Year: 1874

to cabin,reading, browsing or musing. as
their various temperaments inclined
them; but all yielding, to some extent,
to the dreamy contentment which
seemed to pervade the atmosphere.
We were all on deck, shortly after
tea, admiring the sunset, which flooded
the sea and sky with Transforming
! splendor. 1t was gay company; not
q sad face could be found amongst us
all. The too intense heat Of the dav
had subsided. and soft breeze had
sprung up; to breathe the air was in
itself, an inspiration.


Our irrepressible and too confdine
young lady passenger vas there, and
her childish laugh rang out above the
rest. She had selected the good-na.
tured Captain and one or two Of his of.
ficers as the especial object of her flip.
pant, though by no means vicious, rail.
cry, and they permitted it, partly from
an acquired habit of affability toward
all passengers, and partly because the,
were amused by her irresistible vivac.
ity.
The lady passengers, of course,
stunned and kept aloof from her as
from noxious poison, as if her very
contact would breed pestilence. The
gentlemen did likewise, to a great ex.
tent; more, l believe, from tender re.
gard for feminine opinion than from any
considerable instinct of horror.
Suddenly the smile died on her lips,
and her face became inexpressibly sad
earnest, as she gazed far out across the
water. Her attitude and expression, as
she stood thus, formed picture which
will never fade from my memory she
looked so innocent and childlike and 50
intensely sorrowful.


In a moment she turned to the Cap
tain, with something of her old manner.
Reaching up her delicate white hands,
she took hold Of his abundant whiskers,
on each side of his face, as the reader
has seen pettcd daughter caress her
father, and, looking up into his face,
asked, with great solemnity:


"Did you ever want to die, Captain!''
"Well, no, my child,'' he replied,
somewhat surprised at her changed
manner 81 can't say that ever had
great desire to die.''


"And if you had such desire, what
would you do?''


''Oh! in that case,'' said he, as he
loosed her hands and turned away, 81
think, as it would be the most available
method, should jump overheard and
drown myself


Scarcely had he finished speaking,
when she whirled, put one hand on the
railing, and leaped into the Sound. The
whole movement was so instantaneous
that it was impossible for any one to
anticipate or prevent it.


A cry of horror went up from those
who saw the movement. Some stood
transfxed and unable to move, while
others hurried about in confused ex-
citement. The Captain and his crew
worked like the noble men they were,
and had the boats lowered and manned
almost instantly.


A moment after her disappearance,
she came to the surface. There was
nothing scared in her expression, and
she made no struggle to save herself.
! saw her face distinctly, as she came
up, and fancied I could detect in it the
same sorrowful look it had worn a few
moments before; though even that ex-
preston could not wholly deprive it of
a certain jaunty grace which became it
well.


1t was only momentary glimpse
which VIC had of her; for she disap-
peared just as the first boat touched
the water. and we never saw her after
ward, though every possible effort was
made to save her.


think l never saw sadder men than
those rough sailors, when they pulled
the heavy yawl alongside, and replied,
to q hundred simultaneous interrogato-
ries: eve found no trace of her at
all.''


And those gentle ladies, who shrank
with such aversion from her half an
hour before, had many tender utter
ance for her now, and could not voice
their pity when they knew that while
she laughed the loudest, the homeless
child's poor heart was breaking.


And later, when, on looking through
her stateroom, they found little satch-
el, and in it, among other trifes, a
crumpled bit Of note-paper, with verses
written on it in small cramped hand,
the pure, sweet tears of human sympa-
thy, as they read, fell on the paper like
henison.


1preservcd copy Of the verses, and
will reproduce them here. lam unable
to say whether they are original or no.
If quotation, / have never been so
fortunate as to read them in any pub
lished book:


MAoDA1EN's DEATH.
I can no longer endure this polluting,
This fostering breath;


Gladly fly to the refuge that's left me-
Merciful death.
Not sadly, tearfally,
But gladly, cheerfally,
Goto my death.