The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1883-09-05
INTERESTING SKETCH.
BY THE SEA.

IL was W1ld ana rocky coast, along
which ran the path that led TO the house of
old Martin Frere. At ordinary times the
cottage would have possessed but little at
traction for bold, stirring youth like Owen
Glenn. But visitor had of late brighten
ed up its precincts-a young girl named
Annis, after the aged grandmother who
dozed by the hearth through the long even
ings, content to watch the bright flames as
they shot up from the broad fireplace, and
perhaps to see visions Of the past with her
dim eyes. Dame Frere was o sharp-voiced
bustling woman, long past middle age and
not having the name of possessing a very
sweet temper; but she had soft place in
her heart for Granny, and it was to please
her that she had invited her pretty name
child to come to visit them for few
months.
Annis was tall, slight girl, as straight as
a pine tree, and as graceful as fawn. Her
yellow hair hung in q perfect name of shin.
ing curls oil about her shoulders and far
down below her waist. Imagine sweet,
innocent face lighted with great, lustrous
dark eyes, and red mouth almost always
curying into smiles, and you have some idea
Of Annis.
Most of the young girls in the vicinity
were buxom, merry lasses, with hair and
eyes to match-both of an intense blackness
and with more or less of the hoyden in
them. The laughter was loud and hearty,
and their ways more frolicsome than re-
fined. SO it is not strange that when this
graceful, quiet stranger came among them,
with her shy ways and blonde colorine, her
swift changes of expression and native ease
of manner she was at once taken into the
hearts of all the young people in the neigh
borhood.
1t is a great mistake to think that one
girl is insensible to another maiden's beauty.
Sometimes, to be sure, she may have feel
ing of jealousy with regard to it when she
is naturally of that disposition, but oftener
she loves the object of her admiration all
the more because she embodies that ideal
which exists in every human soul to a
greater or lesser degree.
Owen Glenn had fallen head over boels
in love at his first meeting with Annis, and
had not missed an opportunity of meeting
her at the various rustic gatherings to which
she had been invited aud tonight he was
going to test his fate by telling Annis that
he loved her, and asking if he could hope
for response to the ardent feeling with
which he had been INSPIRED by her.
81 III -fost tn ha cYfN-
cess of his suit, for there was another who
admired Annis, and who was far. above him
in worldly station and in wealth, and as
Owen, in his freedom from vanity, also
thought in good looks, and in other quail
ties calculated to win girls heart.
Annis had received the pleasant little
courtesies and attentions Of both in way
calculated to wound neither; though, as to
that, it would have been an impossibility
for her to be other than SO sweet and gra-
cious as not to enkindle hope in each pas
sionate young heart.
Thus matters stood as Owen started from
his home to take the long and tedious walk
over the cliffs, which must be traversed
sheltered the object of his love. 1t had
been raining steadily all day long, and as
night came on the wind had risen to q gale.
But, wrapped in his waterproof cloak, and
lighted on his way by o lantern, Owen cared
not for the threatening elements, and walk
ed along whistling softly, now and then
pausing to shake himself, after the fashion
of some huge water-dog. Then he would
trudge on again, thinking what terrible
night it must be at sea, ard breathing q
prayer for the wave-tossed mariners far
from home.
Suddenly dull, booming sound reached
his ear, 1t came from a seaward direction /;
but, OF first, he kept on his way, thinking
This is not the harbor, and every one
who has the slightest knowledge of the To-
cality will be sure to avoid such q danger
out coast SO it's no business of mine"
Again the sound came. This time Owen
stopped and listened. A thought came into
his mind as he did so, but it initiated so
directly against his inclinations to give heed
to It that with an impatient, " Pshaw p he
started on. But he could not rid himself Of
It. II was this:
If ship Is in peril, and has lost her
way, the only thing that could possibly save
her would be huge beacon-fre to cast
light upon her surroundings"
To build fire would be q work of time
and of hard labor. To keep one up long
enough to do any coed would take hours of
watchfulness, and he would have to abandon
all hope of seeing Annis that evening. 1t
was hard struggle, but inclination proved
to be made of o material which could not
hold It's own against his strong sense of
duty. He gave up all thoughts Of ths
pleasant greeting he had been living upon
in his heart all day long, and set himself to
work to gather fuel for the beacon-hre.
After several hurried journeys to the wood
land, which lay little distance away, he
succeeded in accommodating q pile of branches
and Of dried twigs, which he had raked out
with his hands from deserted hut, which
stood ON the confines of the thicket, and
had evidently been gathered together for
some purpose; but under the circumstances
Owen felt himself justified in taking it, as
1t would have been almost impossible to
have kindled fame of green wood. Just
as he had succeeded in coaxing q splendid
blaze into life, q voice cried:
Halo, Glenn, is that you? What, IL
he name of wonder, are you doingr"
SIN answering to signal of distress.