Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 February 1880 — VALENTINE DAY AT SEA. [ARTICLE]

VALENTINE DAY AT SEA.

It was the 12th of February that I stopped the hack on my way to the ocean steamer, and alighted at a shabby stationer's store to buy some reading matter for the voyage. While waiting fob my order my eye caught sight of the \ gay-colored valentines, and suddenly, to the amazement of the shop-keeper, 1 ordered so many of them that he must have thought I was intending to paper my hojjge; out I hurried off to . the ship without satisfying his curiosity. I was fortunate enough to have some acquaintances on board, who, in turn, had theirs, and thus the prospect of a general acquaintanceship, which is so. essential to the pleasure of ocean travel, was very favorable. Among the goodlooking young women on board was one . pre-eminently beautiful. She was in the company of an old man, whose apparently jealous vigilance over her naturally heightened her charms. The names on the .passenger list of -Colonel and Miss Parke were the only clue to their identity. I begged Mrs. Ray, who, with my friend, her husband Fred, was taking her bridal trip, to bring about an interview. But she was a-tjmid little woman, and thought of breaking through the old man’s reserve very much as she would have thought of storming an enchanted castle to rescue a .captive Princess. The father and daughter kept close to each other, as if prepared to discourage all advances, and they neither talked much to each other nor seemed interested in the chatter of their fellow-passengers. Although it was calm the next day neither of them appeared,, and I learned that the old man was keeping his state-room and the handsome girl was staying to take care of him. I sat almost alone on deck in the bright sun and fresh breeze, and to pass the time took out a favorite cousin's letter containing her photograph. I carelessly dropped it, when the wind sent H’skurrying over the deck around to the other side of the , saloon. I expected every second to see it blown into the sea. It was suddenly stopped by the folds of a dirk dress, ana a woman sat gazing at it. As I came up she raised her beautiful face to mine and said with undisguised surprise:

“ Why, it’s Lottie Gray.” It was my turn to be surprised, but I stooped and handed the picture to Miss Parke, and the n removing my hat, presented her with my card, which read: “Mr. Arthvr Gray.”- “ You know her, then?” I said, in a . tone of timid respect. “Oh, yes, we are great friends,” she, replied, looking nervously around. “ Then, as I am her cousin, I hope you will grant me the pleasure of your acquaintance. I have heard her speak of you in terms which warrant any man’s wanting to know you. This is Nina, is it notr” She blushed deeply as she answered: “I am Miss Parke, Nina Parke. I to have told you. I think father • will require my attention,” she said, offering to rise.' , “ Not in the least,” I said, boldly pushing my advantage. “ Sea-sick people need to be neglected, and the servants are sure to see to that. Do you think it good?” I asked, referring to the picture. But she did not answer. I thought she was shy, perhaps, and re-solved-to put a stop to that “Lottie’s a good little thing, isn’t she?” said I. “She’s quite a pet of mine.” This aroused hei. “ Fancy anybody s patronizing Lottie Gray as a good little thing. I wish • she could hear you,” she exclaimed, •.earnest!/ and indignantly. I didn’t, for if there was any patronizing to be done between her ’ tnd myself Lottie was the one that was capable of it. However, this difference of expression broke the ice, and it must have been more than an hour before Mr. and Mrs. Ray interrupted our absorbing conversation. Fred caught- his wife’s arm and was dragging her away, but I called them up and introduced them, adding: , “Miss Parke is an intimate friend of my cousin, which we ought to have found’out twenty-four hours ago.” Mrs. Ray’s natural sweetness of disposition soon put the two on the best of terms with each other, and. in a few hours they were fast friends. In fact, the young girl was lonely and very glad of companionship. She seemed so concerned for the welfare of her father that I think we even lost some of the prejudice his surliness had excited.. After the passengers had retired that night a man stealthily crept into the cabin. The steward brought in a small glass show-case and set it on the table, * „while the first intruder fastened a long pasteboard box, with a slit in it, to the side of the cape. Then, contrary to the rules of the midnight prowler,' he sat down to thdtable with a light, wrote and rewrote, corrected and erased, un-1 til he felt some degree of satisfaction with his work, put it into an envelope, and, sealing, addressing and dropping it into the box, left the cabin. Withis his will, and was he about to commit suicide P The next morning the Captain announced that it was St. Valentine’s Day, and said that those who wished to buv them could do so at the show-case of one al the young boy's who had consented to act as salesman. The proceeds, he added, would be devoted to the relief of two sick children in the steerage. The young merchant soon found himself doing a brisk trade. The pumhaa. era, remembering the charity, paid

