Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1891-06-06
THE MAYsTER.
By S. Z. B. NEwlNo.


bleakness of this same Jersey coast sc
years ago, began Uncle Ben, after we
had settled ourselves comfortably around
him to hear the story, long promised, OF
our grandparents start in life.
There were no mammoth hotels
thronged with excitement seekers in those
days, he continued, @and the beautiful
summer residences that now almost
make continuous city along the water
front were undreamed of.
"The few hamlets that did exist were
miles apart and inhabited solely by simple
fisher folk content with their lot so be il
a good catch rewarded their days toll.
The houses were mere huts compared
with those of the present day, but they
were comfortable and clean, for the
mothers of that time were workers what
ever else could be said of them. Occa-
sionally grander house might be seen
standing back among the trees on slightly
higher ground and commanding a fine
! view of the sea for many miles. The
occupant of such house was generally
the owner of a goodly share of the land
along the beach, and he was looked upon
as sort of lord of the manor by the COM
mon folk and invariably called The
Mayster o. the Great House,
"Your grandmother was bonny lass
then, with eyes as blue as the sunkissed
waves and hair-but why linger in de-
scription when that little old white haired
lady yonder is Just as sweet and lovable
to-day.
"She was about 18 at that time, rugged
and fair, and strong with outdoor exer-
else. 1t was expected of girls that they
help father or mother, as the case de-
manded. and your grandmother was not
slow in taking her full share of the duties
falling to her lot. All the lads loved her,
think, and it was lucky for them that
she was nothing of a fiirt, or a sorry
dance some would have had, I'm thinking.
Her choice was soon made and known
almost at once. Indeed, if it had not
been an open secret Dick Darret's happy
face would have given it away.
There's an old saying that true love
never runs smooth, and it would seem to
be true in this case at least, for Dick, all
too anxious of winning speedier smiles
from Dame Fortune now that he was to
share them with the girl he loved, de-
cided to accept the proffered berth of
second mate on a whaling vessel then
ready for three years cruise, thus hop
ing the more quic' y to claim the full
6llment of her promise.
'The whole hamlet was out in force the
day the good ship sailed, many of the
faces wearing curious expression of
cheerful melancholy under the strain
of heroic efforts to smother the self
anguish in the brave resolve to appear
happy and hopeful, and say the God
speed you to a loved one going in such
way that only pleasant memories
should remain.
Now that it's the fashion to claim de-
scent from almost any ancestry so that
1t be remote enough to partially cloud
their misdeeds and clothe them with the
honorable robes Of time, it may not
startle you-nay, doubtless you viii all
take certain pride In the fact--that your
; great grandfather, when q young man,
was driven out of Scotland for smuggling
and that he sought seclusion of the Jer-
sey coast because the ship bringing him
to the new world was wrecked there,
tossing him, apparently more dead than
alive, up on the sandy beach, where
willing though rough hands found him
the only survivor. have no wish to
dwell longer on his memory than is nee
essary to make plain that which is to fol-
low. He stayed there, and married
finally; winning his bread from the
waters as his neighbors did, and except
that he was a moody, silent man, and
possessed of most ungovernable temper,
nothing particularly bad could be said of
him.
He never liked Dick Darret. Prob
ably because the sunny, ightheartedness
of the one Jared on the dark, brooding
disposition of the other. So when Dick
and Jean went to him with the story of
their love on the morning Dick was to
sail he flew into q furious rage and alb
solutely refused his sanction to any en-
gagement between the young couple.
sYe can ma have JEAN he said. She
be promised twa the Mayster O. the
Great Hoose. Think ye I'd gle q bairn O.
AlA1AAC tW0 - AkAAA VA LIZ UGtt<1L CzttllH an
her fayther grows the poorer on? Ma,
ma; better things there be for our lass
when she wed the Mayster o. the Great
Hoose an have her ane silks, an satins.
and servants waitin' her beck an Gull
Very little could be said by the. young
people against this avowel Of his to have
Jean wed the Mayster o the Great House,
90 they very wisely held their peace,
making. however, stronger vows of
faithfulness and love, come whatever
would, during the years Of enforced sep
arati0n.
II happened 10 witness the parting be-
tween them. Not that had any desire
20 do so, but as such things sometimes
occur, they stumbled on fav0rite nook
Of mine where often sought solitude and
quiet to give vent on paper TO those Wild
imaginings which have since made my
name familiar one IN the world Of 10
ton.