Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1845-11-22

. en'eTeu DIS STATE room, ana IN Few minutes
his gruff voice was heard calling for the Stew.
ard. That important functionary soon opened
the door OF the state room, and thrust within it
his sable vsage.
Steward = exclaimed the skipper with a
tremulous accent indicating alarm, 'fnd me a
clean shirt
Clean shirtsall gone, sare.'
'All gone What do you mean Get me
shirt at once, and don't stand grnning there
Your last clean shirt, massa captain, you put
on yesterday morning, when you came ashore,
and that would hardly keep together, it was so
old, and all the others have gone to be washed.
Here's pretty predicament,' growled Crab
tree, invited ont to dinner, und can't 60 for
want of Shirt Oh! it is too bad.-Steward I'd,
what shall do!'
Better wear the old one, sare, suggested the
Stewart.
That's out Of the question, enowball,' replied
Crabree, Il fonnd it unseaworthy when took
it off, and threw it out of the cabin window
'Ah said barkey, that's very bad. I
spect shall have to lend you one of my check
shirts that scrubbed nice and clean in the salt
water 'totber day.
BE off, you stupid blockhead. You lend me
checked shirt Away with you on deck,
and as the Steward with ii broad grin overspread-
| ing the whole OF his face. successfully lodged
a 'Bowdtch's Epi,ome' aimed at his head, and
darted up the companion-way, Captain Crab
trees countenance kindled with gleam of sa-
| tisiaction. Il have it, said he, Il have it, he
repeated with all the enthusiastic JOY of the Sy-
racusan sage when he united kno,ty problem
| in mathematics-and he fastened to avail him.
self of the wise thought which had just popped
into his head
Now Captain Crabtree had very neat dickey
in his trunk. A dickey, as every one knows, is,
or was, shirt bosom with q handsome collar
attached, and would serve on pinch as very
good apology for clean shirt-indeed, danties
in those days often dispensed with shirt for
weeks anc months together. Crabree with
degree of presence of mind and trutfulness in
expedients, which were characteristic of that
worthy seaman, resolved to fret himself no Ion.
ger for the absent shirt, but to make the dckey
do double duty on the important occasion.
He arrayed himself accordingly, looked in
his glass and admired his appearance. He felt
cool and comfortable, too-and that was some
thing gained on sultry day in July.-He even
began to entertain the idea of discarding alto
gether, as superfuous, that article Of dress
which he had hitherto considered indispensable,
especially when in full dress.-In the mean
time, as he had a strange habit of throwing oil
his coat when oppressed by heat, without much
regard to his company or circumstances, he took
the precaution to prevent such an awkward oc-
currence on the present occasion, by stitching
his coat and black velvet vest together.
At the appointed hour, Captain Crab,ree en-.
tered the mansion of the German nobeman,
where he was received with marked courtesy BY
the Count, and gentlemen, principally natives
of Denmark. Crabtree understood no language
but his mother tongue, but by dint of a tolerable
assurance and emphatic gestures, he got llong
tolerably well. Dinner passed off and the
wine, as is usual abroad, circulated freely.
Crabtree found himself somewhat in melting
mood, and soon ceased to remember the pecui.
arity of his costume.
When dinner was over he was challenged by
a young lady to play game of billiards. The
greater part OF the company adjourned to the
billiard room to be witnesses OF the game-and
| the Captain after few unsuccessful strokes
with his cue, invountarIly essayed To throw off
his coat, declaring that he could never play
well with that heavy garment on. The coat
clune with sort OF iraternal effect to the vest,
but the mpetuous sailor could not take the hint,
or brook delay. Another desperate effort, a
couple of buttons gave way, and the coat and
vest, being unwilling TO part company, were
both stripped off, and thrown trumphanty on a
chair when 10 4! The Captain stood in the midst
of the assembly, graspiug his cue with bust.
ness.like air, and arrayed as if for pugilislic
contest in the prize ring
A scream from the ladies', and some emphatic
excamations from the gentlemen, first reminded
the forgetful sailor that something was wrong.
He glanced at his bare arms, ther caught
view of his whole person in large mirror, and
the truth rushed upon his mind like flash of
lightning. The dckey was doing all it could
to supply the place Of more ample garment,
but it was wofuy deficient in dimensions--snd
to the astonished Captain seemed shrunk to half
its usual size
Captain Crabtree dropped his cue, gave sort
of convulsive iump which would do credit To a