The Washington critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1885-1888, 1885-05-26
FOURTH COUSINS.

lived in one of the Shetland Islands. 1T
was early summer with myself them |
was medical student, with life all be-
fore me.
The steamboat landed me at Lcrwick,
and ! completed my journey-with my
boXcs-ncxt day in an open boat. 1t was
very cold morning, with a gray, cold,
choppy sea ON, the spray from which
dashed over the boat, wcttng me thor
oughly, and making me feel pinched,
blear.eyed and miserable.
An opening in a wall of rock took us at
length into long winding ford or arm of
the sea, with green, bare fields on every
side, and wild, wierd-lke sheep, that gazed
on us for q moment, then blcated and fed.
Right at the end of this rock stood my
friends house, comfortable and solid look
ing, but unshctercd by single tree.
81 shant say long here" ] said to my
self, as ] landed.
An houror two afterward had changed
my mind entirely. | was seated in u
charmingly and cozily furnished drawing
. to and away across the broad Atlantic
How strange it wasl for the loch that had
led me to the front of the house. and the
waters of which rippled up to the very
lawn, was part of the German Ocean, and
here ut the back, and not q stones throw
distant, was the Atlantic.
Beside the fire, in an easy chair, satmy
gray-haired old relation and host, and,
not far off, his wife. Presently Cousin
Maggie entered, smiling to me as she did
so; her left hand fingered fondly for q mo-
ment on her fathers gray locks, then she
sat down unbidden to the piano. On the
strength oflny blood-relationship, distant
though 1T was for we We're really only
third or fourth cousins, ] was made
member of this family from the first, and
Maggie treated me as brother. ! was not
entirely pleased with the latter arrange
ments, because many days had not passed
ere ! concluded it would be u pleasant
pastimc for me to make love to Cousin
Maggie. But weeks went by and my love-
making was still postponed; it became
sine die kind of Il probability. Maggie
was constantly with me when out of doors
my companion in all my fishing and
shooting trips. But she carried not only
rod but even rifle herself; she could
give me lessons in casting the fy--and
did; she often shot dead the seals that !
had merely wounded, and her proves in
rowing astonished me, and her daring in
Venturing so far out to sea in our broad,
open boat often made me trcmble for our
safety.
One day Maggie and / were together
in cave close by the ocean-a favorite
haunt of ours ON hot forcnoons. Our boat
was drawn up close by. The day was
bright and the sea was calm, its tiny wave
lets making drowsy, dreamy music on
the yellow sands She had been reading
aloud, and ] was gazing at her face.
81 begin to think you are beautiful" /
said.
She looked down at me where / lay
with those innocent eyes of hers, that al
ways looked into mine as frankly as Il
child's would.
"I'm not sure" ] continues; that |
shan't commence making love to YOU
and perhaps ] might marry you. What
would YOU think of that"
Lover she laughed, as musically as
Il sea nymph, 'love?" Love betwixt a
cousin and a cousin? Preposterous ~
81 dare say" ] resumed, pretending to
pout, syou wouldn't marry me because
I'm poor"
Poor " she repeated looking very firm
and earnest now: ''if the man | loved
were poor I'd carry a creel for him; I'd
gather shells for his sake but don't love
anybody and don't mean to. Come ~
So that was the beginningand end ofmy
love-making with Cousin Maggie.
And Maggie had said she never meant
to love any one. Well, we can never tell
what may be in our immediate future.
Hardly had we left the cave that day
and put Off from the shore ere cats paws
DtBull 10 RUNE Inc water. lneN Ctllllc III
from the west, and before we had got half
way to the distant headland a steady
breeze was blowing. We had hoisted our
sail and were running before il with the
speed of Il gull on the wing.
Once round the point we had beam
wind till we entered the ford, then we
had to beat to windward all the way
home, by which time it was blowing quite
gale.
IT went round more to the north about
sunset, and then for the first time we
noticed yacht of small dimensions on
the distant horizon. Her intention APP
pcared to be that Of rounding the island
and probably anchoring on the lee side of
1t. She was in. an ugly position, however,
and we all watched her anXiously till
nightfall hid her from view.
retired early, but sleep was out of the
question, for the wind ragged and howled
around the house like wild wolves. About
IL o'clock the sound of Il gun fell on my
ears. could not be mistaken, for the
window ratified in sharp response.
sprang from my couch and began to
dress and Immediately after my aged rela-
tive entered the room. He looked very
serious.
The yacht is ON the Ba, he said, sol
EMMY.
They were words to me Of fearful signf-
canoe. The yacht, ! knew, must soon
break up, and nothing could save the
crew.
quickly followed my relative into the
back drawing-room, where Maggie was
with her mother We gaZed out into the
night, out and across the sea. AT the same
moment, out there ON the terrible Ba,
blue light sprang up, revealing the yacht
and even its people ON board. She was
leaning well over to one side her masts
gone and the spray dashng over her
Come" cried Maggie, "there is no time
to lose. We can guide their boat to the
cave Come, cousin !"
felt dazed, thunder-struck Was | to
take an active part in Il torlorn hope?
Was NIaggie-how beauiful and daring
she looked nOw-to assume the role of
modern Grace Darling? So it appeared
We pulled out of the ford Maggie and
|, andup under lee OF the island; then, on
rounding the point, we encountered the
whole force of the sea and wind. There
was glimmcring light on the wrecked
yacht, and for that we rowed, or rather
were borne along ON the gale No boat
save a Shetland skill could have been
trusted in such sea,
As we neaTcd the l}a, steadying herself
by leaning ON my shoulder, Maggie stood
up and waved tile lantern, and II was an
sWered from the wreck Next moment IL
seemed to me we were on the lee side, and
Maggie herself hailed the ship-wrecked
people.
ave cannot come nearer" she cried;
clover your boat and follow our light
closely Take the tiller now she con
timed, addressing me- "and steer for the
light you see ON the cliff Keep her well