The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-02-01
MISS RHODY.
By HARRIET PRESCOTT sPOFFORD.
Copyright, 1898, the S. S. Mcclure Co..

laugh M gay spirit, all that. indeed,
filled N, the foreground of wills fancy,
and when he took ship again 1t was
with AIMS promise that She would be
his wife when he should ship first mate.
What VIII wanted to 90 TO sea for.
when he could stay at home and he
happy with her, n could never mag
inc: but Rhody understood it all. She,
too. without being a poet. knew the
time VIII AIathers'S heart was beating:
God help me. save | take a part
OF danger on the roaring sea,
A devil rises in my heart
Far worse than any death to me,
and her thoughts followed him all along
the wide sea ways and into storms and
into calms and into strange ports of the
Orient. 90, Ann" She would say, run
ming i'm at the close of a lowering day,
or when such a tempest of rain and sleet
was beating that no one who could stay
at home yenturcd abroad. Il thought
FL les step over; you must be so sort
Of dismal. But You know it amt blow
ing any such way as this down on the
other side of the globe
We'll, Rhody, you must think! AS If
| didn't know that was the reply, with
a toss of the sleek black head.
Il suppose" Ithody continued, 1.-THE
suns shining enough to tan melons
down there where he lis"
"Where was it? @, we'll? l don't
know. I'm sure.
why. Ann, do you mean to say you
don't feel all sorter worked up with the
wind roaring down chimbly Ike this,
and you hear the pounding Of the big
waves rolling in across the bar? | know
better. | know how hard it seems, an
| made shift to run over, because |
guessed YOU heart was in your throat
every time the wind puts its great shout
der to the house.
My gracious. Then you'd better
make shift to run back. The idea! In
this weather. And III be bound you
amt any rubbers on
CAS- if rubbers-'
"You're allus so in the clouds, Rhody,
that You don't know where you set your
feet, an both of 'em hev ben in Il pud-
die. and if YOU don't take your death o
cO!d-YOu better 30 home an go to bed
an drink a hot bowl of t~hOroughwort
tea
20, I'll jes' toast EN- by the fire here.
You allus do hev a good fire. Ann. |
hope Wills got as good Il one wherever
he IS
What is the world does VIII want
with a fire down under the equator!"
do You suppose that's where he is|'
said RhOdy wistfully, reaching the point
for which she started. her errand of
consolation having been occasioned
chiefly by her wanting consolation her
self. it may be. My, how it blows
"Or t~hereabOuts.' answered Ann,
shipping off her threads.
" And YOU don't really feel concerned
about his being safey'
well, you are soft, Rhody! For my
part, give VIII a stick and Il string and
I'd trust him against any storm that
blows"
Rholy looked at her admiringly.
You're jes' the wife for him, ain you,
Ann she said sweetly. eff l was a
sailors wife | should be scared to death
and hide my head in the blankets every
time the weather changed. All the
same, | don't believe but what YOU be
a little stirred up. an that's why |
come over to keep YOU heartened like.
| SUPPOSE h went on dreamily, look
ing into the fire, IF one was high
enough to see, the earth would be like