True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1857-11-11
Anynteresting Stotg.
THE COMMoDORE's FILTRATION.
by FREDERICK w. SAUNDERS.

"Come Jack, spir us yarn, will you !
or do something to pass the time for to
my thinking we are getting confoundedly
dull" remarked one of party Of mid
shipmen, who were laziiy reclining upon
The various articles of furniture pertain.
ing to THEN somewhat limpid Quarters,
with their hands and feet firmly hooked
on to some stationary object, TO prevent
their being thrown into the lee scuppers
by the violent motion of the ship, as she
plunged heavily through the opposing
waves in her home ward track across the
stormy North Atlantic. "Come Jack,
how about that yarn! he repeated, as the
individual addressed made no sign.
"What yarn, l don't know any. I've
told you ali the yarns I Can remember"
responded Jack, bringing himself to sit
ting position, and brushing the heavy
black curls from his handsome forehead.
"What sort Of story would you like"
90, anything; I'm not particular.-
You ought 10 be able to give us a good
nautical story-you are naughty enough
everybody knows"
81 think that epilhet will apply to
more than one OH board this ship" re-
turned Jack, with glin. "but did | ever
tell you how Tommy Tompkins circum-
navigsted the Commodore when we were
up the Straits, in the Somepunkins' last
cruise You know Tommy don't you
Well, it was at the tail end of the cruise
he joined us, while we we're laying at
Gibraltar, and a1olly good fellow he
was. as ever carried glass into a top
But he was rather too fond of lark, now
and again, to get along very smoothly
with the superior officers. That, how
ever, did not make him any the less liked
by the mids, as you may suppose.
lie succeeded, before leaving Gibral.
tar, in gaining the i'll will of the Como.
dore by rrick or two played upon him
but Tommy cared little for that, as we
were so soon 10 be homeward bound.-
However, nothing very serious occurred,
until, leaving Gibraltar, we haaled round
to MarseiIles. The ship was to lay there
some time, and we (always meaning the
mids) promised ourselves no little fun
running about the town to the theatres
Opera-houses, and the like, 10 say nothing
Of little flirting upon an occasion, that
of course being understood. Nor were
we altogether disappointed in our exPcc'
tation. The FIRST two or three weeks
nearly all of us were ashore daily, ant
you may believe, we let slip no oppOrtu
nifty of diverting ourselves at any ones
expense. The commodore was ashore
almost constantly, and it was not long
before Tommy-who was always pryin@
into every body's alfairs-discovered tha
he was carrying on desperate filtration
with an alarmingly pretty little gipsey
The daughter Of high municipal ofiice
of the city. How Tommy discovered
the fact am unable to say, or by whs
means he managed 10 find out that th'
commodore was to accompany the young
lady to the opera The following evening
! am equally ignorant; but DO know
That wien he made known his discovery
we were all seized with an irIesistabl
desire to behold the potent damsel VIII
had captivated the U. S. Mediterranean
squadron, and the easiest method to ac
complish this desirable object was unani
noasly voted to be 10 secure box 70
the ensuing opera night.
"With this object in view. Tomm
spent the next day waiting at the. box Of
fee TO ascertain which one would be take
by the American Commodore, and thi
accomplished, 10 secure the box adjoining
Accordingly, when the evening arrived
IL found US four mids--which were 4