Year: 1871

TWICE MARRIED.


BY ANNIE L. MACGREGOR.


Ileft New York, ON the 4th Of May


in the steamship G., of the Ham


burg line. It was my first sea-voyage


and the first time that ever papa haC


crossed the ocean, and Lettie and


were, of course, in great state of ex.


element and expectation. Smoky old


London, which had so often read ol


and dreamed Of; and Paris the city o1


heavenly beauty almost expected to


see the gates Of jasper and onyx, SO


greatly had my expectations been


raised.


We had great many friends to see Us


of, and l felt sorry at leaving when


the last moment came, and the steam


er moved slowly out of the harbor,


separating us from many whom we
tluved.


| She was superbly fitted up for an


Ocean-steamer, as / afterward found


out, and everything about her was as


neat and nice as we could desire. /


looked anxi0usly around at my fellow


passengers, who were to be prisoners


with me for ten days, and thought of
the pretty loose dress, half-wrapper,


which had prepared, and thinking
that my friends had exaggerated the
discomfolts of life on shipboafd and
the miseries of sea-sickness, and that
at least would rise superior to all bOdi-
ly infirmity. A lady-friend, who
made several sea. voyages, ton me it
would be better partially to unpack my
trunk before we were In rough water,
and be ready for at least three or four
days, in case I might feel a little dizzy
before becoming accustomed to the
motion. She knew my contempt for
the sufferings / had so often heard cited,
SO thought that she had better broach
the matter mildly.


I smiled scornfully when / thought
of her advice; but, not wishing to be
obstinate, and tenn pied by the nice lit
tie closet at the end of my berth,
did as she told me, well knowing that
Lettie would never think of doing any,
thing of the kind.


My pretty dress I left In the trunk
until the next day, fearing it might be
tumbled; but took out few of my
neck.ribbOns, smoothed my hair, and
tied my prettiest ribbon under my COL
lar, determined to look nicely at
dinner.


First impressions always have SO
much influence on ones opinions in
the future-and wanted every one to
think was nice, for was papa's eld-
est daughter. Dilner was ready in
about two hours, but 1 did not feel
hungry, and my head was swimming
strangely, though, of course, 1 would 70
to the table. The bow under my COL
lar was tied SO nicely; and my travel
ilg-dress fitted beautifully, and 1
knew / was looking well, besides it
was nonsense being SO silly, and would
worry papa.


1t was not very interesting watching
the swinging bottles and glasses in
their wooden case fastened to the CELL
ing of the cabin, but, as everything
was new to me, 1 did look at them till
they made my head ache, so 1 could
not look any more.


The vessel gave a lurch just at that
moment, and the gentleman sitting
next to me upset his wine on my dress;
of course, he had to apologize, and it
commenced our acquaintance. l as
sured him that it did not make any diff
ference, and would not hurt my dress,
and that l did not care, and so on.


l did not feel just at that moment as
if it did not make any difference if the
dress had been utterly ruined-in fact,
I did not know If any thing made any
differ lence:any more.


"DOes it roll 2" / asked, in rather a |
pleading voice, hoping he would say 1t |
did.


"No, not at all. We are not fairly |
out in the ocean yet. Do you feel
sick 2"


He spoke SO loudly and cheerfully
that felt like choking him and then |
he certainly might have been more po- |
lite, and might have said it did roll, \
after running my dress. Hateful man
felt much better, Iny anger giving |
me strength.


'No, feel very well, thank you, I |
am not hungry, for have been In the |
habit of dining later"


Every one around me was talking of /
drinking as we'll as eating. 1 felt half |
inclined to leave the table, was so
disguised, but 1 was afraid they might |
think I did not feel well, and my pride |
made me stay. Directly after dinner 1
went to my state-room, as there was
nothing going on. The cabin appeared
stupid, and 1 had been very busy be-
fore I left home getting ready for my
trip abroad; and so felt tired.


My head was so dull and heavy that
in few moments Twas sound asleep,
and must have slept for several hours,
as, when l awOke, found a miserable |
light in our state-rOon, and everything |
quiet about me. / listened, could hear
no noise but the vessel creaking, and
every thing around me that could rat
tie rattling. The closet-door at the end |
of the berth was going fiap-bang
against the latch; did SO wish that l |
had put a piece of paper under the lat ch |
to keep it tight. l thought I would do |
better another time, and just then 1 |
did not care to attend to anything,
and was 80 miserable that 1 did not |
even think of wondering if sister Let |
tie was in her berth above mine.


My clothes were swinging, and I |
myself was not wholly stationary, and |
LuCA L AC0lu q Cldols L ItSu lclL u DOUs /
tie of bay-water in my left handbag
on one of the hooks, and 1 knew by |
the noise that it was broken; for myI
tooth-pOwder was in china jar in the |
same bag, and they, no doubt, had
come in contact. 1t was a beautiful
new bag Russia leather) which had
paid so much for that papa scolded me.
/ was troubled, and wanted to know if |
it was hurt, but I really could not get
up to see, my head felt SO badly.


II wonder if he would say it was
rough ~ I thought, savagely, of my
fellOw-passenger as dug my head
into the pillow. Just then drip, drip
on the sofa heard it. 1t was my bay
water, knew by the odor, and my
bag would be ruined. I should have
got up, if it had not been for that hor-
ribIe bay-water. The smell of it made
my head feel so much worse that I was
almost wild with the pain, and could
think of nothing else, but longed to sit |
on my own head, if that were possible. |


No one who has not made voyage
across the ocean can realizethe discom-
comforts of the trip under the most |
favorable circumstances even when |
l.