Year: 1872

MIDDLE-AGED LOVE STORY.


They had come, little group of
friendly faces, to watch me off, with
waving handkerchiefs and kindly good
bys; and I stood on the stern, nodding
and waving back, till the steamer swept
down the river out of their sight.


/ knew [ should have their prayers
that the great sea might be gentle with
me; L knew they would watch the wea-
ther, and look for the telegram of the
arrival of our ship; yet | knew was
taking nothing from their lives, and
that they each would go home hardly
missing me; so it was with no great
wrench of heart that saw the pilot
put off from US, and took the last look
at my native shores.


During most Of the passage I was
just comfortably sea-sick, so | sat all
the day long in reclining chair on
deck, watching the white caps on the
purple and green and blue waves that
mounted and fell, down and up, up and
down, away out to the far horizon. I
saw the shining nautiluses float by, and
now and then a whale, or a shoal of
porpoises, or sail, speeding white and
full across the water.


| saw also good many other things
nearer by; for | didn't put my eyes in
my pocket along with my short-sight-
ed glasses; and nobody was much like
ly to- mind a middle aged woman in
hood and waterproof.


The first thing I saw was young
girl, with dark eyes, and brown hair
that rippled itself into a tangle of rough
curls whenever she took off her net
She was not so very pretty, nor so very
brilliant; but there was piquant charm
about her that attracted half the pas
sengers before the first day was over.
BY the end of the second day, every
body, from the captain to the ships
surgeon and from the surgeon to the
eabin-boy, was eager to show her at
tention; and everybody was met by the
same genial smile and lively retort.


She won her way at once into nv
heart by the kindly thought that led
her to bring little relishes from the Ia
BILE tofempt my siekly appetite, and to
soothemy forehead with water and gen.
tie touches of her shapely brown hands,
where great emerald glittered, encir-
cled by diamonds. Very soon she got
into the habit of drawing her rug be-
side my chair, and sitting on the deck
leaning against me, so that I might
"pet her," as she said.


This was how it happened that my
quiet, ut-of-the-way corner came to
be the center of the life and gayety and
romance of the whole shipboard.


It seemed this young girl, Rosa Ar
mour, was an only child and an orphan,
going toa uncle in Germany, her near
est of kin.


tDear heart! I hope her uncle will
be wise as we'll as loving" said I to
myself very often; for she seemed too
fragile bubble of humanity to drift
on through life alone.


The tips of her brown curls were
lighter than the rest; and here and
there were little bright touches all over
her hair, as though the sun was shin
ing in spots on it. One morning | sat
coiling these CLEANS of sunshine around
my fingers, and watching flock of
Mother Carey's chickens skim restless
ly over the restless water, thinking
these thoughts about Rosa, and hav-
ing her soft presence alone to myself
for few moments. Not many, how
ever; soon, up came a New Zealander;
of course there was a New Zealander,
or an Australian on our boat.


"You are very lowly, Miss Armour"
said he. ''Let me bring you a chair"


'"Thank you; I prefer to sit here
on my rug, and have Miss Wells pet
me" replied Rosa, turning up her eyes
languidly. ''The deck is my favorite
seat, if can only have an excuse to sit
on it.''


"But you need something over you,"
persisted the New Zealander, going a.
way, and coming back directly with
his own heavy gray wrap. Then he
seated himself on low camp-stool be-
side her, folding the wrap over the
two. 81 never saw so rough a sea as
OAAAO ceAA CAAO A1OAA W Dali
Francisco" said he, looking out upon
the gentle swell of the lazily mounting
waves. 5


"RoughP' cried Miss Armour. seI|
am sure the ocean is as smooth as a
mill-pond!"


"Oh! but as compared to the Pacific
peaceful; it was rightly named. We
have never such gales on that as sweep
the Atlantic, but only the gentlest west
erly breezes." The New Zealander shiv-
cred as he spoke, and drew his wrap
closer over his knees. 'We have the
most charming climate in New Zea-
land" he went on; eve are never too
hot, and never too cold. In fact, we
never think of the weather. And the
soil is the most fertile in the world"


"Pity it is in such an out-of-the-way
part OF the earth that nobody can live
there" said Miss Armour.


"Beg your pardon, miss; there are
feveral English towns of thirty thous-