San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-05-02

broken wilderness, and it needed stout
hearts and strong hands to make life en-
durable amid the hardships they had to
encounter, but Gran'ther Coleman was a
large, powerful man and gran'ma was
strong and healthy, and they took hold
with will and made a home for them
selves, and children were born tothem, and
perhaps they enjoyed life just as we'll as
people do who have easier times. They
had one child, Joseph, when they came to
Deer Isle; then came Thomas, the first
white child born on that part of the island
and then the three girls, Eunice, Betsy and
Sarah. Betsy was my grandmother, born
amid the troublous times of the Revolu-
ton, and we children never used to tire of
listening to the stirring tales of her early
days. Eunice was about 16 years old when
the British took possession of the peninsula
of Bagaduce, as Castine was then called.
NY grandmother was then about 9, and
Sarah still younger, but although living on
one of the most bleak and desolate islands,
an island lying off the coast of a country
still wild and unsettled, these young PEG.
pie, far from finding their lives mopoto.
nous. felt themselves to be part and parce!
of turmoil of stupendous events. Though
far enough from the actual seat of war,
the British garrison stationed at Castine
furnished food for constant gossip and ex-
element Now and then some stately En-.
glish vessel coming through the thorough
fare glded past the island or anchored off
the landing; they listened breathlessly to
the echo of the guns when the tardy Amer
lean feet reached CaStine on its fruiJ!eSS
errand of recapture; rumors of Washing
>. ions pf hn ,olN II ~
ings of the patriotic army came vaguely to
their ears, aid it was often hard for the
fiery youngsters to observe the spell of
silence which their More prudent elders
laid upon theirTps, mindful OF the British
garrison only twenty-five miles away
Cas;ne was the nearest trading post, aud
thither they We're obliged to go for a.. their
needed supplies. Ny grandmother vas an
adventurous and imaginative child, and
used to beg sc hard for the privilege of GO
ing to CaStine whenever anything was
needed from :here chat she often visited
the garrison, and il was TO this fact owe
much OF my knowledge of my great-aunt
Eualce's romance. Mary Coleman, a coTs.
in OF the family, was then living at Cas-
tine, ard i have many times heard my
grandmother tell the story of the memora-
bic Sunday which she and her sister Eunice
spent at that place EuniCe was then
about eighteen years old, in the first bloom
OF her wonderful beauty, for she was even
lovelier than her portrait, my grand.
mother always used TO say. She was en-
gagged to be married to Thomas Simpson, a
sturdy young settler, whose clearing adj
Joined Gran'ther Coemans; yet she pos
sessed enough of demure coquet"y to cause
her to djuSt her homespun gown and her
lace kerchief as becomingly as possible be-
fore attending the garrison church service
on Sunday morning.
DR.. William Crawford had come from
Fort Point to preach that morning, he was
a man of eloquent speech and imposing
presence, yet the scarlet coated British
officers looked Oftener at the beautiful
young stranger than at the reverend chap
lain. But my grandmother noticed most
of all handsome, proud looking officer
who, coming late into service, with clink-
ing sword and careless air, sat down OppO-
site my aunt EuniCe and herself He had
the look of one used TO command, and on
the prayer book that he bore was blaZOned
a coat of arms. At first he seemed like a
man negligent of all things, and weary of
his surroundings, but presently his wander
ing gaze fell on my Great-Aunt Eunice,
and as he looked slow red flush rose over
his fair English face, and fire kindled in
the depths of his cold blue eyes. So might
man look who had found his hearts de-
sire, his pearl of price, and could not be
satisfied with gazing. That afternoon
when my grandmother walked by the
shore with Eunice and Cousin Mary quick
step came up behind them, and turning
they saw the handsome officer of the morn
ing, looking handsomer still in his fatigue
dress.
"a good day to you, Mistress Coleman"
he said, bowling courteously to Cousin
Mary, land fair day to her also makes
all things fair" he added, still with that
strange fire in his eye, as he looked at my
Aunt Eunice.
THAT was wise discourse of DR.. Craw-
fords concerning our heavenly home"
said Cousin Mary, as Maj. Howe walked
by the side of the two ladies along the
rocky shore.
Truly, madam" he answered, "but l
fear me was thinking more of an earthly
paradise than of a heavenly one this
morning"
The incoming tide crept slowly up the
beach. the shadows grew purple on the far
off hills, and still Maj. Howe walked by
Cousia Mary's side, looking ever at my
Great-Aunt Eunice, while he told stories
of his boyhood, of his stately English
home, of the bonny hedgerows and fair
green meadows of Devonshire.
81 have bethought me today" he said
softly to my Aunt Eunice at parting.
that how it might be, should man
chance to transplant a western lily into
those same green meadows of Devonshire"
My grandmother used to tell that my
Aunt Eunice tossed restlessly on her pill.
low that night, and drew once long, sob