The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-01-25
WHITE MITTENS.

New England country villages which
look like hives of happy and peaceful bees
are often nests of wasps. There is very
little honey in them.
There is on the other hand, unexpected
sweetness. There is often a natural refine
ment more engaging than the manner of
city salons.
There are also humble romances and oo-
casionally tragedies acted out on e small
stage bsfore an audience familiar with the
actors and every incident and savagely
critical or intensely sympathetic, as the
case may be.
CHANGED to be present at one such en-
tertainment, which lasted for a consider
able time, but which shall condense into
two or three scenes.
The curtain rises and I see only two
actors on the narrow stage, which is set
with rustic SCI merry. There walk along the
road toward the sea a young man, tall
and sta1wart, and a young woman, also
tall and of a very slight figure. Her name
is Rebecca Champernown. She is the last
descendant of very ancient and famous
family, whose pride is almost her only in
heritance.
No one could have believed that she
would fall in love with a fisherman, least
of all her mother. But so it has happened.
She loves Reuben Gage captain of the
fishing schooner Anna Sheafe.
AS Reuben and Rebecca walk along the
road they do not appear to talk much.
Yet in some way, perhaps by her womanly
intuitims, she has discovered his great,
manly, affeotionate nature.
Reuben has often been on the point Of
speaking, but the right words failed him,
and something arose in his throat that
choked utterance. And Rebecca has wait
ed, eager, little impatient at times and
! at others almost tempted to speak out her
self.
Reuben is equally perplexed in his sim
| pie mind. He is sure of only one thing
that is, the state of his own feelings-but
| he is not yet able to decide whether Rebec-
ca loves him. He would Like sign, some
| thing, however, slight, that would show
| him where he stood.
OF late he has been unlucky on his FISH
| ing trips in the Anna Sheafe, small ves-
| sci which no commands and of which he
| owns one-quarter. He met Rebecca less
| and less often. Somehow, without money
in his pocket he could not enjoy SO much
being with her, felt less a man and an in
equality he could not explain.
Reuben did not recover his usual spirits.
| His good old mother insisted that he Was
not well and needed physic. Reuben took
the medicine, being good deal of a child
under his mothers roof.
Mother said he, sit does me no good,
but will take it to please you"
my son. you just wait. You've been
| behindhand some time and it will take q
! while to get you beforehand again. These
| herbs never failed in my experience, and
I've had good deal in sickness of one
| sort or another
Reuben grew thin and nervous in spite
of the medicine, but he vert about prepa-
rations for the winter cruising. Bad luck
continued to follow him; small fares and
falling prices discouraged him more and
more.
But the greater his depression the more
his mind dwelt upon Rebecca. In some
curious involved way he had come to con-
meet his i'll luck with her.
His brother fishermen, however, thought
it was all on account of his not wearing
white mittens when he set and handled
i his trawl lines, it being in that region of
fishing villages the universal belief of SUI
prostitution that white nittens must be
worn to insure good luck in winter trawl-
ing.
But Reuben paid no attention to what
he thought was a mere fancy. He de-
termined to see her again and arranged to
see her when her mother was absent
Il have come to see you once more" he
said on meeting her, ''but perhaps 1 had
better not come again. -
E'Why?'' said Rebecca. care you not
always welcome, Captain Gage?''
eyes; we never quarrel, and we never
get any further along from one time to an
other"
This was more than he had ever been
able to say before in regard to their per-
sonal relation, and he was frightened at
himself. So he began again from what
he thought was another point, yet, as out
of the fullness of the heart the mouth
speaketh, he could not help betraying his
true feelings.
I'm not getting on very well now. n c
luck, no money, and the Anna Sheafe get
ting in debt. I thought would tell you
though do not know as you will care. y
Eyes, L do care-very much, Cap Dir
Gage. knew something was the matter,
and heard from one of the village Cos
sips it was because you neglected or sneerot
at the custom of wearing white mitteus as
the other fishermen do when setting theil
travis. Do you think it is a silly super
stition?'
eyes, do, in the MAN,
$50 do I, when 1 reason. At other time
I half believe in it. There is something a
the bottom of all common customs ant
beliefs, which, when harmless, it is jus
as we'll to accept. Our little village woult
be very dull and embarrassing withou
them"
81 have no particular objection to whit
] mittens, Reuben replied, "only did no
happen to have any
81 thought as much. You would wea
them if you had them?''
why, yes, [ should
Rebecca disappeared for a moment an
( returned holding out a pair of snow whit
mittens
s'There. I made them for you. L ha
to guess at the size. Most girls wouldn't
I who have-brothers''-she said archlJ
Let me try them on.'' And she pulled on
over Reuben's hand, but before she coul
adjust the other his hands in some manne
had become inextricably entwined aboU
her waist. Then they sat down and CON
4 pleted the trying on again and again.
They fitted, but Reuben never VOL
them afterward. He hung them up as