Year: 1872

Lucy nao come, Httie group OF
friendly faces, to watch me of With wav.
ing haudksrchisfs and kindly good byes /;
and | stood on the stern, nodding and
waving back, till the steamer swept down
the river out of their sight.
| knew | should have the prayers that
che great sea might be gentle with me
l knew they would watch the weather,
and look for the telegram of the arrival
Of our ship; yet l knew l was taking
nothing from their lives, and that they
each would 60 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 [ was Just
comfortably sea.sick, 90 I sat all the day
long in a reclining chair on deck, watch
ing the white caps on the purple and
blue and green waves that mounted aud
fell, down and up, up and down, away
out to the far horizon. l saw the shin
ing nautiluses float by, and now and then
a whale, or q shoal of porpoises, or q
sail, speeding white and full across the
water.


l saw also q good many other things
nearer by; for | didu't put my eyes iu
my pocket along with my short GIFTED
glasses; and nobody was much likely to
mind q middle aged woman In hood and
waterproof


The first hing saw was young GIRL
with dark eyes, aud brown hair that rip
Piled itself into a tangle Of rough Gu IL
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 passengers before
the first day was over. BY the end of
the second day, everyt ody, from the cap
tain to the ships surgeon, and from the
surgeon to tho cabin boy, was eager to
show her attention and everybody was
met by the samo genial smile and lively
retort.


She won her way at once into my heart
by the kindly thought that led her to
bring little relishes from the table to
tempt my sickly appetite, and to soo,he
my head with bay water and gentle
touches of her sha pley brown hands,
where great emerald glittered, encircled
by diamonds. Very soon she got into
the habit Of drawing her rug beside my
chair, and sitting on tho deck leaning
against me, SO that might pet her." as
she said.


This was how it happened that my
quiet, out Of the way corner came to be
the scu,er of the life and gayety and
romance Of the whole shipboard


1t seemed this young girl, Rosa Ar
mour, was an only child aud an orphan,
going to an uncle 10 Germany, her near
est Of kin.


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


The tips of her brown curls we're
lighter than the rest; and here and there
we're little bright touches all over her
hair. as though the sun was shining in
spots on it. One morning sat coling
these CLEANS of sunshine around my 6n.
gers, aud watching u flock of Mother
Csreys chickens skim rostlessly over the
restless water, thinking these thoughts
about Rosa, and having her soft presence
alone to myself for few moments. Not
many, however; soon up came q New
Zealander; Of course there was New
Zealander, or an Australian, on our boat


"You are very lowly, Miss Armour"
said he, "let me bring you chair"


"Tbank you; prefer to sit here on
my rug, and have Miss Wells pet me, "
replied Rosa, turning up her eyes Ian
guidly. "The deck is my favorite seat,
If can only have an excuse TO sit on
it,"


"But you need something ever you, II
persisted the New Zsalander. going away
aud coming back directly with his own
heavy gray wrap. Then he seated him.
self on q low camp stool beside her,
folding the wrapper over the TWO.


II never saw so rough sea as this all
the way from Honolulu to San Francis.
co." said he, looking out upon the gentle
swell Of the lazily mounting waves.


"Rough |" cried Miss Armour. lam
sure the ocean is ss smooth a. q mill
pond T.


"Oh but not as compared to the Pa.
ci6c-peacsful; it was rightly named
We have never such gales on that as
sweep the Atlantic, but only the gsutlest
westerly brsezes." The New Zsalauder
shivsrsd - he spoke, and drew his wrap
closer over his knees. I'VE have tho
most charming climate in New Zealand" "
he went on I'VE are never too hot, and
never too cold. In fact, We never think
of the weather. And the soil 10 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 sew.
eral English towns Of thirty thousand
Inhabitants each and ws never think Of
ourselves as being cut Of the way, but
rather feel sorry foe those who live SO
far off," returned the other, bending bis
tall figure earnestly forward.


i.