The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-08-29

| NHO Hdu rescued Inc girl anu DOTDe Uel
ashore in his own strong arms-yes, and
loved her from the moment that she first
opened her dark eyes upon him. Melting
eyes they were lighting up a delicate oval
face that bespoke her Spanish descent.
! From her first conscious moment with
the group of anxious women lowering
around her, she seemed TO turn instinctively
to her rescuer alone. She laughed with a
child's delight at the first English words
that she learned to utter: Hiram, Hiram y
over and over again, with an accent that
made the quaint old name like music to its
owners ears
Alone in the world, father and mother
beth lost, half the earth between her and
her native land, to whom should she look
unless to the one who had brought her bacl;
to life? And the mans great heart, that
had heretofore been SO empty, became all at
once warmed and filled by the little Span
iard's love.
Hiram Fisher was sure to rue the day
that he married foreigner and Papist.
the busybodies said. The Friends "read
him out of Meeting" and the whole town
locked askance upon his proceedings. But
little Hiram cared, as he had his young wife
under his roof that should henCeforth shelter
"a home"
IL the winsome foreigner had been nur-
tured in the faith of Popery she certainly
made no dangerous Haunting of its symbols.
From her husbands lips she learned the
simple "thee" and "thy" of the Friends
speech.
Some of the doubling hearts that throbbed
under the white kerchiefs beat quick with
dismay at her name, Carmen-'a a song it
means" she had explained to them. The
un-Biblical syllables with their musical sir
nlficaDce had been rather startling, but the
red lips had laughed and added: THE
meanlng-it ees unfit. cannot at all seenu"
But year later, when the heather on the
island moors was purple with bloom, and
the air sweet with it's fresh fragrance, there
were none but kind words for The hot
hearted little Spanish woman who had given
her life that tor one brief day she might
know that holiest OF earthly ioys--mother-
hood.
"Her name" she had whispered family,
as Hiram clasped her thin hand, one must
be Carita it sounds to me of Spain"
Yes" answered Hiram, stroking her
hand fondly," it shall be- And for the other
name wish that it might be my mothers
Eliza her name was"
Alanlike, he could not discern it: and
womanIike, she would not show how the
harshness of the word grated upon her sem
sitive ears
Cariia Eliza" she repeated, softening the
rough sound with her faint voice and gentle
accent. . So we shall call her."
One hand touched the baby's clinging
fingers and the other lay confidingly in
Hirams strong clasp. She lay quite still,
but there was smile upon her lips and at
twilight she spoke once more. Her husband
bent over her to catch the whispered words ::
Teach her to love me- tho she cannot
know her glance turned toward the sleep
Ing child. Oh, | would like SO to stay!
But God in heaven knows"
There was pause; her mother tongue
seemed TO struggle for utterance, and the
English words came brokenly:
"I-can-no- happier-be-in-
And so, at early dawn, she lay uprn his
breast in n dreamless sleep; and the loving
eyes that had lighted his life were closed
forever.
AS the years went on. Hiram Fisher had
always in mind one thing above all ese-fO
teach his daughter TO love, as he did, the
memory Of her dead mother Her mothers
presence seemed real to the child; her first
word was not father" but "m0ther as
she stretched out her tiny hands 10 the pic
tured face that smiled upon her from the
wall.
Wayward, impulsive, hot-.empered. a
marvel OF contradiction between heart and
tongue, she grew.t" Tomanhood with scarce