The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-04-15

; 1t was not every girl who was a.
lucky as Lizzie Milrea. Who and wha
was She? just a Manx weaver of net
nothing more.
But ones rank matters not if only
one be the queen amongst ones kin
ship and acquaintance. Lizzie was
this But then the M;lreas were /
| handsome race; its men We're stalwar
fishers and its maids and matrons hat
deep blue eyes, and a quaint refine
ment of feature that in some vague
way set them apart from the rougher
looking wives and daughters of fisher
| men.
The air of Peel was electric with ex.
| pectation-the morrow was to be a hol
/ iday. All the shopkeepers were busy,
and in every fisher cottage there was
a grand brushing up and arranging o1
the mems best clothes clothes which
were worn once year certainly; per
haps, too. when the men went to church
/ or chapel.
Some visitOrs-there were only few
such folk in the town, for the inroad OF
| noisy mill-workers had not commenced
were being shown over the largest
net factory in the place. Coming along
| the knobbiy, stony street they had seen
/ yards millions of yards Of nets. so it
I seemed, being hauled up from carts in
! to a high warehouse window. that
| would be for storage or for mending;
/ then they had gone on a few steps far
| ther to the factory.
| There were the looms, hand-worked
| the best nets are not turned out by
81 3
girl to each. Every girl was dressed
/ in the same way, and her skirt was
| killed high beneath a snowy broad
| apron; little tartan shawl was pinned
! across her shoulders; her feet were
| bare. and the beat of treadles and the
whirr of wheels and the clatter of
cranks went on with a buzz and a
burr
The visitors went along, and looked,
and watched. There were the creamy,
even-meshed nets extended on high; a
shuttle was sent along by quick hand.
then a white foot-yes, all the feet
were white as handspring to set a
low crank-never mind the non-techni-
cal word-then feet flew back, and a
tre1dle was set going. SO along the
rows. And one girl was tall and rud-
dy, and another was small and frail-
looking; one was an Amazon, and an
other one-onIy one-looked worn and
weary.
Then one was beautiful, undeniablv
| beautiful. This was Lizzie Milrea
Her foot and hand were swift and sure;
and what Il 1.-THE, straight figure the
girl had.
1t was at her loom that the strangers
| stood the longest, and she it was who
showed all the doings and intricate
turns of the machinery.
But she was proud, and she turned
haughtily away as one fingered behind
and would have lett a gift for the net
makers.
where's the sense O yer being so
high?" said the girl who we have call
ed the Amazon. Her frame was huge,
but she had the soft ManN tongue.
I'll be good for the rest of us. if ye'n
be above taking it.
''It'll be on that bench, if we're wish
ing fort, Lizzie answered.
She, too, had the soft voice and easi-
ly gliding speech of the island.
A quick glance and quicker dart
from the girl who looked so weary, and
the coins were taken possession of.
''We'll not have the luck o Lizzien'
came as sharply as the other girl 5
| tones had been soft ''Eh. Liz, if I'd
your luck, I'd have done with this long
agor'
''Would you? You are not like me- -"
1 There was quaint decision in the girl 5
/ manner as she still worked on deity.
"Eh, I'm half-thinking I'll be sorry
/ when l leave the factory.
That's ikely." the other retorted
scornfully,
/ BY and by work was done. and the
/ sweet, pure evening had set in with the
breeze blowing freshly in from the
4 western sea.
/ Some of the girls sat on the low sea-
| wall; only one now had her feet bare,
and she was Nan CIucas, the sharp girl
who was careless of her appearance
| careless of most things, in fact. OF
/ course all the rest walked the streets
/ shod, whatever they might do for the
/ easy performance of their work.
| All the houses along the shore-road
| faced the bay except one, and that one
/ stood apart, and with one side set to
! the dancing Summer waters. set its
| face looking adown the road to the
/ pier, and harbor, and ruined castle.
/ A girl came out of this. 1t was fresh
/ ly white-washed. like every ManX cot
/ tage in Summer time. and the flowers
| behind its polished windows We're the
/ finest in the place. To have good flow
ers in ones window is a pride of these
| fisher-people.
'.Eh!'' came in long cry from Nan.
sitting and dangling her feet. ''Eh,
and who has he gone walking with the
night? Lizzie! Hearken to men'
Lizzie did not hear, but went on her
errand TO a cottage, and was back in a
few moments.
I'D have more pride than that, ="
Nan shouted to her.
..What viii We be saying?" The girl
came up.
when my man takes another lass
out with him, I'll not go to his moth
er's asking for 'm,' cried Nan mock
ingly
You dare to say such wordT
Lizzie was proud, and could fire up.
Don't answer her., companion,
| the Amazon. advised.
That viii | not.
s.It's well to be grand. Tom Caine' s
as CLANCY as the rest. I'll 60 with him
next time he asks me. =
/ And We may,' Lizzie answered.
If she had a fault, and of course. like
! the rest of the world, she did have one,
it was that of a naughty and proud
spirit. She turned away, saving:
But never. till / see t with m own
ewes. viii | believe that of Tom"
|. .-Then where viii | be getting these
from?n
And the careless Nan pointed to a
| knot of sea-pinks she had, contrary to
her usual custom. set for adornment in
the fastening of her dress. under her
chin.
There are times when a girls heart is
seemingly waiting to be wounded.
Such a moment had come to Lizzie.
All her love and faith had gone to Tom.
the finest young fisherman of the town.
and yet here was a singing word
spoken, and her strong heart had one
weak point in which it took root.
Il She walked, erect and proud, away
from the other girls, but directly she
was within the door of her fathers cot
tage she bowed her head and sobbed
aloud. No one was by her. there was
no need TO hide what she felt. Did she
not know where those sea-pinks grew
l-on all the grassy mounds within the
old ruined castle. Did she not know
that her lover, Tom Caine, was the one
chosen to manage the day doings of the
morrow; he and the others were up in
the castle the evening before; he had
been too busy to see her except for one
minute when he started for his commit
tee
And he to give them to that Nar
Clucas!''
! Lizzie made NO questioning over hel