Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-08-03
THE MARBLE STATUE.
NJ CECILIA x. GIBSON.

bound from Southampton to the West
Indies, bore upon her deck curiously
heterogeneous mass of living freight. II
her passenger list had been studied, 1t
would have disclosed representatives OF
nearly all nations, people and languages I'M
der heaven, from continental tourists and
English officers and soldiers, with their
wives, sweethearts, babies and lady's maids,
to Italian opera singers, German students,
French civilians, suspicious looking Rus
slams, native Haytians, Cubans and Barba-
dams, ard American magnates returning 10
the states via the West Indies. Into
this human amalgam, no matter how or
wherefore. 1 found myself suddenly and
unexpectedly plunged; but soon entered
upon the sitting process with exemplary
patience and degree Of enjoyment that
quite repaid me for my trouble, in bringing
to my acquaintance many pleasant psople
from out that motley throng, One especi-
ally congenial, and with whom afterwards
spent many pleasurable hours, was an
English officer in Her Maiesty's service.
in Jamaica, who was making the return
trip TO rejoin his regiment, after prolong-
cd leave of absence through the tropical
summer months, in the south of England.
Mai. Strickland was handsome, compan-
ionable, courteous gentleman, with keen,
dark eyes, iron gray hair and mustache,
and military tread and bearing; man OF
scholarly and social attachments, who had
Travelled extensively, always carrying the
best of his experiences with him, which,
like choicest vintage, he on'y uncorked oc-
casionaIly for the delectation of his friends,
He was instructive, amusing, AID appreci-
ative-a good talker, and a good listener.
During our first days out we had suffered
all the discouragements usually allotted 10
PROSTATE humanity under the combined
stress of boisterous weather. nausea, lassi-
tude and general loathing. but now that the
skies were clearing and the steamer setting
TO steady business, we began to cast about
for ways and means of beguiling the tedium
of the long hours, for fifteen days run is
apt to become monotonous without agreea-
bic company.
And here Major Strickland came to the
front in a true soldierly and charming man
.ner. and we soon struck bond of sympa-
thy in reciprocal accounts of
''Stern alarums changed to merry meet
ings,
Aud dreadful marches to delightful meas
ures."
OuG night d4IcE al CNCulh5 "a uAuSAS d1A
games in the salon, we were smoking our
final pipes on deck, enjoying the freshness
and breeziness of an exhilirating run, and
watching the vast masses of broken clouds
scurrying across the face Of the full moon
axe battallions of troopers hurrying to an
engagement, while below the shadows
chased each other over the white capped
sea until at last they mingled with the clouds
and were lost in the distance, marine re-
endorsements joining the celestial infantry
as the Major POLITICALLY expires 3ei it. Oar
destination being the same seaport, Kings
ton, Jamaica, oar conversation drifted to
the West Indies, upon which subject
found my companion full of novel and inter
esting information from having made the
tour of the islands many times. From Gu
ban political disaffectlons we diverge1 by
natural process to San Domingo, touch
ing upon the native atrocities, the hack
neyed but pathetic story of L Toussaint
and the French occupation. And here tn,
conversation took a more personal turn
Gen LIE CIerc and his beautiful CorsicIr
bride. whose childish whims and inordinat
vanity and extravaganza caused the ruiz
Of her lord, and the downfall OF his ambi
tious usurpations. were the prompting5 I
the following story, which the MAJOR pres
emily related:
1.-THE most beautiful woman / eveT saw,
he said, ''was the lady who made the tril
TO Jamaica by the same steamer with me
several years ago, the first time l went ou
said she was the most beautiful woman
ever saw; but these words fell very ia
short Of expressing the absolute lovelines
Of her face and form. She was an Engiis
woman OF Irish decent, and cemmingle
with the pure Celtic blood was the warn
dark blood of Spain, which Philip IL. sea
tered upon the Irish coast from remnaI
of the Armada. She was somewhat aboy
medium height, delicately slender, and il
comparably fair, with cheeks flushed wit
health, like the warm, censuous bloom of
sleeping child. Her hair was blue-blacl
lustrous, and abundant; and her dark eye
seemed to baffie all curious glances.
readily could you hope TO discipher tran
rriptIon by looking into wells of ink, as a
tempt TO fathom her thought through u
medium of those deep, mysterious eye
She enchanted me with her beauty, whic
repealed while it fascinated she seemed
living embodiment of all fair and DANCE
Dus women who had ever lived, and
dlWdJS AClb u pCSu1AdL GAOASAoA Az hCA pl
sence.n
"Were you married at that time, Major
asked.
itMarrieda A dozen years or more"
replied, with an amused smile at the que
tion; shut my capacity for admiration
unbounded, and I never could look at
lovely woman unmoyed; besides, this OF
interested me particularly. She possesse
a versatility of talent that was somethin
remarkable. We had had very cold al
stormy voyage, so much that we had bet
obliged to remain in the salon and find SUI
pleasures as we could in mutual compa
ionship. Tableau vivants and amate
sheatricals were resorted to in consequence
and in each and every roll assigned her u
woman was surprisingly clever, shown
herself an actress Of no ordinary abilit
cleopatra Zenobia and Lucretia Borg
were alike impersonated with fidelity al
characteristic aptitude. She was, beside
beautiful singer, but in the exercise
ner talent was strangely capricious, SON
times responding to a request to 81
with graceful readiness, at other tim
singing outright without pretext or apoloe
From garrolous old woman who accoi
panied her, in the capacity Of duenna