Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-07-08

-r. ~ scassi tllli nication with the
AAsa1ssts.5l ..iAGb rest of the world,
Egs,r-r-..., eesslTr; "steamer day"
,e.:g S.SyNs would not mean so
;ssa.sE much as it now
does to its inhab-
itants and visitors.
The passengers land. Waiting
friends rush forward to greet some;
others walk through Il row OF curious
faces on either side and up toward the
hotel. Small native boys rush about
and besiege them with all manner OF
requests: Garry your bag, boss?'
"Drive for You, boss?" docs yon
want n boy, lady?"
by noon the excitement had moder-
ated, and we strolled down to the
wharf and pitched silver coins into
the clear water thirty feet deep, to
see small boys dive and bring them
from the white sand bottom, where
they lay clearly visible.
l strolel away from my compan-
ions, and, passing several small
schooners laden with sponges, lying
along the wharf-each with two or
three ragged children, native or two,
and perhaps u sallow faced, scrawny
white man, lounging or chewing
sugar cane--I came to one cleaner
looming than the rest. She was built
as all the Bahama schoouers, with
line clipper bows, rounded stern,
and small masts and spars. She was
neatly painted, and on her STERN were
the words "Lillian," with her home
port, "Watlings Island"
AS I stood looking at her, suddenly
. young woman came up the compau-
ion way and said:
"Good day"
ol-day," 7 answered. "You've
come some distance have you not?'
"Yes," she replied, ''from the
furthest of the out islands. sup.
pose you're from across the sea?'
TO my Affirmative reply she, to my
surprise, said:
"And how was Irving's Faust? I
should SO dearly love to see Ellen
Terry as Marguerite"
After a moments pause, during
which time I vainly sought to fathom
in my mind how woman on Bahama
Island schooner could have followed
London theatrical matters so closely,
I gave her my unbiased opinion Of
the matter. She was then silent. and
I meanwhile had an opportunity to
study this Bahama curiosity.
II, "a, ~
and was neatly dressed in an mex.
pensive light material. Her luxuriant
hair, of II dark brown color, was
tastefully arranged, and she wore a
large brimmed, but not unbecoming,
straw hat, which had evidently seen
better days. Although much burnt,
| could see her skin was fair and her
hands deicatel y formed. Her express
sion was one of demure sadness, and
after my study l came to the conclu-
sion that she was q more than ordin-
arly handsome woman, I decided to
continue the conversation.
"May come aboard?" l ventured
to say.
"Certainly, was the reply. "John's
gone out to the steamer and I'm keep
ing watch for him. T shall be glad to
have you tell me the news. We get
little except when we come to Nassau"
"Who is John?" | wondered, "and
how much news can people get who
only ely on Nassau for it,"
I stepped on board, however, and
my fair hostess, excusing herself for
moment, stepped down into the
cabin and returned moment afts
with two small chairs, which she
placed under small awning which
shaded half the cockpit.
She motioned for me to be seated,
and / obeyed. There was silence for
u moment after we sat down and then
my hostess said, speaking very slowly
and with evident effort:
"YOu must think it very strange
that spoke to you and have allowed
you to talk to me, but L saw you were
gentleman, and do grow so lonely
and SO anxious to see and talk with
someone from the great world now and
then. The ladies' up at the hotel, if l
go up there, do not know, and I
suppose / seem queer to them, for
they look askance at me, and haven't
the courage to speak to them. John
doesn't seem to care for anything but
sponges and salt and wrecks"
"Sponges and salt and wrecks?" ]
asked myself. "What manner Of man
may John be?"
YES" continued my hostess. cts
very lonely on Watlings. You see
there are only 675people on the whole
island, and of these only about 300
are white, while l don't suppose there
are forty | know. We're 1870 miles
from Nassau, and although I'm teasing
John to bring me over there, he won't
come but three times year, unless
there's Il wreck"
"a wreck?" | asked.
eyes," she went on noncl alantly,
| eve don't have much luck nova
days.
"Wo haven't had good wreck since
the big Spanish steamer went down
on Eleuthera three years ago"
The situation dawned. My fair
friend was the wife, daughter or sister
of Bahama perhaps pirate.
whats the matter? You seem
| disturbed"
l murmured in rambling way
something about wrecking being a
pleasant occupation.
"Oh, see," and she laughed, and
wonderfully musical laugh it was,
too. "You are shocked at Johns be-
ing wrecker. John doesn't really
wreck ships. He merely helps to
strip them when they are wrecked"
I felt relieved, but dire memories OF
childhood tales of false lights and
murdered crews would come in my
mind.
"And who is John?" Iasked.
"Ah, John is the dearest, sweetest,
noblest fellow living-thats John.