Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1889-08-10
A LUCKY SHOT.


Nevis and St. kitss. She was
a bark Of $50 tons, and her
name the Robert, and she sail
ed from Bristol. We were on
our homeward passage when
the incident am about to de-
scribe took place. must pre-
mise that we had four passen-
gers, two gentlemen and two
ladies' the latter the wife and
daughter Of a planter. by name
Carmichael. The elder lady
was about As, a handsome.
gracious sort Of woman. such
as a planters wife ought to
be. and such as were not un-
common in the days Of which
| am writing. The daughter
was about two-and-twenty a
beautiful girl, with all the be-
witching graces and fascinat-
ing charmes of a true born
creole.
We were twenty-onc days
out from Charlestown, and
Notwithstanding that old bark
was by no means a fast sailer,
we had made good progress,
and we're as near as possible
in mid-ocean. 1t was the end
of July. and the weather had
been of the most glorious de-
scription. and very hot but
after the sultry heat of the
tropics, we did not find it op.
pressive. For two days past
we had made little progress.
The wind had been light and
variable, and now it was a
dead calm. The ship was
motionless as far as progress
was concerned but her head
was boxing all round the com
pass. We had awnings up
fore and aft for. where there
was nothing to intercept the
burning rays of the July sun,
the decks were so hot that
the pitch boildout Of the seams.
The dinner was over; the
sun was slowly sinking in the
west. and we had all come on
deck, being anxious to get as
much air as we could. for the
CABIN of a sugar ship is gener-
ally stuffy. The deep, placid
sea was more perfectly calm
than had ever before seen it.
Not a flaw. not a ripple, not
an undulation broke the tran
quill surface OF the glass-like
sea. Capt. Sarshcld and the
two gentlemen, Mr.. Cheese
man and MIR. Thompson, were
sitting on the taffrail smoking
their cigars. and Mrs. Car
michael and Miss Julia were
reclining in wicker chairs and
tanning themselves. AT the
young lady's feet lay large
Newfoundland dog belonging
to Capt. Sarsfeld, blinking in
the sunlight which came slant
ing in under the awning, and
now and again looking up into
her face and putting out his
tongue, as much as to say
dts dreadfully hot. isn't it ?"
No one who has not seen a
creole girl reclining at her
ease can realize the beautiful
picture which Julia Carmichael
presented as she sat there Ian
guidly tanning herself. Apart
from the beauty Of her fea-
lures and the striking fairness
of her skin, her figure was al
most iaultless in its symmetry,
in the curve of its lines. and
beautiful in it's flexible sinuos-
ity. She had, too, that natu-
raj grace. that untrammeled
ease, that refined voluptuous-
ness of attitude and movement
which are the natural gifts of
the creole, and which no art
can counterfeit. But the crown
ing charm ofall was her sweet
and gentle disposition Mrs.
Carmichael was a general ia
vorite, but Julia was queen of
the ship. Capt. Sarsiield, the
gentlemen. and the ships com
pany generally were her dcvo-
ted slaves.
She had been sitting in 81
lence gazing out on the calm
sea. Suddenly she turned her
head and spoke:
Capt. Sarshcld," she said.
in a soft, musical vo ice, Il
think we are going to have a
breeze.
Certainly +! BY all means.
-. - l.