The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-09-25


He did decide. lie told nv mother
that it was his earnest wish I should
stay little longer with Zillah lie POer,
whom he called his ward" Her his
tory he said, he would inform me when
we met; which must be soon, as he was
contemplating returning to India for
some years, and had something to COM
municate to me before he went away.
Mr.. Sutherland returning to Indial
And before his departure he must see
meITnei 1t was very simple and nat
ural thing, as felt afterward, but not
then, did what he desired--as indeed
Lhad long been in the habit of doing
and accompanied Zillah.
had supposed that we should go to
some near wateringplace, or at all
events to the Liverpool shore. Indeed
had pointedly recommended Tanmere
whore, as l stated to Mr.. lie Poer there
who would have taken lodgings OF
done anything in her power for her
nephew'S ward. To my surprise he OBJ
jected to this plan. After staying q
night in Liverpool, instead of crossing
to the opposite shore, as expected, he
put us all-that is, Zillah, the two girls
and myself-on board the Belfast boat,
and there we found ourselves floating
across the Irish Channel
The two Misses LIE Poer were consid-
erably frightened; Zillah looked most
happy. She said it reminded her of
her voyage to England when she was a
little child. She had never seen the sea
since. Long after we got out of sight
of land she and / sat together on the
deck in the calm summer evening, talk
ing OF this Indian voyage and what It
was like, and what people did during
the long four months from land to land.
She gave me much information TO
yynT T~h Il afa .<a1 e.
well remember, fool that l was! sit
ting on the deck of that Belfast boat,
with the sun dipping into the sea before
us, and the moon rising on the other
side : sitting and thinking what it
would be to feel ones self on the deck
OF some India-bound ship, alone, or else
in companionship that might make the
word still correct, according to its orig
tnal reading-all one. An etymologic-
al notion worthy Of poor govern
eSsl
The only remarkable event of our
voyage was my sudden introduction by
Mr.. lie Roer to parsonage whom had
not thought existed. My son, Miss
Pryor; my eldest and only son, Lieut..
Augustus lie poerr
was very considerably surprised. as
bad never heard of the Young gentle-
man. | could only conjecture what
afterward found to be the truth, that
SuiS AftH b4O sui VI n lOTIQcI marriage.
and that there had been some family
quarrel, lately healed. The lieutenant
bowed TO me, and to him. Zillah, who
sat by me. had no share in the intro
duction, until the young man, sticking
his glass in his eye, stared at her ener-
getically, muttering to his father some
question, in which | just detected the
words, ''odd fish,
'Only Zillah, answered Mr.. LIE POer
carelessly. Child, this is your cousin
Augustus. lately returned from foreign
service. Shake hands with him."
Zillah listlessly obeyed; but her
"cousin" seemed not at all to relish the
title. He cast his eyes superciliously
over her. l must confess my poor
child'S appearance was not very attract
i've. l did not wonder that Lieutenant
Augustus merely nodded his head,
twirled his mustache, and walked away
Zillah just looked laZily after him, and
then her eyes declined upon the beauti-
ful expanse of sea.
For my part 1 watched our new
friend with some curiosity and amuse-
ment, especially when Caroline and
Matilda appeared, trying to do the
agreeable. The lieutenant was to them
evidently the beau ideal of brother.
For myself did not admire him at all.
Unluckily, if 1 have three positive
aversions in the world, it is for dandies,
he was a compound of all three. Also,
he was a small man; and l, like most
little women, have a great reverence
for height in the other sex Not uni
yersally, for some OF my truest friends
have been diminutive men-excellent,
noble, admirable Zaccheuses. Still,
from an ancient prejudice, acquired
no matter how-my first impression of
any man is usually in proportion to his
inches; therefore Lieutenant Le Poer
did not stand very high in my estima-
tion.
Little notice did he condescend to
take of us, which was rather a salts
faction than otherwise; but he soon be-
came very fraternal and confidential
with his two sisters. / saw them ali
chattering together until it grew dusk:
and long after that, the night being
fine, watched their dark figures walk
ing up and down the other side of the
deck. More than once L heard their
laughter, and detected in their talk the
name Of Zillah; 50 supposed the girls
were ridiculing her to their brother.
Poor child she was fast asleep, with
her head on my shoulder, wrapped
closely up, so that the mild night
could do her no harm. She looked al
most pretty-the light OF the August
moon so spiritualiZed her face L felt
thankful she had not died, but that un-
der Heaven, my care had saved her
for what2 Aye, and for whom? If, as
i kissed the child / had then known
But no, should have kissed her and
loved her still!
Our brief voyage ended. we reached
Belfast and proceeded to Holywood-a
small sea-bathing village a few miles
down the coast. To this day l have
never found out why Mr.. LIE Poer took
the trouble to bring us all over the wa
ter and settle us there; where, to all
lntents and purposes, We might as well
have been buried in the solitudes of the
Desert of Sahara. But perhaps that
was exactly what he wanted.
l think that never in her life, at least
since childhood, could Zillah have been
so happy as she was during the first
week or two of our sojourn at Holy
wood. To me, who in my youth, when
we were rich and could travel, had
seen much beautiful scenery, the place
was rather uninteresting; to her it was
perfectionl AS she grew stronger, life
seemed to return to her again under
quite q new aspect. Certainly it was a
great change in her existence to have
no one over her but me-for her uncle
and cousin Augustus had of course
speedily vanished from this quiet spot
to be able to do Just what she liked,
was not made for activity; she would
lie whole days on the beach, or on the
grassy walk which came down to the
very edge of high-water mark-cover-
ing her eyes with her poke-bOnnet, or
gazing sleepily from under her black
lashes at the smooth Lough, and the
wavy line of hills on the opposite shore.
Matilda and Caroline ran very wild al
so; since we had no lessons l found it
hard work to make them obey me; in
deed it was always great pain for a
quiet soul like me to have to assume
authority. / should have got on better