The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1889-09-28

Beautiful Syrial The promise Of her
girlhood was being developed into glori-
ous maturity But she might have been
a pearl as they called her, In her icy
seclusivcness for all the human feeling
she seemed to possess.
Every day the Black Dragon was
looked for, and every evening brought a
disappointment.
At last, one golden afternoon, when
sunlight streamed in yellow bars over the
sanded floor, and Syria had looped back
the curtains with clusters of scarlet ber-
ries and sprays of wintergreen, and
ranged the golden pippins in long rows
ON the mantle, in the very midst of their
expectation the tidings came, brought
from the city by q fisherman. The Black
Dragon, homeward bound, took fire Just
under the line, and every soul on board
persisted. Harry would never come
| homel
A silence more solemn than death fell
on the old farm house. Aunt Sarah sunk
beneath the blow into feeble second child
hood, and the old captain grew morose
and sullen. Syria alone bore the blow
bravely. Fair and white as a pearl, she
moved about with sealed lips and solemn
eyes, taking all the heavy household
cares upon her slender shoulders and
working from dawn till twilight. Then,
when the hush of night brooded over the
great sea, she took her sole recreation.
Gliding down to the beach, she would
Chamber to the top Of the rough bowlder
and sit for an hour looking out to sea,
with her poor eyes full of piteous expec-
tation.
mo-" she said, IT won't forget; he'll
come by and byj my little charm will
bring him-I will wait"
AT last there came an afternoon black
with portentous omens.
"I never see sich signs as these at the
Headlands only once afore, and then we
had gale that just shivered things
and we are going to have it again"
The old fisherman was correct; about
sunset it came, with a laundering crack
and crash, as if the very heavens were
being rolled together.
"The guns have ceased" he said, put
ting on his oilcloth coat '"The poor
ships gone. am going down to the
shore to see what the boys are doing"
ga bad night, cap'n," one of them said
as he and Syria approached.
"Poor luck, captain--poor lucki We
tried putting out the boats, but it was no
go-the gale was too hard We picked
up only that chap, and he's done for"
Syria's eyes followed his pointing fin
ger, and beheld stretched upon the wet
sand the figure of a man.
| "He's not dead, fatherr' she cried.
There's warmth here-indeed there isl
Let's take him up to the house and try
to save him."
"Do as she bids you," said the old
man; and the men obeyed.
"Tis he-your son Harry Don't you
seep Will you waste your precious timer
Let us work and save himl" she said.
And they did. By and by faint
warmth diffused itself over his body; a
dim red shone in his pale cheeks, and he
murmured, just above his breath:
"Syrial Syrial am coming"
Syria heard him, and without a word
/ or sigh dropped in dead faint at his
very feet.
In few days he entirely recovered
and related his adventures. He had
made his fortune and was coming home
to stay, and no one was more happy than
Syria.
But three weeks after there was q
grand wedding at the old farmhouse.
| Capt. Harry Melville received for his
bride Syria, the founding, the beautiful
"belle of the ocean," and their cup was
{ full. Waverley Magazine.