Year: 1872

Pity it is such an Out-Of-the-way
part of the earth that nobody can
live there, said Miss Armour.


Beg 3our pardon miss thers
are several English towns of thirty
thousand inhabitants each; and we
never think-of ourselves as being
out-of-the-way, but rather feel sorry
for those who live SO far of, re-
turned the other, bending his tall
figure earnestly forward.


Rosa leaned her pretty head to-
ward him in a confding attitude of
interest, and laughed +: :'Oh, so you
are the people, and wisdom is going
to die with you |" said she. But
what do you do out therein the heart
of the universe


"We dig gold for one thing and
raise sheep for another-millions
of them; from thirty to forty YES
sells are constantly plying to England
with the tallow and pressed wool" -"


What do you do with all that
mutton ?" asked Rosa, looking idly
at the light in her ring, and then as
idly at the light in the speaker s
eyes.


We use what we can," was the
reply; f and som etimes, I am sorry
to say. we bury the hesh--not usual
ly; but sometimes an order VIII come
to one farmer for a thousand sheep,
if you please; and all he can do is to
clip off the wool, get out the fat, and
bury the carcasses.


What a pity the meat can't be
sent to the hungry poor at home
Why don't somebody condense it as
they do the beef in Texas p 1 said,
in my practical way.


" In good time I dare say some
body will; but we can't do everything
at once" replied the New Zealan der,
looking with sudden interest at the
game of shuf1ebeard being placed be-
side us. s-sa 20


Just then along came the ships
surgeon, blonde youth in uniform,
with his hair parted in the middle.


Miss Armour" said he, &c the
gun is to be fred at the bow; viii
you come and see it done?"


Miss Armour started up at once,
turning the same half confding
glance and ready smile upon him
she had been giving US.


I am agoing to leave my rug with
you: I shall come back" said she,
beaming over her shoulder upon me,
as she took the surgeons arm and
went away.


The New Zealander looked after
her, tried to console himself by
drawing his wrap in another fold
across his knees, did not succeed,
and finally got up and went away.
OF course it was not worth while to
make himself agreeable to a middle
aged woman in hood and water
proof. So, sat, and looked at the
likeness of a lake among the sunset
clounds, and tried to decide whether
had better take oatmeal Cruel OF
biscuit tea for my supper; wonder
ing the while, half unconsciously
about the old chord in memory that
was always being struck by certain
musical ring in the New Zealander'i
voice.


After an hour or so the gun wal
fired; and presently Miss Armour
came back, with the disorder of The
strong sea-wind in her hair, and it,
freshness in her pretty pink cheeks


"Tve come as I said" she mur
INJURED, dropping at my feet again
and smiling up, as though she ha(
got where she best loved to be-ius
such smile as she would have givel
to the stokers down in the engine
room, or TO the ships cat But i
was lovely to look upon whileit last
ed; and we middle-aged people hav
learned to warm ourselves in an,
chance ray of sunlight, without stop
ping to consider whether it is hkel
to be perpetual.


This time the bit of sunshine di
not stay long, for there came an al
st with his sketch book; and whe,
Miss Armour had sufficiently admin
ed his graphic peacilhngs OF the car
tain, and the quartermaster, and th
sea-sick occupant of an upper birtt
it was time to throw the log; an
so he bore her off, to find out by be
own eyes whether we were actuall
going at the rate of thirteen knots
or only twelve and half.


That was how the days went. Th
passengers read aud paced the decl
played games and guessed riddle


and were always hungry the pile


stood steadily and firm at the whee


the sailors ran up aud down abor


the rigging like over grown spider


and were forever securing and scrul
bing, tying and unt9ing, drawing u


and letting down. Thus at last "


had come safely almost to our desi


ed haven. With fair sailing we wei


only one day out from port; AM
fond as we had grown to be of eac


other, we were getting impatient
part. Miss Armour, during all tt
voyage, had kept on as she had b,
: gan, begUiling every one with hC
? trick of lip aud eye They ran aft
| her like boys at the string of kit


Well, they hal nothing better to c
r Just then; and when she had fade


ont, as rainbow fades, made L
: doubt she would be as easily forgo
ten, or only rem embered as a NIT
: summers day dream, by all, unle
3 it might be solitary warm-hearte
' man like the New Zealander- ]
. tell the truth. was a little sorry f,
. him. Evidently, life had not broug
3 him all it might; and he was hur g
/. for the love and confidence that h'
1 never been his. So I was afraid
a would miss this little spark OF gil


hood and warm youth, and find t
G void deeper when it had gone OF
y TO the very last day. Rosa ke