The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-09-03
A SAILORS
SUPERSTITION.


and stalwart and a young woman, also
tall and of 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 inheritance.
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, 4
cantain 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 intuitions, she has dis
covered his great, manly, affectionate
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 waited, eager, a little impatient at
/ times and at others almost tempted to
speak out herself.
Reuben is equally perplexed in his
simple mind. He is sure of only one
thing-that is, the state of his own feel
ings-but he is not yet able to decide
whether Rebecca loves him. He would
like sign, something, however slight,
that would show him where he stood.
! Of late lie has been unlucky on his
fishing trips in the Anna Sheafe, a |
small vessel which he commands aud
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 inequality he could
not explain.
Reuben did not recover his usual
: spirits. His good old mother insisted
that he was not well and needed phys
ic. Reuben took the medicine, being
, good deal of a child under his mothers
roof.
Mother" said he, cit does me no
good, but will take it to please you"
My son, you just wait. You've been
t behindhand some time, and it will take
9 awhile to get you beforehand again.
These herbs never failed in my expert
> ence. and I've had good deal in sick
ness OIL one SOrC OF sluOCuGF.
Reuben grew thin and nervous in
. spite of the medicine, but he went
y about preparations for the winter cruis-
a ing. Bad luck continued to follow
i him; small fares and failing prices dis
1t couraged him more and more.
l. But the greater his depression the
a more his mind dwelt upon Rebecca. In
!, some curious involved way he had
: come to connect his i'll luck with her.
His brother fishermen, however,
= thought it was all on account Of his
IS not wearing white mittens when he set
" and handled his trawl lines, it being In
IN that. region of fishing villages the uni
N versal belief of superstition that white
ot mittens must be worn to insure good
IN luck III winter trawling.
= But Reuben paid no attention to
), what he thought was mere fancy,
~ He determined to see her again and
e. arranged to see her when her mother
d, was absent.
rs Il have come to see you once more, =
o. he said on meeting her, ''but perhaps
I'd had better not come again"
h, "Why?" said Rebecca. "Are you not
:. always welcome, Captain eager
- Eyes; we never quarrel and we never
40 get any further along from one time tt
III another"
to This was more than he had ever beer
h able to say before in regard to thei
personal relation, and he was frigthen
,a ed at himself. So he began again iron
= what he thought was another point
20 yet, as out Of the fullness of the hear
'e the mouth speaketh, he could betray
ia ing his true feelings.
IN I'm not getting on very well now
nd no luck, no money, and the Ann
let Sheafe getting in debt. l thought
av would tell you, though do not knoy
~ that you will care"
=, Eyes, l do care, very much, Captai
~ Gage. knew something was the mat
I'M ter, and heard from one of the villag
IN gossips it was because you neglected Q
got sneered at the custom of wearing whit
an mittens, as the other fishermen do whe
ew setting their travis. Do you think 1t
ust silly superstition
10 Yes do, in the MAN,
u 80 do l when l reason. At othe
u'- times / half believe in it. There
am something at the bottom Of all commo
In customs and beliefs which, whe
Ut harmless, it is just as well to accep
an Our little village would be very du
he and uninteresting without Them"
tn Il have no particular objection [
tn white mittens," Reuben replied, ''onl
het did not happen to have any"
IN Il thought as much. You would we,
-, them if you had them?"
" why. yes, should"
an Rebecca disappeared for a momel
! and returned holding out pair
tn snow white mittens.
or There. made them for you. 1 hs
lin to guess at the size. Most girls wou
d not have who haye-brothers," 81
said archly. Let me try them or
IVA And she pulled one over Reuben
hand but before she could adjust Il
wv other his hands in some manner hs