The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1830-10-21


bnili, and broader in the bows, and carried
sail more man o'-war fashion. His eve
was as blue az the seain The tropics, and as
bright rs the tropc easometimes is at night,
when It seems all ON fire. His head was
covered with dark hair, that lay as thick
and close as the nap on this monkey Jacket:
and his skin was so white and soft, that il
always seemed a pity when saw him stand.
ing his watch in the heat Of the sun, and
his plump little cheeks lacking AZ red as ii
he blood was going TO start right through
them. However, he didn't mlndit ,he val.
ne OF a scupper nail, and don't kuow but
Il did him good, for he grew han,lsomer as
he got little tanned, and sccmed never
happier than when be Vas on daiy. lie
was little green at first. OF course, bul
there WAS no such thing rs getting the
the weather gage of Merry, for MS sure as
an older reeier tri~i to run rig on him. he
wonld just cock up his bright blue eye, and
zee what the other was up 10 in the turn of
a glass.
| II was long cruise that we were toceth.
err and Merry go, to be az much of man
IN size and appearance as any ofus, before
more than eighteen thea On our arrival
I
their walking papers as soon as they conld.
and made sail each for his home. Merry's
connexions, who were OF Ifish descent, liy.
ed IN Virginia, and il was that way hc laid
ms course, yon may he sprc. remember
yer, well The morning when had the
h'rd cnt'er called away and manned for
INN; and as we wrung each others hand Al
the gangway, neither of MS had voice e.
nough to say good bye. My stomach felt
all that day as empty MS midshipman's
locker and the ship seemed as lonesome to
,ne as The old brig Nancy did once, when all
hands died off of the yellow fever. and left
me and the old tom cot the only living souls
aboard of her.
For abou, two years nfier Merryllc snd
me parted ! lost The runormy old shpmale.
he continued ashore, but soon got tired
oi being cooped up in narrow streets, with
no chance OF seeing more ofthe sky than
chose 10 shine between the tops of dnry
houses. Happening to hear That some of
my acquantnnccs were going aboard a ship
then fitting ontnt Boston, applied for or.
dersnyself, and was soon once more where
II ! had little sea room 10 wear aud haul up.
on That wns short criixe. and by the
time twenty months were np. we were all
home ugain, the crew discharged, and I
with my hands in my bcckeis. spinning
street. yarn, and having nothing in the
world 10 do.
The newt ship Ives asa&zkssa. ssss my
own nsme sake Cd LICK Adams, che IVES,
lying in llnmpthu vonds, ready Cor sea.
The first man met as went up the NJ
commodaion ladder, was Merry Terry
hmself, who stood upon the gang way sill
10 receive me. ] knew him at a glance.
though he was good deal altered; and he
knew me, too, Ms soon ~ bis eve rested on
my face. Merry was by this time about
twenty years of age, or thcreabouis, and
inner looking fellow never ,rod the quarter
deck. He hnd lately lost both his parents.
and this had given sort of sad expression
TO his countenauce that made him appear
! handsomer than ever. ! soon founu TINT
he was the general favori,e on board the
( ship, as indeed ba always was, go where he
! would; and il was expected tina, before wa
sailed, he would get his parchment from
Washington, and mount swab. An elc
CANT lufl' he would have made. too, for if
ever man knew how To work n ship, il was
| Merry Terry. When he had the deck, the
old craft herself seemed 10 know il; and no
! matter what kind Of leather we had, she
was sure To behave as obedient as o side
/ boy. ] have seen him put her in STAYS
whore there wasn't breaker Of water TO
| spare, with rocks both head and a starn,
and the wind whzzng round and round,
! like bee in q bucket of tnr. But when IL
was "helm's n-lce," and Merry had the
trumpet, there was no such thing ss mis-
sing stays.
| mind told you o while ago, that every
body liked Merry Terry. exc ep, one man
that man was the skipper. Some how or
other, he hated him worse than the devil
hates marine. lie used to ride him down
/ like main tack. would row him on all soris
of disngreesble duty. TWAS even thought
! he had clapped a stopper on h,s promotion.
The story among The REFERS went that
Merry bad come sihwart tho captain.
hawse in some love affair; bot whether that
wss so or not, was mere dead reckoning.
| Tor Merry was as close rs an oyster and
never spoke a disrcspec;ful word of his
commander. In return for all the abuse he
| received, he would only curl his lip iitle.
md look AT him dead in the cyes--but such
look as he would sometimes give him
] would rathor, for my part, have bcea on
short allowance ofgrog for month. Well,
ihlngs went on IN this way for some weeks,
till at last sailing orders were given out,
and OF course there was M mote going a
shore for the middies. The boais wcrerun
up and slowed; the pole to'ealsnt rnss,s
struck. and storm stumps Gent up in their
place; all hsnds we're called TO unmoor, and
we even hove short, so as 70 be ready to
trip and be off. whenever word should
come from the cabin to that effect. When
all this was done. the captain sent up an
order to hove his gig lowered away and
manned, and directly after came on deck
himself in full rig or citizens toggs.
Merry Terry stood in The gangwsy. lean.