The National tribune., 1893-01-12

her from the window. and running home with
| the news was told that she, too, was taken with
| the dread disease.
This sad information broke me down COM
| plctcly, and left father and mother seriously
ing about il. and went off to my own room.
| Mother followed and found me there l never
| felt SO strange nor so bad in my life before. A
big lump kept coming up in my throat and
would not stay swallowed down. i had been
| weakly trying 10 pray for Ruth and all OF US,
| but had only cried myself into a sort of hysteri-
cal condition. My dear mother tried to soothe
and encourage me, aud counsel trust in God.
but my bruised heart world not patiently
| listen to any kind of comfort, and l insisted
only on one thiug-to be permitted to go and
see my darling Rnth. l got it into my head
that she was calling me, and persisted in it
| that must 20.
For some days this state of mind continued,
and steadily grew worse. / could neither eat
| nor sleep, though ! had sense enough left to
see that they thought that was getting de-
mented. During these sad days both father
and mother were more than usually kind to
me. and did everything and got everything
! expressed wish for, except to let me go to be
! with my suffering love.
i grew more and more absent minded and
moody. and it did not make me more patient
TO find that they were watching me, And one
day, coHceiving the idea that Ruth was surely
and rapidly dying, gave them tho slip and
in some way found myself in the upper hall.
way of Ruth's home. There / found several
| people did not know, and they were whisper
| ing together. and / heard the words, " the doc
tor saws that it is so,' and one of them looking
at ME, said, "h-sh." And l heard another
say. Poor Ruth. she loved him so" and,
| through my sobbing | lost some of her words,
but | heard the heart crushing word dead"
| fear that acted badly then. Just what l
III l,,n- hat of m npdIU
tried to get into the room where they had my
sweet love lying. and that they by persuasion and
then somewhat impatient exercise OF not very
gentle force, succeeded in getting me down the
stairs and out Of the house by the front door.
After this | barely recolect that / wandered
| away 10 the many places where she and had
layed so often together, and then after follow
ing on down the winding stream.for long
time till it grew to be river and had voice
and sang to and soothed Inc by sort of COM
partnership with my love, who now was leading
me on. ] stood for long, long time at the
| great rivers side listening to the voice Of my
dead Ruth and looking into the deep, dark wa
tiers rushing so rapidly by; when, calling me,
heard my Ruth again as she foated near me
on the stream. l went into the waters where
she was reckoning me, and in her dear arms /
lost what consciousness l had kept from the
shock of hearing of her DEATH
The Captain told me, as we were crossing the
Equator, that was found floating, apparently
unconscious or dead, ut the mouth of the river,
in the barbor, by the pilots boat and, as there
was no way to return me to shore in time for
proper treatment / was given over to the
steamers people They soon found that was
still alive; but as ! at once went into raging
fever, little more could be done for me than to
leave me in the care of the ships Surgeon, who,
with the help of the Captain, eventually saved
my lie.
Until this time they had refused to give me
any information beyond the bare statement
that it was all right; that had been in fever
and was now getting well, and that they would
tell me all about it when grew stronger. So
passed my sad and serious time in getting &C
quainted with the Captain, the Surgeon. the
other officers, the passengers, and everybody
else on board, and in learning the ropes and
every part of the ship from the bow to the
stern. Gradually it all came back to me, and
when the Captain told me that would probably
be gone three or. four years before could return
10 my parents / was very homesck; but when
] thought of my dead love / was glad to be
away.
/ found firm friend 10 the Captain, and he
drew me to his heart more kindly than ever,
when / attempted to tell him my story, and he
said with moistened eyes that he knew it al.
ready; for" said he. lyon have told it to me
at least" He also said that be had. by pass
ing vessel. sent word to my parents where I
was, with the assurance that / would be re.
turned in due time and in good health.
i received letters in year or SO from my
father, who knew little and evidently cared
less for the deep affection had for the departed
Ruth, on one of our calls in Cape Town, South
Africa; and again year or so later in Sidney,
New South Wales. i learned few particulars
of special personal interest save that our folks
had sold out to some one and had gone the
round world over in search OF me; and that, as
Ruth's father had also died. the mother had
gone off to her own peoples home-to place
the name of which i had never heard before.
thus lost the chance of getting any further
particulars of how matters had been or were
going in my boy hoods home. And, through
many and various dispensations of Providence.
i did not get back TO my native land till about
three months ago, on the Goth anniversary of
my angel Ruth's departure. 1t has been q
mystery how strangely my parents and i have
been kept apart When it seemed certain We
should meet something always interviewed to
break up The plans that had been formed. And
without being brought together again they
died within a few months Of each other, leav-
ing me without home or hope, to do and 20
where ever i might please.
had neither brother nor sister, and had be-
come thou ghtful, melancholy, unsocial seafar
ing man. GRADUALLY mad been promoted ON the
tramp" steamer that had always been my home
since was rescued from the waters, till had at.
tanned the position as second in command: for
/ would not leave my Captain even for Cap
taincy in another of the firms vessels. So he
and together. closely doing our duty, followed
the paths of the sea till he saw as the years
passed on aud there was no change in my habit
Of constant, sad brooding, and denial of all
female society especially. that 1 must, to be
cured of il, go and visit the homo of my child
hood. the graves of my parents and that of my
long lost love, my ever-present Ruth. He had
had his own sorrow to think about. He knew,
by closest sympathy. how often in the watches
of the night. when the wind moaned aud the
rushing waters swashed against the vessels
sides, j. gazing over the bow. experienced the
old sensations of that memorable evening when
my dear Ruth died. How when the setting
sun smoothly vanished the oceans surface as
with the oil of gold, and when the moons un.
certain light left room for the Imagination to
work it's spells, j had seen her sweet presence
just before me On the water or in the air and
held communion with her.
My reason or something presented Ruth. a.
time wore on, as larger girl. young lady, o
fully developed woman, and ever her blue eyes
wistfnlly watched mine, and / loved thus to
be alone and gaze into their loving depths
Not many times did she speak TO me, however,
the best remembered being the time, as after
L.