The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-03-02
A MARRIAGE AT SEA.
W. CLARK RUSSELL.
AUTHOR OF THE WRECK or THE GRosvE-
NoR." "JoHN BoLDswoRTH. MATE"
"MARooNEp." ETC, ETC.
CHAPTER TX.
ny


and said,-
1T is not yet too late, Mr.. Barclay.
and / really think 1t ought to DO public
ceremony.
Sooner than that l would decline it
altogether" said L. in no humor at that
moment to be teased by the opinions OF
an acidulated spinster.
u consider" she said, that n we'd
ding can never take place in too public a
manner. II is proper that the whole
world should know that couple are
truly man and wife.
"The whole world" said 1, "in the
sense OF this ship, must know it, as far
as am concerned, without seeing il"
Well, said she, with a simper which
her mere streak of lip was but little
fitted TO contrive. " hope you will have
all happiness in your welded lives"
bowed, without replying, and passed
up the steps, not choosing to linger
longer in the face of the people who
hung about me with an air OF careless
ness, but with faces OF curiosity.
Presently / looked at my watch; a
quarter to ten.
The captain came on deck, turning his
head about in manifest search of me. H
gravely beckoned with an air OF cere-
mony, and / went up TO him.
The hours at hand, said he. who's
to be present, dye know? for IL it's to
be private, we don't want a crowd"
Mrs. Barstow and Miss Moggadore !;
nobody else, believe"
Better have couple of men as wit
nesses. What dye say to Mr.. Higgin-
son?"
Anybody you please, captain"
And the second?" said he fitting his
hat and thinking. "McCosh? Yes, l
don't think we can do better than
McCosh. thoughtful Scotchman. with
an excellent memory" He pulled out
his watch. Five minutes To ten. Let
us go below" And down we went.
The steward was despatched to bring
Mr.. Higginson and the chief mate, Mr.
McCosh TO the Captains cabin. The
saloon was empty; possibly out Of con.
sderation to our feelings, the people
had gone on deck or withdrawn to their
berths.
BLESS me J i had quite forgotten" :"
cried Captain Parsons, as he entered his
cabin. Have you wedding-ring, Mr.
Barclay?"
"Oh, yes" answered, laughing, and
pulling out the purse in which kept It,
Little use in sailing away with young
lady, Captain Parsons, to get married
unless you carry the ring with you.
Glad you have it. We can't be too
shipshape. But Ipresume you know,
said the little fellow, that any sort of a
ring would do,-even a curtain-ring. No
occasion for the lady to wear what you
slip on, though / believe it's expected
she should keep it upon her finger till
service is over. Let me see, now,-
there's something else wanted To say
Oh, yes: who's to give the bride away?"
There was a knock at the door and
Mr.. Higglnson, followed By Ir. McCosh,
entered.
Mr.. Higginson," Immediately cried
the captain, you will give the bride
away"
Inc lawyer put his hand upon his
shirt-front and bowed.
Ten minutes past ten cried the
Captain, whipping out his watch. II
hope Miss Maggadore's amt keeping the
ladies waiting whilst she powders her
self or fits new cap to her hair.
He opened the door to call the steward
then hoped back with a sudden convul-
sive sea bow to make room for the ladies
who were approaching.
Ny darling was very white and looked
at me piteously. She came to my side,
and slipped her hand into mine whisper
ing under her breath. "Such silly,
senseless ceremony" / pressed her
fingers, and whispered back that the
ceremony was not for US but for Aunt
Amelia. She wore her hat and jacket,
and Mrs. Barstow was clad as for the
deck; but Miss Maggadore, on the other
hand, as though in justification OF what
the captain had said about her, made
her appearance In most extraordinary
nnf 4 hnI inf I'D ar-
rangement, as though she were fresh
from a breeze OF wind that had held it
bladder like. She had changed her gown
too, for a sort of Sunday dress of satin
or some such material. She courtesied
on entering, and took up her position
along side of McCosh, where she stood
viewing the company with an austere
gaze which so harmonized with the dry
literal, sober stare of the mate that j
had to turn my back upon her TO save
second explosion OF laughter.
Are we all ready? said the little
captain, in the voice OF a man who might
hail his mate to tell him to prepare to
put the ship about, and McCosh mechan-
ically answered, ---
Ay. ny, sir, all ready
On this the captain went to the table,
where lay big church service in large
type, anu putting on his glasses, looked
at us over them "a hint for us to take
our places. He then began to read
SO slowly that / forsaw. unless he skip
ped many OF the passages, we should be
detained half the morning in the cabin.
He read with an extraordinary enjoy
ment OF the sound OF his own voice, and
constantly lifted his eyes, whilst he de-
livered the sentences as though he was
admonishing instead OF marrying us.
Yet, spite OF the several grotesque
conditions which entered into IL, this
was brief passage OF experience that il
was by no means lacking in romantic
and poetic beauty. The flashful trembl-
ing sunlit sea was in the atmosphere OF
the cabin. and bulkhcad and upper deck
seemed TO race with the ripping
Of the waves OF light in them. Through
the open port came the seething and
pouring song OF the ocean, the music
of shifting billows. the small harmonies
OF foam bells and scething eddies. There
was the presence OF the ocean, too. the
sense of its inflnity, and Of the speeding
ship, speck under the heavens. yet
fraught with tho passions and feelings
~ A nultffude Of spulg hound IN N now