The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-06-30
A SPANISH GRANDEE.

While he talked of crabs and cells and
summer boarders and such things, lit
tie girl carrying basket, came down
from the low bluff above, and asked per-
mission to carry the crabs to the house.
She was bright sunny child, with great
black eyes and rebellious black hair-a
child imbued with the spirit of absolute
freedom and good nature. She bore
such suggestion of unconscious pride
that even the most careless observer
must have remarked her as different
from the children of the village. 1t did
not seem possible that this bit of SUM-
shine could be descendant of the rough
old crabber whom she addressed as
Papa" ........... ......
"My daughter" said the old man, by
way of explanation, at the same time
watching me from the corners of his
eyes. l looked at him hard for nearly
two seconds.
eyes," l said; "but had been-"
"You have been told, then?"
"Yes," | ventned, hoping for some
thing further.
A slight spasm crossed the old crab
ber's face, and his eyes shrank back and
turned away with an expression of actual
dread.
"It's all right, my friend" said, lay
ing my hand on his arm. 1t was but
venture, but it treasured him.
"M;ster," he pleaded timdly "you
don't want her, do ye? Tell me, ye
didn't come after her, did YEP"
"No," replied, 81 did not come for
the little girl, but to hear the story" l
felt certain that story lay behind the
cd crabber's strange behavior.
"Well,'' said he, evidently much re-
lieved in mind, l can tell We the story,
but it amt much, though it does sound
like story book. She amt my daugh-
ter, the little girl amt. She's grandee
of Spain, OF something O. that sort
She's waif. She came ashore down on
the coast six years ago in a ship. The
ship was from some port in Spain or
France, and in a gale o wind she was
bowed onto the beach, an she was that
old an rotten that she went to pieces in
less nor no time. There was a lot of us
down on the beach and we went out to
the wreck in surf boat The captain
and first mate and about half of the
crew was washed into the surf an drown
ed; an there was q woman and little
wo-year-old child as we took in the boat
an started for land. The boat swamped,
an the lady was never seen afterward.
She must have been clrried out to sea by
the undertow. | had the little one in
my arms, an as | was strung around
with life preservers, got to shore safe.
| kept the child, as there was no one to
claim her; and from what the woman
told me when took the baby from her
arms, should judge that the little girl is
a grandee of Spain. Yes. sir, grandee
of Spain! There was no marks on the
little ones clothes and only a little bit of
a gold ring, which l keeps in the bottom
of the old clock, but which l never
| shows to any one. Mamie, the little girl
is just the same as my own daughter,
an she always will be-"
"Then you think that no one ever will
come to claim her ?"
g 1t would be hard job for anybody
| 70 anyf1inr
board the ship knew anything about her
mother except the captain and first mate
and they are both dead. Maybe some
one will come some day, but they'll have
to prove their claim right clear, can
tell ye."
"Did you ever try to find any of her
relatives?'
me? Whv should l? She was sal
wage from the wreck, and had a right
to keep her. My own little daughter is
lying over there in the graveyard among
the trees, and it don't seem so lonesome
now, since Mamie came ashore. If the
little girls folks have thought her dead
for six years. it amt likely that they will
make Il search now, is it? And amt
Mamie just as happy with me as she
would be with them %
"She may not be-
"And why not? Don't she have
enough to eat and to wear, and don't she
60 to school and learn as well as the rest
of the children about her? And when
she grows up and Pm old won't there be
enough of likely young fellows wantin'
to take her, with me throwed into the
the bargain? l guess SO. And if she S
contented here, amt that happiness
And does anybody want anything more
n happiness? If she can be happy here,
wouldn't it be crazy-like to want her to
go anywhere else ~
| Gently suggested that when the vii
| lage school-days were over, and the
books lay away as things of past life,
| the blood of the little girls ancestors
would assert itself and cause her to feel
that beyond the frowning bluffs the end
less world offered greater possibilities
and higher pleasures than anything
within the range of the crabber's imagi-
nation or ambition; that some day the
crabber's little world would run on to its
uttermost limits and leave the growing
nature perplexed and dissatisfied, yearn-
ing for something greater better, higher
and yet not knowing where to turn.
| The old crabber could not understand
this. He could not believe tina life held
out more possibilities to any one than it
did to him. Beyond good run of
crabs, and peace and plenty in the little
house among the trees he had no
thought, and held it impossible that any
one should rise higher than the level of
| his content.
PLANTATION PHILOSOPHY,