The National tribune., 1893-01-12

woman, as grew to think of her, had ever
been compelled to give her my most loyal,
manly, and most refined alteration.
The Captain, bachelor who carried
broken heart, taught me all the school learn
ing that I know. He was college graduate,
and would have had me go through full course
under his tutelage, as we have had plenty OF
time for such purpose, but inclined only to
plain English, navigation. commerce, and the
sciences as they are applied to the practical
affairs of life. For poetry and the dreamy
part of existence, Ruth filled all my souls
desire. And sometimes at a landsman's strange
speech / shuddered at the thought of whether
if my Ruth had remained to mo in life would
have loved her as / now did. But the i'm
patience which springs at my heart at doubt OF
self made me always glad to find still was
loyal in my loving.
But my Captain at last ordered me ashore.
and would, too go with me. And when we
had but shortly loft the sea- he who had ever
been robust man, to my amazement and great
sorrow, was taken violently Ill. Then, as no
ran down so rapidly and could not be got to
rally, began to fear that-he would die At
first we had gone wherever he thought hit.
now think that probably in our wanderings,
for we went often far afOOt, he had renewed
some old time sad associations, and mayb be had
learned that even hope itself had been taken
from him. So. in unacknowledged but agon-
which under ordinary circumstances would
have affected him but little. He went to his
sick-bed like one who had no courage TO strug-
gle on for life. / sometimes think that he
would have told nc, for knowledge of every
thing else in his life was mine, but unless his
much writing before he fell i'll tells me, as he
requested me to read 1t, else shall never know.
But must hasten on.
/ watched and nurscd him for many anxious
days and nights, and then you, with your Sis
terly name and garb. in response to my neces-
stiles and our good doctors urgent request APP
peared to help and care for the good old Captain
through the trials Of his dying hours
When the last hour came and all was over,
brought his revered remains, as you know, to
be buried here in the cemetery where all my
loved ones are. In the storm Of that dreadful
day saw your figure at the grave, and CRATE
fully felt that one at least sympathiZed with
ME in my great grief And, as | looked upon
your white, sorrowful face, even though my
Captain was disappearing from my tear.
dimmed sight forever shamefully surprised
myself while mourning his departure, wonder
ing whether your presence all these weeks had
in any way kept me from communion with my
own sweet love. In spite of my earnest effort
to refrain, fell to tracing and comparing past
memories and present appearances, until i'll
desperation | succeeded in shaking off this dis
loyal spell. The relapse from the trying re-
sponsiblity had had and my utter nervous
exhaustion. together with the severe exposure
! had been subjected to i'll the dreadful weather
we were having. made me yield my manhood,
grow weak, and all things grew dark, and |
would have fallen into the grave itself but for
the fact that your hand and present help sus-
tanned me.
They took me to the hotel where all were
strangers TO me, and ! was very sick. Yet, as
evening closed, l ventured in q lull of the
cfn tn fpf ba, aud
asked for the graves Of Ruth's father and his
family. They pointed out the way with some
remark of there being but one. | knew they
had but one child, the daughter Ruth, and con-
cluded from this that her mother was still
alive. As / went on with my carriage to the
sacred spot where her loved ones had been laid
away l thought / would go at once to see that
long-widowed, eti!l-mourning mother. The
storm had been growing rapidly worse. l
drove on. up and down the slippery paths, until
l saw hurrying woman misstep and fall.
rushed to her assistance and found-you,
seriously shocked by your accident.
Placing you in the carriage We took you to
the hotel. As they brought you from the carriage
under my direction strange feeling, Fremont
ton, call it what You will somewhat like the
one l had had at the grave. struck death or
life, yet do not know which, deep into my
soul. teegraphed as soon as possible to our
good doctor who had sent you to u.s. He has
sent in answer these two dispatches-one for
me to take of you till he can get here, the
other to you. He says he will leave everything
and start at once. Now, although in my great
anxiety ] almost imperiously called him to
come yet query with almost as much an iety,
why he does thus hurry2 And, too why has
he forgotten himself in the peculiar way / soon
shall show you?
You knew SO much Of my sad story from the
Captains unconscious talk that / have felt in
duty bound to tell you all. aud at once, for when
he told of the chid's love he spoke of mine-and
now, as l recognize the bope-giving changes
that / have been SO eagerly watching for in
your truth-telling, beautiful countenance, in
His NAME" with the solemn assurance that
since my boyhood l have cared for no other
woman. ask, at your hands, the solace and
balm / long have Iost-for this other dispatch
is addressed to no other than to my own long
lost Ruth!