The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-10-04
ADAM AND EVE.
A Sunday Counting Between Two
Simple People on the Border
of Childhood.

was simply tail, thin, awkward young
man, painfully shy. plain OF feature,
prematurely bald Of head, saying few
words. and those with hesitation.
In little Mamie Peters eyes he was
quite a different sort of person. There
might be men who were handsomer and
more charming. richer and more fluent,
but il there was she did not know them.
There was no one like Adam to her.
Mamie always got up early on Sunday
morning and hurried through her dishes
and her beds so as to be ready for him
when he came for her.
She was standing at the window watch
ing for him as usual one Sunday morn.
ing. She saw Adam crossing the street.
She had to keep a close watch, for IL
she didn't see him cross the street she
didn't see him at all, since the house
she lived in was so tall that she couldn't
see the sidewalk unless she leaned so
far out of the window that she fright
ened her mother. She already had her
best hat on, so she tore down stairs,
three flights of them. and met him at the
door.
ooh, Adamr' she exclaimed with de-
light when she saw him, throwing her
arms around him. They were in the dark
hallway, and no one was in sight, so
Adam returned her hug warmly.
swell, Eve" he said affectionately. His
calling her Eve was an old joke, but one
that grew nicer with age.
Where are we goingT she asked ex-
citedly.
What do you say to the wharfs"
he inquired.
adam" she said gravely, 81 have
been wondering why you don't talk to
grown up people about the things you
talk to me about. Why don't you tell
them about the fog and the seagulls and
the lady on Mount Tamalpais? They are
so very interesting, and they don't seem
to know anything about them. Why. I
heard father say the other day that the
sun melted the fog, and that was why IT
went away. 1t is very strange. but !
don't believe he knows that there is
reservoir out beyond the Farallones."
Mamie spoke very rapidly. She felt
uncomfortable for fear Adam would
think that she had found his former at
tempts at conversation inadequate. and
that 1t would hurt his feelings.
'Of course the things you do talk about
to them are very NICE" she added polite
ly, with this fear in her mind. Adam
laughed his little. nervous laugh.
"They wouldn't understand" he ex-
planned. ITS only you and me who can
understand such things. Cats and dogs
both have eyes, but cats can see in the
dark and dogs can't. That is the way it
Is with people; some can understand and
some can't"
''rhats true" Mamie said sadly.
''rhey don't understand very well when
i tell them things" She gave deep sigh
and then changed the subject. do you
think we shall find any of them today,
AdamT
81 shouldn't wonder" he answered
hopefully. with Eve of them afioat,
there might one have come in just as
well as not"
Il hope it will be Reuben" said Mamie.
II have always wanted to see him the
most, because he is the youngest and
because his name makes me think of
rubies. and like rubies better than any
other precious stone. When l grow up
to be lady and am rich l am going to
have necklace all rubies, and you shall
come and take dinner with me on Sun
days and see me wear it. Which of them
would you rather fndT
Il don't know; Asa, guess. He was
my chum when we were boys. Any of
them would be nice. There's the new
ferryboat coming in" he broke off.
shes sumner. I'll take you across
the bay on her some Sunday, Mamie"
'Oh, how nicew Mamie exclaimed de-
lightedly.
They went past the slips where the
clumsy ferryboats lay, past the river
boats, with their huge stern wheels and
Indian names that suited their awkward
build SO little, but when they came to the
piers where lay the big deep water ships
destined to take the wheat of the new
world to the populous centers of the old,
here they stopped.
The wharfs were nearly deserted,
and the feverish weekday activity had
subsidized. Adam and his small friend
were greeted kindly by the sailors. who,
in the rush Of other days, would have
had only rough words for them.
They found the captain of big three
master summing himself on deck. and the
usual question was put to him, Did any
one of thu. name of Biske ship with him ?
They had asked it often, and sometimes
it had been answered in the affirmative,
but it always turned out that the man
was John or George or William Fiske.
Once 1t was Egbert, never by any
chance Asa or Elisha or Jonas or Aaron
or Reuben.
This time the captain had no sailor
Of that name on board, but he wanted
to know why they asked, and, us always,
it was Mamie who told about the six
brothers who lived in Bangor. FIVE of
whom had gone to sea, while the sixth
had come out to California because he
had been threatened with consumption.
This served as an Introduction to
Adam, and the captain shook hands
with him, and then Adam introduced
Mamie, and they went on board and
had fine time exploring the ship. She
was named the Merscy, 95 days out
from Liverpool, after wheat, and the
captains name was Hawkins. He took
a fattering amount of interest in the
| Fiske brothers, promising TO look out
for them. 90 he invited Adam and Ma
mic. into his cabin to hare some lunch
with him