I Saw Three Ships and Other Winter Tale

ide was there in her white frock, by the chancel rails; her father, by her side, was looking at his watch; and th

and laying it down impatiently. Occasionally, as one of the congregation scraped an impatient foot, a

o, and a tin trumpet from Liskeard fair. Explanation is simple: the outraged feelings of the parish were to be avenged by a shal-lal as bride and bridegroom left the church. Ruby knew nothing of the storm brewing for her, but Mary Jane, whose ears had been twice boxed that morning, had heard a whisper of it on her way down to the church, and

ridegroom d

stood at the west end under the gallery, "not since 'Melia Spry's buryin', whe

brave while

pired-an' she such a light-weight corpse. But plague s

ed his paternal feelings and come to church in order to keep abreast with the age; "'tis more li

Oke by a wonderful imaginative effort; "an' 'tis possible that feelings have bro

ommitted murder upon another for love; but, save my li

aculated Elias Sweetland, bending

n a woman; "an' Tresidder, he looks l

w, t

make it," said Old Zeb,

bridegro

nt pew but one, Modesty Prowse s

arp, we'll be married

d spite. Probably she would have risked her dignity to retort, h

ay?" he inquired of Tresidder. "Or

, mopping his bald head, and then he broke off,

d somebody. And with that a hush of b

running and glorious in bri

is eyes were fastened on Ruby, and she in turn stared at him as a rabbit at a snake, shrin

anin' o' this?

eb, very slow and distinct. "She was to wed Ze

ut

h of 'ee. Better save your

ping a toe on the tiles, in the bridegroom

nati

I like a man to swear off his rage if he's

e if you do

'll kick you out w

urple, and big veins st

uickly towards her. First picking up the paper that had drifted to the pavemen

'ee marry us

asked if she'

dn't come to ax questions-that

man?" demanded the pa

was caught and held for life. Her eyes fluttere

suffocating her. And with the word came a rus

abbage, after waiting a minute

the amount (she averred) of two cart-loads. She tossed it, bit by bit, over the west wall of the churchyard, where in time it became a mound, covered high with sting-nettles. If you poke among these nettles with your wa

walk to their new home. Before them, at a considerable distance, went the players and singers-a black blur on the moonlit road; and very crisply their music rang out beneath a sky scattered with c

of Old Zeb, "lads an' lasses

leaves, an the

' virgin

them was

s mother

seekin', you s

the leav

come tell,

the leaves

n' for no le

a friend

' for sweet

guide an

o down, to

in the

'll see swee

o a big

ey went to

s foot co

grievous

irgin's ey

other-O pea

in' doth

ffer this

am an'

take John

to be

comfort yo

as I've

hou John E

welcome

elcome my

ursed on

s head 'pon his

h it struc

other be wi

Mother,

e, the ge

el that gro

s grace in

r our king

e, for our

they shoul

d Lord; y

ndin' of

by, with a light pull on Zeb'

and sighed gently. "Just now I feel as if I'd been tossin' out yonder through many fierce days an' nights an' w

iscern off Bradden Point a dot of white, as of a ship i

ds," shouted his father, u

on a su

bank, a s

on a su

as day i'

ships come

' by, a-s

ships com

as day i'

be i' these

sure Zeb and Ru

r so, listening to their voices as they died away down the road. As he barred the door, he turned and saw that Ruby had lit the lamp, and was already engaged in setting the ki

he did not speak, she too came to

gate steal up Channel like a ghost. She had passed out of his sigh

The End<