The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-10-24
COMMONPLACE TRAGEDY.

OOMmO4Nl LAWN 1Of1OGD LIE
Ten years ago to-day since lost my
bonnie boy! And am married wo-
man now and my tiny son Is kicking
and Growing there while write; but
as l think of that day across the
misty years that intervene. there is
feeling in my heart like the first faint
odor of some forgotten spring in my
youth.
1t all happened one gracious sum-
mer-time, in the Azores Islands, when
l was happy, light-hearted girl, with
white soul just beginning TO feel the
wonder and beauty and promise Of
ma;denhood, and pure lips innocent of
any lovers kiss. had just passed my
seventeenth birthday and had left
school. when my mother decided to
take me to the Azores as quiet trip
before the year Of European travel
which was to precede my coming
out" 1t was at the close of one hot
July day that our ship sailed, and I
saw my standing in the sunset
when first saw him. standing in the
sunset when lost him! just young.
handsome, light-hearted fellow, with
broad shoulders, and merry brown eyes
trimming over with laughter and the
glorious Joy of living-just boy with
all his mans assumption OF knowledge
of the world-but when looked upon
him there came into my heart a strange
little pain that has never left it since,
and my whole life went out to him.
and loved him.
Two months we were together
through the bright breezy mornings
and the long, sleepy afternoons and
the soft tropic evenings. We walked
and talked and read together on the
ship; we rode and drove and explored
the queer little Azorean towns and the
beautiful hills and valleys together,
and he grew to love me-my bonny
boy! Even now, when 1 close my
eyes, l can see him swinging along the
narrow streets OF those quaint villages
with his easy, careless stride-hands
thrust into the pockets Of his white
tennis flannels. blue and white striped
cap pushed back on his sunny hair-a
| perfect picture OF happy, unthinking
youth and strength.
And / lost him in this way. A
party OF us went to visit the Capellos
Cliffs in San Miguel several days be-
| fore / was to leave on the English
steamer. My dear boy and had
| wandered apart from the others into a
| deep cleft Of rock which sloped jag
I, gedly up and down, black and frown-
ing and cruel-looking. A fresh breeze
was crisping the waves that we could
hear gurgling among the caves below
us; the sun was burning his way in
| splendors Of purple and red and gold
through the western sky, and the calm
water near the horizon was all shot
through with its fiery reflection. The
infinite beauty of it all stole over our
hearts and we were standing in ST.
lence. when suddenly my dear boy
turned to me- all the laughter gone out
of his bonnie brown eyes, and placing
his hands on my shoulders and looking
deeply at me, said: Il love you'll"
'Dearestr l whispered low, and my
arms were about his neck and our lips
touched for one long, happy minute.
Only minute-for looked up, and
saw swiftly rolling toward us large
lava stone started from the brow OF
the cliff by some mischievous tourist.
My boy pushed me into q safer place
and was preparing to follow. when =
my blood chills even now with the
horror Of that sight-hs slipped, lost
his balance and fell, down, down,
down, with helpless arms outstretched.
on to the cruel rocks below. How
managed 1t never knew, but In few
minutes had climbed down. and had
waded through the shallow water to
where he lay all gashed and bleeding.
with the tiny pitiless waves tapping at
his feet. and the awful peace OF death
upon his face. took him In my arms.
with his clotted hair against my cheek,
and his poor blood-stained hands hang
ing lifeless over my shoulder, and stag
gered and struggled up the slope and
gently laid him down among tho coarse
sea grasses. Our party gathered
around us too in awed silence. but /
knelt there unheeding over my dead
| boy, and in the awful anguish of that
hour my heart froze up, and all the
light and glory and freshness OF my
life went out, and rose up, woman,
silent and embittered, prematurely
| old.
They buried him near the cliffs,
and they took me away to travel for
many month"; Then. weary with
sightseeing and unable to forget
they brought me back to Boston,
where / danced and fiirted through
two seasons, the acknowledged belle Of
my 'set" Finally / married a man,
young, good-looking. rich. q perfect
| gentleman--but more than that a
| nobla man with N rare strength Of