handsomely, and the enterprise proved very popular. <, ' Just before hmrheon the Captain came to distribute the -contents of the letter "bag. Tbe-young-and gavermembers of the party assembled in noisy expectation. To my great disappointment Miss Parke did not appear, and I sent Mrs. Ray to fetch her. She came rfter some delay, saying thte she knew noone on board who would be at all “But,** I said, “you may have a score of unknown admirers who may take this opportunity of declaring themselves. ’ ’ “ I do not think anyone would dare to be so rude! Do youF’ “O, perhaps not,’’ I said. . She received one from me, however, a be-doved and be-cupided thing, and another from Fred.' But, much to her surprise, Che last one in the bag proved to be for her also. She looked at it, was startled, and then flushed with anger. She thrust it back into the envelope, went into her state-room, and did not appear until dinner. We were sitting on deck that evening when she drew an envelope from her pocket, saying, gravely: “Pm going to tell you about this. See what somebody has had the impertinence to write to me! I am so indignant; and papa would be in a rage.” With mock surprise and indignation I read my own effusion, which, I am bound to say, sounded to me then not only impertinent, but intensely silly. Mfcs Parke referred to one part of it with especial indignation. “Fancy his saying that I don’4 know him, but that the admiration he will show in his eyes when 1 meet them will reveal him to me. I wish papa was well, and I wouldn't mind so much; and I will have to trust you or Mr. Rav to save me from any rudeness.” What could I do after this but assure her of my protection, and declare boldly that if I once intercepted one of “the horrid man’s” glances I wcu'd kick him into the sea? Miss Parke at once objected to my carrying matters quite so far, and I could only repeat my promise tdßdefend her for my cousin Lottie’s sake. “ How often Lottie has talked to me of you!” she said; “it seems odd to think of it now.” “And what did she say?” I asked, glowing with a consciousness of the tone of my cousin’s remarks about Nina. To my delight I saw a little flush mount to her cheek as she answered hurriedly: “Q, nothing special, She used to say she wanted me to meet you, and that she liked you very much.” f* ■“Well. I’m thankful that her wish was granted,” I replied. In spite of my increasing interest in her I was very seasick after this and so was she. When I crawled out again she was nowhere to be seen, but the old gentleman, her father, was comfortaly settled in the saloon with his books and papers, having apparently got over his attack. I hesitated a moment and then walked boldlv up to him, explained my relationship to his daughter’s friend, and described the accident which had led to our acquaintance. I begged if there was any way in which I could serve him, either now or in the future, that he would call upon me. His countenance, I thought forbidding, melted at the mention of his daughter's name, and he was so courteous and civil, and thanked me in such a fine way for my kindness to her, that I almost fell in love with him, too! He asked me to present him to my friends, the Rays, and it proved that Mrs. Ray was a daughter of an old friend of his, which further strengthened our friendship. By and by Miss Nina came out, gentler than before. The next two days were passed so pleasantly that I was sorry enough when we sighted land. . However, I learned that Mr. and Miss Parke’s .destination was in the south of France, and as I found my business, would take me there we parted with the expectation of meeting again. And in three weeks more we did so. I finished my affairs in London and posted off to the continent with all speed. Oh, those happy days that followed! sailing on the Mediterranean; walking and driving down by the shore; sitting under palm trees and in rose-gardens with Nina, who grew lovelier every moment. I seemed to have satisfied the old man’s inquiries about my relatives and my profession which he put with adroit delicacy; if he divined what was going on, it was plain he did not disapprove. One lovely evening as Nina and I were sitting pd the little veranda of their house, her father reading within, I said, suddenly: “Miss Nina, have you ever forgiven the author of that impudent valentine?” “Oh! Fve almost forgotten him,” she replied, “he was too rude and disagreeable to be remembered.” “So when you do think of him you don’t think in a very kind way?” “Of course I don't; but he must have got over his admiration for me or have been only in fun about it. I never found out who he was.” “ And if you did find out, and were to meet him. would you always dislike him for it?” “Of course I would. A man whom I did not know had no right to do suoh a thing.” “ But suppose you did know him,” I said. “ But I didn’t” “ I beg your pardon, but you did.” She opened her great eyes and stood marveling. “ Why, 1 only knew you and Mr. Ray. Surely it was not Mr. Ray,” she said. i» • “ No, it was not Mr. Ray,” I admitted, meekly. t . “You!” she exclaimed, in amazement; “why, whlVon earth made you do such a thing?” “ I can’t tell you that unless you’ll tell me what you think now about the author of the valentine.” “ I always said he was ‘ a horrid man,’ ” she answered, smiling archly, “ and I must stick to it”* “If you do,” I replied, “there’s nothing left for me but to walk down and leap into the sea. You know that was to be the fate of the sinner when discovered, and only your clemency can reprieve him.” “ Don’t go until you tell me what it was that made you do it,” she said, laughingly. ,1 leaned forward then and whispered four little words in her ear. An hour later and I wished her good-night. “One.more question,”lsaidfin alow voice, as I kept her hand in mine: “ WhenT' “O, I don’t know about that,” she answered, laughing softly; “if papa approves, and you get as much better and wiser in the future as you have in the past, and you promise never to tel), and half a score of other things, why. Til say next Valentine’s Day— perhaps." —Sherrill Kirr, in Detroit Free Press. \ —Al eminent physician says he cures nicety-nine out ot every hundred cases of scarlet-fever by giving the patient warm lemonade with gum-arabic dissolved in it. A cloth, wrung out in hot water and laid upon the stomach, should be removed as rapidly as it becomes cool.— Lansina Republican.

—Honey Pudding.—To half a pound of clear honey add six ounces of butter,*, beat Jo a cream, and font ounces erf bread crunaba; beat all together for ten minutes with eight yelks °f eggs: put into mold, and boil for an hour and a half; orange arrow-root sauce.