San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-09-18
MUTINY ON A GOLD SHIP.

IL was our ldSO rIluiy ulShb hU SdoOio DUN
boarding school. Most of the girls were gone,
and the few who lived in or around New
York, and were obliged to remain until Sat
urday morning, were counting the hours Of
captivity.
It was dismal night. The rain beat a
ceaseleSs tattoo upon the piazza roof, while
the honeysuckle scraped an accompaniment
upon the panes; the wind piped shrilly. and
every now and then, as it shifted, we could
hear the roar of the breakers at Forlorn
Hope. We were huddled together, seven
girls, in the study parlor, grumbling because
the evening train for New York was an ex-
press, and so did not stop at Castle Bluff.
81 would have cut the closing exercises and
taken the 2 o'clock train if the General
would have let me-" said Sarah Priest,
frowning.
"The General" was our name for our prin.
cipal, Mrs. NJ, whose imposing carriage sug-
gested the title which Dickens bestows on one
of his characters.
"Our sacerdotal friend seems pensive to-
night" remarked, mischevously. what
entertainment would your Reverence be
pleased to countenancsl' added, turning to
Sarah. The poor girl had to answer to a
great many punning variations Of her name.
Indeed, we all bore school names Mine was
"Gaul," given me by the class in Caesars
Commentaries" as an Improvement on
"France," otherwise Frances. Minnie Walsh,
the most diminutive girl in school, was Gar
diff GIANT abbreviated to "Cardie;" Jennie
Shepherd was known as "Shepherdess" or
"Bopeep;" Bertha Helm, who was always
"willin'," was "Barkis;" Glib" Chamberlain,
a high spirited, independent girl, was called
Liberty
had been reading aloud from "Our MI
tual Friend" but finding my audience too
restless to listen, closed the book and walked
to the window.
1 mo use to watch for the steamer tonight,
girls" said; "you couldn't sight the Great
Eastern boats length away"
"Ob, how nautical!" remarked Jennie
Have you been taking lessons of Mrs.
Jonesf'
swell, I'm not so sure that it wouldn't be
a good idea to have a lesson from Mrs.
Jones'" said. "What do you say to one OF
her sailors yarns, as she calls themF'
"Just the thing" exclaimed Alice.
"Let's get her to tell us a real live blood
d-thunder-your-money r-your-life pirate
story"
"Run along and prepare her, Gaul," said
Lib, Alice's chum. 1--WE will follow in a pro-
cession."
"Come, girls" cried Alice, "form a line.
Choose partners! But as for me-" Selling
her chum, "'giye me Liberty, or give me
deathp"
We found the matron sitting before little
wood fire, working a cushion for fair.
1t was almost equal to a voyage around
the world to go into Mrs. Jones' room. On
the mantel and shelves were foreign shells
and different kinds of corals, from the mas
sive brain coral of the West Indies to the deli
cate pink specimens from the Micronesian
Islands, also stuffed birds bits of ore from
Australia and Spanish souvenirs. Over a
photograph of Windsor castle the Stars and
Stripes mingled their folds with those of the
Union Jack. Above the flags hung a colored
Autograph of H. MS. Three Jolly Tars, which,
although represented as scudding before a
''large" wind on a heavy sea, had all her can.
vas set.
Mrs Jones was fond of young people, and
glad to relax the strict rules Of school disci
pline.
as that you, Miss Bailey7" said she Come
in, and Miss Priest, too. How many girl:
are JncEe OF yOu!' Sne dShel, CdICuluS sig
of a line in the hall.
awe are seven,'" said Alice, as we dis
tributed ourselves about The room.
II wish there were twice as many" sale
the matron, with one of her genial laughs
81 suppose you are all glad to be OF duty anc
done with that examining board for the
term"
''In what country were you born, Mrs
Jones" l asked, partly to set the ball rolling
and partly to settle disputed point.
SIN no country" answered the lady. I'm
the woman without a country" After en-
joying our perplexity for a while she added
81 was born on the high seas"
"But of what nationality are youF" per
sisted.
81 can hardly tell you, my dear" rejoinec
Mrs. Jones Perhaps African, as much a
any, for | was born at sea off Cape of Goo,
Hope. My father was an English sea captain
and he married my mother, who was a Span
ish lady, in Madrid.
az lived on board ship-ths Three Joll,
Tars-until was Il, 50 you see that pictur
is a view Of my birthplace and early home
NV father was captain Of that vessel 70
twenty-eight years.
''When l was 16 l was married in England
and went to housekeeping in Australia.
married a sea captain and made many voy
aces with him, that much Of my life ha
been passed on shipbOard Il would reall.
seern more home ike TO me than living o
Land. If my husband and children were alfT