Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-08-10
4 COTNCIDENCE.

After oil, the world is narrow, so narrow,
indeed, that it is not necessary to escape
single individual with whom we have once
woven q web of any afiiliation, be it ever so
slight and gossamer. Yet narrow as the
world is. it is crowded with those strange
things coming under no law, affecting US as
bordering upon the supernatural, and called
condolences.
Perhaps it was no coincidence at all, how
ever but it called up old scenes in such q
manner as to suggest new ones, and it causes
me to be sure that now feel no surprise il,
on reorganization of the service according
to advancing ideas, l should see Miss Burne
a wegher and gaugcr yet, and very strict in
the performance of her duty.
l was only child, to be sure, but Miss
Burne took my little fancy amazingly ; and
yet she had plainly endeavored to take no.
body's fancy But if her black hair was
combed straightly from her face and closely
coiled and braided away it did not hinder
me from conjecturing what its length and
lu1uriance would be if il were loose, and seen
without the little capote which she invaria-
bly, wore Aud if she kept her white lids
downcast, that you might not see too vividly
the great black eyes beneath, it only betrayed
the long black lashes resting on that cheek
whose soft velvet was the velvet of the rose,
in my recollection, let the captains wife say
what she would about the work OF an artist
There was nothing she could do, however, to
hide her mouth, and that you would hardly
fail to remember, somewhat sunken az it was
with the scarlet lines Of its thin lips, and
with the corner OF one of the pearly front
teeth broken away, and all little accented
by a suspicion Of downy shadow above
Still, if she had worn a mask, she could hard
ly have veiled to more purpose than she did
l. 81, - l.. -.
beautiful nor plain. and yet strangely fascinat-
ing one always to look again.
When you had looked again it may be said
you discovered, or fancied that you did, a
singular mark on the face. Some fall, some
accident, cut Of knife or clip of bullet, some
thing, at any rate had struck of tiny atom
of the right nostril, and that without injurng
the face at ALL and simply giving a more
naughty aud high-bred air to that side of the
face than the other had. For the rest, she
was tall, but rasher muscular than graceful !;
her dress was a black stuff of some sort, but
its exceedingly simple cut, half hidden under
the sacque to which the capote belonged, al
lowed you only to see the rather high and
square outline that was not SO popular then
as it has since become. There was nothing,
in fact about her to catch the eye except a
quaint ring on the little finger made of five
fine wires of red gold, on each of which a
tiny diamond was strung, till it looked like a
measure of some strange music, | remember
thinking. The ring was too small for the fin
ger, which had grown since it was put on,
ard have no doubt that if it could easily
have been taken of without file, it would
not have been worn. 1t was rather discord
ant, certainly with the large brown nervous
hand, accustomed to climbing and boating, as
all those coast girls were.
nhfiA / | ~ that Miss RuFna
shrank from observation, joining in no con
versation, scarcely appearing, except at table
| till after dark, and then, if not walking the
| deck with Mr. Brosser, absorbed apparently
| in her book and the more she shrank, why,
| the more it fastened my wondering attention.
There was not much else to fasten the at
teation, on that tiresonIe voyage in a packet
ship running between Boston and points
along the eastorly coast of Maine. | sat or
| the deck with my toys, and saw the placid
sea rising round me in a ring of blue, as
| though | were the centre of great sap
phire; or let my eye run up the length oi
the white sail into the sky till seemrd to be
part of the clouds once in a while whale
spouted in the distance, once in a while
school of porpoises gamboled 10 our way
sometimes we spoke passing sail. The cap
tain had his family on board, and was in NJ
hurry to reach his destination. Occasionally
we came.to anchor in the bay Of some of thu
coast towns of good haven, aud such pas
sengers as had friends in these towns wen
ashore in the yawl, and made brief visits
now and then even delaying TO take tea there
My gay young guardians, tired of the sea mo
notony, were ready whenever there was al
acquaintance for the bit Of change, and o
course could not be left on board. But hos
l dreaded the procedure Ii was pleasan
enough rowing ashore in bright sunlight
walking up tho quiet streets, and reoeivin
cordial cheer from welcoming people Blu
not all that pleasantness, not the parcel o
candies and the particularly selected blood
orange, given TO assuage my feelings. coul
prevent my haunting the windows as dus
came on, and portraying to myself the dread
full scene when l should presently be carrie
in some rude sailors arms down the long dar
wharves, the lanterns swinging in advance
be handed into the boat waiting in those We
shadows from which the unseen voices came
and then be rowed out over the black tide
and lifted at last up the awful side of the vel
sci that was magnihed to something monstrou
in the gloom. 1t made me shudder, hOuI
beforehand, to anticipate it, and if l chance
10 fall asleep before the time, and awake
find the transfer made in a dream, and ny
self lying quietly in my berth, that SCENE
more horrible yet as showing the fearful a.
cidents that might befall in slumber, an
pinned my eyelids back for many night le
/ should really go to sleep in spite of myself
Miss Burne never left the vessel in any {
these trips but she was always leaning ov'
the side on our return, with such strang
intent look on her face, as If she were coun
ing us, that once glad to touch the deck m.
self, and meaning in a childish way to rea
sure her, piped out, I'VE are all here, Mi
Burne" But whether it seemed to her Q
) impertinence, or she thought it best to kee
! away from any one who observed her 80 car
I fully, she had little to say to me, as l rI
about the deck or cabin, after that.