Morris tribune., 1905-01-21
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sdaMS51 said that the earth ltseif ut
aSWsg not afford a fairer plctur'
than that which lay within the leve
radius of his vision and which had I'M
printed itself so powerfully upon MS
unreasonable and youthful heart. i
gas not the scenery of Virginia either
She landscape on the Potomac, OF
which he would have spoken so en-
Enthusiastically, though even that were
a thing not to be disdalned py such I
lover of the beautiful as seymour nae
shown himself to be-the dry Drown
hills rising in swelling slopes from the
edge Of the wide, quiet river; the pare
and leafiess trees upon their crests
=, now scarce yelling the comfortable OLD
white house, which in the summer
>. they quite concealed beneath their
masses of foliage, and all the world
lying dreamy and calm and still in the
motionless haze of one of those rare
:. seasons in November which so sug-
geSts departed days that men name it
- summer again. For all that he then
) woman even the sun itself, low in the
= west robbed Of its glory and faded
: into a dull ball seeking to hide its
. head, but served to throw into high re-
:, lief the noble and beautiful face of the
! girl upon whom he gazed-the girl who
; was sun and life and light and world
u for him.
The most confirmed misogynist would
: have found it difficult to challenge her
claim to beauty.
The whole impression she produced
: was one which charmed and fascinated
. to the last degree, and Mistress Ka
aharine Wilton's sway among the
young men of the colony was well
nigh undsputed. A toast and belle
In half Virginia, Seymour was not the
first, nor was he destined to be the
last, Of her adorers.
The strong, steady, praeticed stroke,
denoting the accomplished oarsman,
with which he had urged the little
boat through the water, had given
way to an idle and purposeless drift.
lie longed to cast himself down before
the little feet, in their smart high
heeled bucked shoes and clicked
stockings, which peeped out at him
from under her embroidered camlet
petticoat in such maliciously coquet-
fish manner. He longed to kneel down
there in the skiff, at the imminent
risk of spelling his own gay attire,
and declare the passion which con-
Sumed him, but something-he did not
know what it was, and she did not
tell him-constrained him, and he sat
still and felt himself as far away as
af she had been in the stars.
In this way he was quite as good to
look at as the young maiden. Tall,
blond, stalwart, blue eyed, pleasant
featured. with the frank, engaging air
which seems to belong to those who
go down to the sea in ships, Lieutenant
John Seymour Seymour was an excel
lent specimen of that hardy, daring,
gallant class of men who in this war
and in the next were to shed such i'm
perishable luster upon American arms
by their exploits in the naval service.
Born of an old and distinguished Phil
adelphia family, so proud Of it's name
that in his instance they had doubled
it, the usual bluntness and roughness !
OF the sea were tempered by this gen.
tie birth and breeding and by frequent
attrition with men and women of the
politest society Of the largest and most
important city Of the colonies. Offer
Ing his services as soon as the news
OF Lexington precipitated the conflict
with the mother country, he had al
ready made his name known among
that gallant band Of seamen among
whom Jones, Biddle, Dale and Conyng-
ham were pre-eminent.
The delicious silence which he had
been unwilling to break, since it per-
mitted him to gaze undisturbed upon
his fair shpmate, was terminated at
last by TINT lady herself.
She looked up Nom the water with
which she had been playing and then.
appearing to notice for the first time
his steady. ardent gaze. she laughed
tightly and said:
"Well, sir. it grows late. When you
have finished contemplating the Seen
cry perhaps you will turn the boat and
take ME home. Then you can feast
your eyes upon something more at
&ractive"
"And what is that. pray?' he asked.
"Your supper. sir. You must be very
anxious for it by this time. and really,
you know. you look quite hungry. We
have been out so long. but will have
pity on you and detain you no longer
here. Turn the boat around. Lieuten-
ant Seymour. and put me on shore at
once. l will stand between no man
and his dinner"
Hungry Yes. I am. but not for
dinner. for you. Mistress Katharine.
be replied.
''Oh. what horrid appetite! don't
eeei safe in the boat with you Are you
very hungry"
Really. Miss Wilton. am not Jest
ng ut ALL he said. with immense dig
aity.
"Oh, oh! He is in earnest. Shah |