Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-01-09
8 MOTHER CAREY'S CUSHION. "

a
AWAY with you'll" Octavia GLAND, in
her pink muslin dress, tied here and
there with jaunty little bows of ribbon,
sRd q straw gypsy hat garland with pink
poples, turned around, the very incar-
nation Of radiant glee.
Mamma" said she, "why should you
grudge me my little holiday? Don't I
work behind Miss Fanshaw's counter
all the year like any African slave?
Don't I lose my very identity in shirrs
and puffings, and toll my very finger
ends off with hounces and tucks? DO
let mo play I am child again, just this
once!"
So this beautiful young Euphrosyne
danced away, leaving only the sweet
echo of her laughter in the gloomy
apartment, and Mrs. GLAND sighed.
"She is so thoughtless," said the
mother. "And Duncan Ray and Harry
Bolton are both going on this sailing
party-and somehow teel as if to- day
were to be the turning-point Of her
life. I wish she could bring herself to
like Duncsn-he's a steady, noble
souled lad, as his father was before him,
but there isn't much outside show about
him. And Bottoms q dashing young
fellow, just the sort to attract any girl.
But somehow 1 can't quite believe in
him. Octavia says haven't any knowl-
edge of the world. Well perhaps she
is right. But I think we quiet, stay at
home bodies are sometimes gifted
with sort of an instinct in these mat
ters."
The day was all sparkle and sunshine ;
the excursion steamer, futtering with
gay flags and the sound of music, glidetl
Enthusiastically along; the sea air breuthcd
new strength into weary lungs and
touched favored brows with alrhemic
power; and eli Of these over tired, over
worked sewing girls forgot, for brief
while, that life was nothing more than n
tread mill to them.
They laughed, they danced, they
sang; they flung flowers into the water
that hoated around the wheel house, :;
they counted the glin,mering sails that
leaned up against the horizon; and
finally, when the boat landed at White
Cargs, they all scattered in various d.
rections over The silver shingled beach,
in merry pursuit Of shells, see-weod and
pebbles, us so many newly liberated
school children might have done.
And Octavla Gland, the prettiest girl
in All the tlsrong, rejgned as a sort Of
princess among them.
"Mothcr Carey's C,1shion?" said she
merrily, echoing the words of an an
cent salt, who was mending his nets in
s. sunny spot, with OH old pipe in his
mouth. and q picturesque long beard
blowing about in the wind. us that
what they call yonder rock?'
"That 'ere's what they ha.]5 her by,
lady miss" said the old sailer, his dim
eyes resting with evident appreciation
Oh Octavia's fresh young lilies and
roses. "And we'll it's known here
ab,,+s.
art Why do they call it 500" per-
si ~ the girl.
q Because of the cushion, nay lady
nj y" answered the fisherman, laying
his ipe down on the sand, out of re-
spe to this charming yonng prese nee ::
81 the Mother Carey's chickens as
c. round the point, of a dark DAY,
there's storm coming up. It's
q Ind rock, near to the tup-d We
+ - pointing his knotty forehnger -
~ grass and moses GROWN on it, in
3 c1,t,", like q cushion. / and nv
sweetheartas has been dead thirty
years--did once. But we didn't care to
stay there long, tell ye. For the wind
howled, and the sea. gulls shrleked, aud
the tile roared like hungry shark
around us, and it was as much as we
could do to get down again with whole
bones"
why" said Bolton, ut doesn't look
such a height.
"Mebbo not--mebbe mott" said the
old man. a quarter Of u 1nile makes
deal o difference, in the looks of
things. And them as amt used to dis
tances can't calculate.
And he went on with his work, while
the little group strolled on, bright DC.
tayie with her ribbons and curls float
ing, Bolton carrying her shawl, and
Duncan Ray walking silently OH the
other side
And just then another gay throng
overlook them, and there was O. discus
sion as to where the site should be for
their impromptu banquet; and present.
~ Duncan Ray looked around
"Where's Octava?" he asked.
Everybody had some answer to make.
Auriette Hall had seen her not five
minutes before Helen Ray was quite
certain that she was hiding behind the
ruined boat house on the edge of the
beach; Louis Fielding suggested that
she had probably gone back to the
steamer for 70 scert bottle. or G hand
kerchlef, Or some such trife.
"Shell be here presently" said they.
"In the meantime, let US get the lunch
ready, for there's dark little edge Of
cloud, down III the west, that the Cap
tain says ne don't hall like the looks
Of"
And where all this time, was Octavia
Gland?
She was springing up the steep and
winding ledge of rock, quicker and
lighter than any mountain channels, her
vail floating back like a white wreath of
mist, an exquisite scarlet dying her
cheek.
"If other people can climb to Mother
Carey's Cushion, SO can I, said daunt-
less Octavia, keeping her face resolute-
II away from the furious waves that
boiled and ragged below. lest perchance
~ sJ,or1 Ia fanC]or- far niII,- ~ NAnH how