News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-07-05
SHE SIGHS FOR A SAILOR LOVER.
Thirty Years ago She Said Good
bye, But She Waits for Him Yet.
From the Manchester IN. H. 'Union,l

From the Manchester On. H.) Union.l
Shortly after s o'clock last evening a
woman took up her station near the
southeast corner of the passenger
station. She was not far from so years
of age. Her form was bent, her
hair was s1lvered with years and anxiety,
and her face was wrinkled and careworn.
Her round grey eyes were deep set, and
seemed weary from constant watching.
The woman's complexion must have
been OF the fairest blond type years ago,
as 1t was still white and we'll preserved
considering her years. She wal clad in
q dress OF dingy, dark brown material.
Closely wrapped about her shoulders
was q rusty plaid shawl, and upon her
head rested a hat of faded black
material, of q style, or rather lack of
style, unknown to the women of the
present day. In her clasped hands she
grasped a well-worn leather travelling
bag, Inc sun was almost an hour from
setting when she took up her position.
1t mad sunk into the west and twilight
had long given place to darkness, when
she ceased her weary vigil and sadly
turned away.
And not last night alone was the
woman at her post. She has been there
night after night, not for weeks and
months only, but for long weary years.
The frost and blizzard of winter have
given place to the sunshine and showers
of spring, and the seed time has been
succeeded by the harvest: many times
since she first took up her station in
almost the self-same spot that she did
last night. Babies have been born, pass
ed through their infancy, enjoyed the
sports and pastimes of childhood, grown
through youth to maturity, married and
seen children of their own come to glad
den the homes which they have made,
since this woman first lean her weary
vigils.
Nearly thirty years ago this woman,
then young and fair, was courted and
admired by many. But upon one she
fixed her affections, and to him through
all the years that have since interviewed.
she has remained as constant as the
needle to the polar star. Her lover fol-
lowed the sea as o means of livelihood,
and one day he left her md went away
on a voyage. Before he left they had
plighted their faith, and when he re-
turned from his perilous journey in the
glad spring time, when the buds bios
somed and the birds carrolled, and all
nature seemed to rejoice, he was to lead
her to the alter. But when the spring
came her sailor lover did not return and
no message came to explain his absence.
Whether disaster or death prevented or
whether he proved false and %perfidious
Is not known, but he never came back.
The grief and disappointment caused
the woman a long sickness, and when
her bodily ills were healed, her mind,
alas, was diseased. She became possessed
with the hallucination that her lover was
coming back, and rs soon as she was able
she went to the railway station to greet
him home, and almost every day since,
winter and summer, spring and autumn,
fair weather and foul, she has been there
on the same Grand. She is very retir-
ing in her disposition, and seldom ever
frequents the waiting rooms, or mingles
with the crowd upon the platform, but
just outside the station she takes up a po-
sition where she can see the trains as
they draw in, and there she waits and
waits, in vain. Eagerly she scans the
of each stranger who passes her
way, but when any one addresses her,
which is seldom, she stares at them va
and makes nc reply. When the
last train has come and gone for the
night and the employees about the sta
ton are extinguishing the lights she
generally walks YEARLY away, only to
and resume her vigil on the sue
ceeding day. Since she began waiting
population of Manchester has dou-
bled and trebled, a score of trains now
come where three or four came formerly,
the oil lamps have given place to gas, |
and gas in turn to electricity, q genera
ton has been born and grown to man.
hood and womanhood. But seemingly
no note of the passage of time, |
poor creature daily seeks the rail
way station and probably will continue
to do so until disease and death shall
her from her self-imposed task.