News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-01-10

1t breaks upon the beach in song
-Earper'S Bazar.
A FAIR COLUMBUS.
During visit at Nassau, in the Ba-
hamas, writes James b. Townsend in
the Journalist, strolled away from my
companions, and passing several small
sckooners laden with sponges, lying
along the wharf, each with two or three
ragged children, n negro or two and
perhaps q sallow-faced scrawny white
man, lounging on their decks or chew
ing sugar cane, [ came to one, cleaner
looking than the rest, on which there
were no signs of life. She was built as
are all the Bahama schOoners, with fine
clipper bows, rounded stern and small
masts and spars. She was neatly paint
ed, and on her stern were the words
Lillian, with her home port, 'Wat-
lings Island" As | stood looking at
her, suddenly young woman came up
the companion way and said, Good
day." ''GOod- day 1 answered. you've
come some distance, have you not?"
"Yes," she replied, 'from the furthest
of tho out islands. / suppose you're
from New York;" To my affirmative
reply, she to my surprise said, ''und
how was Irving's Iaust2 | should so
dearly love to see Ellen Terry as Mar
guerite."
After moments pause, during which
time l vainly sought to fathom in my
mind how a woman on Bahama island
schooner could have followed New York
theatrical matters SO closely, gave her
my unbiased opinion of the matter. She
was then silent and meInwhile had an
opportunity to study this Bahama
curiosity. She was about twenty-six
years old and WAS neatly dressed i'll au
inexpensive light material. Her lux
TrIaut hair, of duk brown color, was
tastefully arranged, and she wore n
large hrimmcd, but not unbecoming,
straw hat, which had evidently seen bet
ter days. Although much burned, |
could see her skin was fair and her
hands delicately formed. Her oxpres-
sion was one of demure sadness, and
after my study I camo to the oonclu-
sion that she WAS more than an orllinari-
ly handsome woman. | decided to ling
er and continue the conversation. MAY
/ come aboard Z" l veuturel to say.
Certainly" was the rcply, "John's
gone out to the steamer and I'm keeping
watch for him. / should be glad
to have you tell mo something of
the news We get little except when
we come to Nassau" "Who is john"
l wondered, and how much news can
people get who only rely on Nassau for
It l stepped on board, and my fair
hostess excusing herself for a moment,
stepped down into the cabin and re- |
trIrrao1 Of
chairs, which she placed under q small /
awning, which shaded half the cockpit. /
She motioned for me to be seated, and
obeyed There was silence for n mo-
ment after we sat down and then my
hosIes.z said, speaking very slowly and
with evident effort, " You must not
think it very strange that l spoke to
you and have allowed you to talk to me,
but saw you were gentleman, and L
do grow so lonely and so anxious to see
and talk with some one from the great
world now anil then. The ladies up Mt
the hotel, if | so up there, l do not
know, and l suppCs [ seem queer to
them, for they LOOK askance at me, and
] haven't the courage to speak to them.
John is always so busy when we're
here, and besides John doesn't seem /
to care for anything but spongcs .
and salt and wrecks "Spongrs /
and sa and wrecks! / asked myself. |
"Wha? manner of man may John beg /
"Yes, continued my hostess, "1t's very |
lonely on Watkins, You see there are I
only 675 people on the whole island, /
and of these only about 800 arc white, /
while don't suppose there are forty l .
know. We're $50 miles from Nassau, /
md although l am always teasing John /
but three times a year unless there's n
wreck "a wreck " | asked. eyes -
she went on nonchalantly, eve don't /.
have much luck nowadays. We haven't /
had n good wreck since the big Span /.
ish steamer went on Elenthera three
years ago" The situation dawned MP !
on me. My fair friend was the wife, |
daughter or sister Of Bahama wreck I
er-perhaps pirate. Somehow, in my
horror at the discovery, | was dimlv .
conscious of hope that sho was the .
daughter or sister OF The aforesaid .
wrecker. whats the matter? You
seem disturbed" abe said. | muir |
INJURED something about wrecking being |
q pleasant occupation.
"Oh, ] see," and she laughed. and n
wonderfully musical laugh it was too. |
"You are shocked at Johns being n
wrecker. Why, yOu wreck railroads in
the North, don't you, and sometimes
banks, I've heard John doesn't really
wreck ships. He merely helps to strip
them when they are wrecked and gets
his share for the cargo he saves"
/ felt relieved, bit dire memories of
childhood tales OF false lights ana muir
dered crews, somehow connected with
these islands. would come in my mind.
and the sky looked less blue, the sur
rounding water less clear and-yes. 7
was not mistaken, n bird in tree near
by has ceased to sing. l determined to
plunge az H'edt'fs res. ''And who is John!'
/ asked.
"Ah, John is the dearest, sweetest.
noblest fellow living-that's John. I'm
sure you'd like him."
L tried another tack: "Were you born
on Watlings?'
ooh, dear; no. 7 YVES wrecked there. |
Wasn't it romantic to be wrecked on
the island Columbus first landed on ?"
mildly remarked that ] thought and
had been taught Columbus first landed
on San Salvador OF Cat Island.
''Oh, my, no. You're all wrong It's
been proved he first came ashore at Wat
hngs. Why, L often, on fine mornings.
get John 20 drive me over to the south.
eastern point of the island where il IS
thought he came ashore. There's the
Iovellest white beach there, and the
broad blue ocean stretches ont and away
before you as you look eastward. | make
John go away, for John isn't romantic,
you know, and then 1 sit down and close
my eyes and think intentIy for mo-
ment. Then [ open them and I see the
queer old-iushlOned ships with their
worn sails, their high sterns and the
royal banners waving, tossing at anchor
beyond the reef; L see the line of boats
with flashing oars advancing; [ see the
dusky Indian forms standing at the edge
of the wood, and just above where the
surf breaks on the beach l see the old
mariner kneel under the banner of Spain.
his sword uplifted and his eyes raised to
Heaven. Oh, it's glorious picture, and
never tire of calling it forth. Life on
h.,.,