Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-04-17

was not worth repairing-that 1t might
as well be thrown overheard. The head
with the ice in it had dropped off, split
asunder, as if by wedge, and the rest
of the image was almost ready to burst
apart.
Meanwhile, the white maiden was often
on deck. Her childlike manners, sweet
smiles and sparkling eyes, frequently
drew young Roberts to her side. When
he looked sad and gloomy, on account
of the little impression he made on her
she would only laugh
"Roberts," the captain would say to
the second officer, she is too white to
have much heart. Take care"
But the young man, fascinated, still
followed her like a faithful dog. He
seemed able to interpret her slightest
wish. He knew by the movements of
her lips when she was thirsty, and
would bring the incest snowballs when
they were to be had, for her to sip with
her dainty tongue. She did not seem to
care for water. 1t was always snow,
snow, snow, that she wanted. AT her
meals even, she must have snow-cake
on her plate.
She loved the snow.-she reveled-she
laughed in it,
Oh! how queer and yet how charming
she looked, when the flakes were falling
standing on tip.toe to catch them in her
little mouth And it seemed as if the
snow loved her. At times the sailors
were startled to see thousands of the
white flakes circling about her head. AL
though this might have happened to any
one standing in a snow whirlwind, yet
) the superstitious seaman would shake
their heads, and mutter something about
= frost spirits coming to lead ships to their
destruction in the ice.
{ Waiting often on the little maiden,
Roberts like to see her frosty shoes glim-
mer, as she tripped about the desk in the
snow. One night his ardent words were
, poured thick and fast into her white ear,
and although she could not understand a
word of English, she must have heard
the beating of his heart, and have known
that he was declaring his love.
She nodded the snow with her nimble
fingers, put something in her hand, and
vanished. He looked at the thing she
5 had given him, and perceived that it was
the image of heart made of snow.
n No misunderstanding this! she mean
: that her heart was cold to him. He
e became pale and thin-the ghost of hi
y former self-and so absent and thought
= full as to slight his duties. Still hi
It could not shake off the strange spell o.
" the white maiden, and he followed he
g like slave. The captain, guessing th'
1 cause of his sad neglect of duty, sternl.
t, ordered him to keep away from the CIR
in future,
a But the youth disobeyed them, and {
l. few nights after his rejection, he again
" stood by the white maiden.
Y The ship now lay anchored near tn
}; coast of an island close to Frobishe
Q strait She could proceed no further a
le present, on account of the ice ahead o
her, and Captain Robinson, tired of hi
If useless search, on this course, had re
t, solved to change it for another, mex
V, morning.
Of "Better throw that igurehead G
Apollo overheard" he had said to Rob
es erts, who had the watch as he went below
ty The image of the wooden Apollo la
$, near the round house, aft, but Robert
n had forgotten about it, the moment th
in white maiden came on deck. All tn
es other officers were below-the ship bein
1t, at anchor-and every one of the crew
ey save lookout, who sat halt asleep
se the galley, were in the forecastle.
to The snow was falling, and the charm
ing girl-waif stood ankle deep in it b
on the captain, as the infatuated youn
ed sailor took his place by her side.
re When an hour later, man came
nd deck to relieve his shipmatc, the lookou
To- Roberts, in his long cloak and slouchc
by hat, still was there by the capstan, tryir
to talk to the white maiden.
in Twenty minutes later, peering fro
k, the galley, the watcher beheld Rober
alone by the capstan, his campanio'
he probably, having gone below. Strut
by the motionless, statue-like attitude
all the young man, the lookout approacht
him.
er- The rim of the hat and the high clot
Is, collar nearly concealed the face, but,
the lanterns light, the sailor saw sor
she of it, the CHASTITY, almost dazzlin
ted whiteness of which startled hil
rm He pronounced the officers name, bu
ife receiving no reply, he drew nearer, an
'he lifting the hat to get glimpse of t
all, face. he sprang back with a scream
tn. horror.
her That which he had seen was not
hat face, but white, frozen ball OF sno
without features.
'er- Up came officers and men, drawn
can the cry of the lookout.
so, Lanterns were brought, and the CO
or tain pulled aside Roberts cloak from
ing motionless figure, to behold ma
form, and yet only the image of ms
the Yes, there was the breast, with t
pe- form of the ribs showing; there was
she arms, the legs and the feet, all perfect
on shaped, but all of solid ice!
all Only the head was not perfect-wa
'uly mere snow ball, white and shinil
ull, which, in the opinion of some of
the superstitious sailors, added to the hor
lare of the metamorphosis which had b.
ice; wrought.
the cay" gasped the lookout, "twe
Jher minutes before this | saw Roberts b
1oes alive, talking to that white maiden, {
E. now
y to He concluded by pointing at the fc
of ice while the old coxswain, the m
that superstitious of all aboard, shook
ONE head ominously and said;
"There's no way to account for t
are mates, except that that white mai
aims was as / thought, frost spirit, and
changed the young second mate into
the as you see, to punish him for follow
Still her up sol"
may The captain and some of the sal
will laughed incredulously; others solen
at it muttered that there might be some IL
that in what the coxswain said.
al Tlnbarto