Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1896-07-11

down to the tiniest inhabitant of this
picturesque spot by the sea. Jack was
as kind at heart as he was clever in
head, and, as he possessed the happy
knack OF working both ends at the
same time, the result was that he was
pointed out as being the cleverest lad
in the village, and as kindly soul as
might be found for many mile along
the coast.
He was scarcely lad-twenty.three
years might be written against him,
for did not the register of the old
church tell how, on October 10, 1868,
Jack was born? He was the only child
of John and Mary Barton, and they
loved him with all the love which
every only child seems to win from it's
parents.
Yes; Jack was genius. From his
earliest years he would go down to the
beach with paper and pencil, and draw
the fishing smacks and the boats with
the mariners mending their nets and
remedying the mishaps which had be-
fallen their craft during a gale. His
talent increased with years, and the
young fellow was prudent, carefully
cultivating that which seemed to be
his gift. His pictures of the sea had
even been exhibited in the shop win
dows OF the nearest market town, some
six miles away, and folk tramped away
to Rockmanton to see Jacks picters
ON show"
And what said Addie-she was
called little Addie of all this? Well,
Addie was Jacks sweetheart; and now
you know all that she would say. Lit
tie Addie had her story to tell, or,
rather, John Barton used to tell it for
her. In fact, the telling of the story
was an annual event with the fisher
men. He was never tired of telling
how sixteen years ago they had the
fiercest storm that had within mem-
DRY found its way near Bracebridge.
He had made Adde'S birthday the
morning when the sea had sent her,
and it took lot to convince him that
the little sea waif was quite three
years old when he saved her from the
wreck. SO on the anniversary of that
terrible time, John and his wife, Jack
and his heroine, would sit around the
fire and listen to the story once again,
while little Addie would shudder and
Jack would hold her hand tighter, as
much as to say, "Well, I've got you
now, you see"
"My eye, an it WAS time, too"
John would say; ''it's a wonder we
didn't all put of that mornin' to sea;
the mackerel sayson was in fullswing;
but Job Bates turned to us and said:
Look zee meates, there's q storm
a-brewin' out yonder, an good un,
too. If zee want to see your hoames
again-stop abit!' An Job proved
himself good weather prophet, for,
true enough, before an hour was up
we'd got it-ay, as I never saw it
afore, and hope never to see it again."
And he would tell how, just before
the daybreak, vessel was sighted in
distress, how dozen strong hearted
fellows, himself among them, put out
in the safest craft they had got, leav-
ing their wives and little ones and
neig hbors to wait OIL the cliffs, and
there, with anxious hearts, watch the
gallant crew, tossed on the water for
three hours ere they could get within
couple of hundred yards of the sink
ing vessel. 1t was too late, she went
down. Then John Barton would warm
to his story.
''Bless zee, my pet" he would say,
running his great fingers through
Adde'S fair, brown hair, "we'd Almost
left without SEEM our precious find.
Why, they must have thrown ZEE over
board-ah! you may smile, little
waun-thrown zee overheard just as
they were goin' down, for the next
minute caught sight of ZEE bound to
rough little raft. How we pulled
then. Our muscles stood out like
whipcords; and in another minute we
had got rope around the RATS end,
and, as found zee, SO claimed 'ee."
So that is how little Addie came to
be in the fisherman's home. And the
love that she and Jack had learned in
childhood had grown stronger and
deeper as the one became prettier with
the early days of womanhood, and the
other more earnest and devoted as a
man. The more they were together
greater became their love, and no
wonder Addie was flushed with excite
ment, and laughing almost wildly at
the news contained in letter adj
dressed to her lover. 1t came by the
carrier in the morning, for letters
were looked upon as veritable curiosi-
ties at Bracebridge-everybody'
friends, everybody's relations all
seemed to live together in one spot.
"RosELLE, RooKMANroS, CORNWALL.
II have seen your pictures IN Mrs. Peck's
shop window In the town. II you care to
come and see me and bring some Of your
work, think may feel inclined to intrust
you with a small commission.
JAMES ROBERTSON"
Such was the letter which Addie had
read at least twenty times, and Jack
had stared ct for fully an hour. It was
the one topic that day over the dinner