
For (myself exceptcd) the stcrner sex
was somewhat poorly represented by
thrco widowers and ono old bachelor,
wlo, did II not belong ia. that blessod
fraternity myself, | would say was
simply uncomfortable. No matter what
the subject of conversation WAS. from
Queen Victoria down to tho state Of
tho weather, he wns always confident
that ho could enlighten the company
You have doubtless met the individual;
he had the happy faculty Of being om-
nipresent. The inst few days after my
arrival the prospect for my enjoyment
was not very bright, but being AN ar
dent admirer Of nature with whom
was not at all familiar as hundreds can
testify Who toll ia tho crowded city
whore the blue patch Of sky above il
the only glimpse given yon oil all her
vast tfcasures, | was delighted with
the unbounded freedom, and passed my
time very pleasantly, by exploring the
surrounding country. | had just RS.
| turned from ono of these excursions
and after having done ample justice to
tho evening meal, lit a cigar, and pre-
pared to take bachelor comfort. Said
comfort consisted in taking my chair
out on the veranda and resting my
feet on the baiustrade; when from the
depth Of my pocket the unfinished pa
per Of "isndymion," | was making
line progress. aud thanking my lucky
star that the boalders had gone for a
stroll oa the. beach, wher shades Of
Fansti what should hear but the
voice Of Miss Phipps proposing game
OF croquet on the lawn beneath.
What enjoyment people can find in
rolling n given number Of balls ihrough
a given number Of wickets Is more
tan ! know, yet LEY after day, even
ing after evening the same party both.
erod away at those innocent balls, aud
to night knew there wonld bo 40 ~.
lease. and from the parlor below !
could hear the heaTtfeading tones oi
Miss Smith IN that touching ballad
Farewell" This state of affairs contin-
ued some fifteen minute. when throw
ing my cigar over tho varanla, / am
not certain that il missed the bald
head Of the old bachelor, and thrust
ing Endymioil in my pocket. slarte.l
out for walk. had heard oi vii
lage cometry near hy, 10 cnquiring u,
way of the landlord, which l,sl through
pleasant path, ! soon reached my
destination.
The site was charming one, com
mandiug fall view of the never
ceasing struggle Of the waves Of th,
ocean, whose dull sullen murmur seem
ell ever chanting requiem for the
cain slcepeIs as | stood there, the last
rays Of a setting sun were lighting ur
the measarelegt exlanse, and seeming
70 say, | have matched your strength
with my splendor, finally sinking away
in the horizon, left only tho simmer.
ing twilight to comfort the forhaken
bride. IS watched the stars come
slowly forth from their shadowrs home
the majestic work of the Paalmist,
"The heavens declare the Glory oil
God, aud the armament siioweth his
handiwork,n came 20 mo with ali the
wisdom they alone can express. had
wandered slowly among the graves,
some ell covered with myrtle, others
neatly kept, sone without as much 10
tell WHO rested beneath, others with q
plain wooden slab placed 1T the head
Ola which WAS carved the date and
name, at last my attention was arrest.
ed by white marble cross placed at
the hesd Of well kept grave, over
which an elderly man whom | recog.
nizcd as one Of the fishermen was
bending, evidently intent sn riddine
J the grave OF the weeds that were
springing up among the flowers. APP
preaching / read the simple inscription
leo Willie, aged twenty-three years
whose pure soul went home TO Cod
when the flowing tide came in April
II, IS-. Being somewhat anxious to
know tho meaning Of 80 strange an in
scription, and knowing the men Of The
village to be fond Of telling story,
after exchanging few words witt
him, offered him cigar, and lighting
one myself asked him if he had known
the lady that had died so young. Die
| know hel7 Bless you sir, j knew
her, all her lifetime, aud being as yor
are stranger, here will tell you th,
story of her life, many is the time
have told it for the city folk, that com
up here. Al want to know the mean
ing of those words, pointing to TIN
J marble cross.
Here at last was what 1 enjoyed, S
throwing myself down on the grass
while he sat on the low stone that on
: closed the grave, listened to his tale
: Lot me see, atfoking back the grizzl,
locks flom his forehead with his grea
r brown hand, as ii to collect hi
thoughts. It's nigh unto thirty years
since tho schooner Fleetwood wen
down, you see the rocks along til,
coast are treacherous, and the wine
blew a perfect hurricane that night,
wentont among che boys and told then
we had better be ready in case YES
seiallonld be ont for It would be almos
certain tlestrnction to be ont in such Q
storm, and snre enough abont half,pas
nine that night we heard the signal o
distress boomed out across the water
You see living as we did whore therl