The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1845-06-07
WooDsFIELD, SATURDAY, JUNE I, ts45.

--ain' I 1t, captaln!" SAID lady passen-
ger We had, who stood in the compan-
ion way and pointed it out. Now you
see there was the ghost of some old sal
lor in this lady; for she had not been a
banyan day on board afore she could
box the compass, Gun the helm. and
knew the run of the work going on.
as if she had been brought up to it. To
tell the truth there was more than one
of US that thought no good would come
of having her aboard. As for myself,
j could not keep from looking at that
owl, and may my grog be stopped, ifhe
had not slowed his carcase, the second
time, clean round, and there he was a
looking to windward as steady as ne
was looking alec the minute before
And the land was now as plain to see
here as it was when we first made it.
You'll bear in mind that this was all
gone through with in less time than il
takes me 10 tell Of it. Of course, all
hands were now looking to windward,
except the man who had been on the
forecasile to heaye the lead. He had
not run any risk Of breaking his neck
by hurrying TO get aft, as he wanted to
dodge hauling in the wet line. Seeing,
as he thought, they had had time to haul
in and coil down, he come along all out
Of breath, and asked the captain if he
had seen the land.
"Now the skipper says at once
''have your
"Yes,sir; it's all plain in sight aheadr'
"Ahead!'' and the Captain jumped to
the weather side to look, and if you
will believe me, that internal owl was
looking right ahead now, as steady as
if he had never thought Of looking any
other way.
"Well, was there any land there?'
asked one of the auditors. oi,, o.
Certain there was, continued the mar
rator, and look which way you would.
there was land. "Let's have sail on the
ship atonce" says the skipper, 'or you
are all sharks meat. Loose fore and
mizzen topsalls- mainsail = spanker
and lib! Lively every body if you
ever want to break bread again!'
"If had been on board that ship,Fd
given that owl sea toss before this p
said one Of the listeners.
w ould you, my man9--then perhaps
you would have been rugged out as one
of our youngsters was then.
"Why how was that?'
He felt like doing as you say, and as
he was going up the mizzen rigging to
loose the topsail, he kicked at the bird
as it sat perched there; and the owl
fastened into his foot with that hawk
bill of his, and he has got to limp thro'
this world any way for his pains.
"Served him right!'' rejoined another
-''go on with your yarn"
If ever you saw sail made in a hurry
it was that night. But what did this
woman do but fling off hersogerly cloak,
which did not leave her much idle tog-
gerry, and showed her to be well moul-
ded and clean built; and then she took
the helm, and for all there was heavy
sea on, she humored the ship and kept
her by the wind in way no man could
have done that was aboard. If ever |
fell in love with a woman, it was with
her that night.
"Aye--ayeP 81
"lndeed did! Let me tell you she
had an eye, and an arm; and one was
not bit quicker than the other-l can
see her now,-turning her eye to wind
ward as all overglow sea would come
tumbing down as though 'twould board
us. She would make that wheel fly as
she rolled it a-lee,as lively as her grand
mother ever set spinning wheel again.
And no one would believe she could
have hove it a weather again hand ov-
er fist as she did, to meet the ship as
she swung too. My eyes! but she
wasn't bigger round than a Delaying
pin, and never saw a woman shew to
so much advantage as she did while at
this hard work. God bless them as is
dear toher, for she's blessed of herself
to certainty. Why there was much
strengt tn in that little arm Of hers as in
two mems, and she had a heart to face
death with a smile--aye and that as
unconcerned now as woman could
wear. ''a
Well,al,hough it blew perfect gale,
we shook opt the reefs and set the top
gallant sails, our poor old ship burying
at every plunge. We were SO hemmed
in that neither tack would enable us to
lay clear Of the rocks. Instead Of gai-
nlng ground we fell more and more TO
lee-ward every tack, and that with less
and less sea room,for all the world like
being in tunnel wide at the mouth,
and growing narrower till itseemed to
run ~ nofhino. Itwas hold water. and