Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1841-03-09


out any afectation in his visage of superb
or sanctity.
The swearing captain turned short a.
round TO his reprover with frow n, but
seeing his agreeable countenance, land NEE
ting smile instead look of sanctified
horror, he promptly replied, "Well,
wont till 60 to sea-"
"Why swear at sea, captainP, asked
his mild reprov1r.
"Salors wont stir no more than stick
Of timber without swear at 'um, parson."
81 fear my good sir, you have never
tried it,"
"I'll tell you when tried it. and there
is a certain parson will say | like to have
lost my ship by it," said the Captain. 81
was on homeward passage from Havana,
and this parson on board as a passenger
He was not, sir, such one as think you
are, but chap who carried all his spare
canvass aloft."
GLOW do you mean, captainp
"Why, he carries all his religion above
decks. Well, | sworc away at my men as
| always DO, and in gale o the wind the
harder it bowed, the harder swore. One
afternoon after had turned all hands up
to reef top sails, and had got her snug
under two reefs, and gone below again,th
parson, who Lad been praying and reading
his Bible at the rate Of te knots, shuts his
book and says
captain, its awful wicked for you 10
swear 50 with only a plank between you
and death. You will sink the vessel with
your oaths. Really wish you wouldn't
swear no morep
"'lf didn't swear we should all 60 TO
Davy's locker quicker than you could say
three amcns,' said |.
"'Oh no, captain! wish you would once
try IT,
"'WelI, the storms over; but I'll agree
to do it in the next gale O wind we have
said to him.
81 hadn't long to wait. The next after
noon it came on to blow as if The d. was
at the bellows and his wife at the muzzle.
| told my second mate Of the terms the
parson and had come TO, and told him TO
act accordingly. He understood the wink
in my eye and went forward among the
men. They we're soon learned their les
son. took my place on the quarter deck,
and gave my orders. 1t came id hard,
parson, to bite the heads % the oaths be-
tween my teeth, TN, Pm id if didn't
do it, though liked to choked. Wel,the
wind began 10 play away harder and har-
der, and the ship ny to down TO it till the
parson might as well have walked on The
roof OF his meeting house as on deck. |
gave my sober orders, and the men moved
as slowly as if they were going TO their
own funerals. II took ten minutes to get
in the topgaIant sails. And by and by it
became necessary 10 reef the topsails, or
the masis would have gone by the board.
"'Away lot there and reef tho fore
;opsail,' shouted.
mot man stirred foot or fin. There
was no present danger, and so contcnted
myself VITA giving the ordera dozen times,
each time in louder tone, but without an
oath. The parSon was clinging 10 the
weather hencoop, watching the success Of
his suggestion. | eyed him closely, as he
watched the masts bend and the ship surge
deep into the waves that broke over her
bows and flowed knee deep along the waists.
At length, as the gale increased, there was
real danger, unless sail was soon shortened,
OF carrying away inc main mast; ana
sung out, without swearing though, with
corner of my eye on the parson.
"'Let so the top sail haIyards and man
tho clew lines
Tho fellows moved like snails.
Spring for your lives, men, or we
shall all go TO the bottom together.
"At this the parson sprung from his hen
coop in great terror, and as he did so the
steersman let the ship breach 10, for we
were running dead before the wind, and |
thought every stick would have gone by
the board.
"'Oh, captain, captain sung out the
parson, picking himself up from one of the
lee scuppers.
"'What sayr suysI.
"'Don't you think, captain, you had bet
ter Sccar Htle2"