Year: 1864

As midshipnsn, held sort Of neutral
position / was expected to keep myself far


above The sailors bat ST the same time il was


q crime little less than mutiny to consider that
! ! was either here or hereafter at less than On.


approachahle distance from the sixth mate. Ii
was while held this unenviable appointment
I ,ha, frs, fell in love. Among the passengers


Oh board the ship were two companies and
I several extra officers of his majes;y's One
( Hundred and Twentieih regiment Of foot. We
| were conveying them to Bombay, where they
/ we're 20 be stationed. The wives and daughters
of many of the officers were also cabin passen-
gers. The young lady who particularly al


tracted ny attention was the daughter OF


Major c., kind hearted, gen;lemanly
man, but whose position was, Of course, so
/ superior to that Of the unfortunate East Iudis
company's midshipuan, that anything IL the
shape Of acquaintanceship or even Of conversa-


ton was impossible.


Maria, bis daughter. was al exceedingly


pretty girl about sixteen or seventeen years Of
age. She was evidently. from the expression
of her counienance-for | never but once had
the pleasure of spsskiug TO her-exceedingly
amiable. 1t was perfect happiness to me to
have her on deck | used to watch her each
afternoon, with her mother and sister, when
the band was playing and | sincerely envied
the military officers who futtered around her.
On these occasions my eyes used to be inees-
sanity riveted on her; aud | was often severely
rated by my superior officers for my inattention
10 orders.


, At last, felt certain that she noticed me,
but most probably from the fact of my inces-
san,ly gazing at her. She evidently mentioned
MY behavior to her sister, for she used to
regard me with peculiarly nqUisitive, sarcas-
tic manner. l hardly thiuk she mentioned my
behavior to her mother at least, never had
any reason, from that ladys conduct, to imagine
that she was even aware of ulyfexistence.
| My affection increased TO such extent that
at last | grew desperate. and determined, cost
what it might, Notwithstanding our fearful DIFF
ference IN position, to make known TO her my
passion; but how TO manage il was the diff
Guilty. To address her personally on the subject
was Of course impossible. Her mother was
cross-grained illtempered woman, who. when
not Frustrated by sea sickness, which, unfortu
nately, rarely occurred had her eyes necessarily
on her daughters. | had too mach dread OF
her 10 think of broaching the subject 10 her
even if my position would not have made such
an acriOn prcsumptuous.


There was only one member of her family
with whom there existed the slightest possibility
of forming an intimacy, and that was her Young
brother, boy about eleven years of age. |
Immediately broke ground with him, and sue
ceeded admirably. | commenced by giving
him a pressing invitation to the midsbipman's
berth BY degrees our acquaintance ripened


into intimacy. Then. after binding him over
to eternal secrecy, confded to him my an
happy, consuming passion for his sister. Young
az he was, and inexperienced in such matters
be kindly sympathized with me. He promised
to assist me in every manner that lay in his
power. | advised him to begin by pointing
me out to bis sister and telling her how vastly
superior vas to the other midshipmen. Then
to hint gently to her how necessarily was
talking and thinking Of her. This | considered,
would be as much as would be prudent at the
commencement.


In short time, found his sister had re.
marked me favorably, aud thought me very
good.lOokiug Here was encouragement Tor me.
or course, | sent back word that she was the
loveliest girl | had ever seen. The next day
she smiled kindly when she saw me. We were
then within fortnight's sail of Bombay. l
used bitterly to weep in the night watches
when | thought that on her arrival there |
should see her 10 more. Sometimes | thought
of deserting the ship and euisting as private
in her fathers regiment, but then our difference
in position would be even greater than ever.


At last summoned up sufficient courage to
tell her brother how happy should be if be
could obtain from bis sister some little object
that | might keep as a meniento of her. He
asked me what l should like, and l modestY
left it to his OVID discretion. He suggested a
lock of hair, to which, as may easily be sup
posed, gave 8 ready consent. | assured him
that such a gift Was more than my widest
imaginaiions could have hoped for that the
possession of such treasure would make me
happy for life.


Bad weather set in, and did not see either
sister or brother again for some days. He was
exceedingly delicate, and, during the rain, his
mother coniined him prisoner to the cuddy.
When | saw him again, he placed in my hand,
without saying word q small folded paper,
about the size of q shilling. As it evidently
contained something, | immediately rushed
below, and, with some difficulty, contrived to
open it unseen by any one-no easy task, as
solitude is rare in a mdshipmans berth. The
paper contained long but very thin tress Of
bright auburn hair. knew il Immediately by
its beautiful color, and silky texture, TO be bis
sisters.


Never, l believe, was happiness equal to
mine at that moment. = that day made, clum
silly enough, out of one Of my shirts, q small bag.
How grateful was l. at the time, for the fore
sight of our old servant, who had placed
housewife of her own manufacture in my sea
chest, and thus, at that critical moment, to
supply me with needle and thread. The bag,
when flushed, was just large enough to hold
the hair in its paper envelope. Out Of respect
TO my treasure, had taken particular pains 10
making the bag and was not little proud of
il when it was finished. When all was ready,
fastened it to q piece Of spun yarn, placing it
round my neck, wore it next TO my heart with
all the respect due to sanity relic.


The ship arrived at Bombay. On the day
of Maria's leaving, determined TO speak to
her. 1t required no little courage, but true
love will encounter any risk. An opportunity
presented itself. She was standing near the
gangway, little behind her family, who were
waiting for boat to take them ashore.


Thanks, a thousand thanks" l said, "for
your kind present. wear it next my heart,
and it shall never leave me-"