The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-01-27

d regular OLD sea-dog, out OF Isle of Man. and mis-
shpmates called him Brawny Back, or else B. b..
and so they all knew him, and don't know what
his shipping name might be; apd tother -
tother was goodlooking young one, had
come aboard IN hne gentleman toys but he
maze as good sailor as ever spliced knot
the more credit to him, for such generally
mopes and gets down in the mouth, not know
ing how to take hard work-he was mighty
proud, though, but everybody liked him, and
ms name-a was queer name now, but | can't
can IL 10 mnnd-hum-Jasper? Yes, that was
n-oaSper! Funny name, now matey, wasn't
IL! Ha, he, the idea of man going under
such flag as-Jasper, when there's such sar-
viceable names as John, and Bill, and Ben.
and Jacob, to be had for the taking Was Jas
per the one you were in s'arch of? We'll. now.
I'm really glad you have a chance for his life.
tor he was a fine lad, and took to his work as
easy as you please-a was a good sailor too.
could do his trick at the wheel, as if he had
been born to it. Fleming? don't know, indeed.
Jasper was the only name he went by aboard
shp-you see we don't bother our heads about
a chaps name and pedigree, we ships officers,
SO he's lively and likely, and han't got too much
OF the hang-dog, or Sydney-cov look abont
him. faint every good seaman as can show a
clean bill of health from his last port but it
wont do to quarantine them for that Runa-
ways mostly make the best sailors, and the very
meanest sneak l ever see was a lubberly six
loot 'armOunter, who shipped aboard baraue
was mate in His hair was full of hay seed,
and he looked ever so Innocent, with letters from
the minister tn hum, recommending him to
all, as good Christian, and a piously-disposed
young man, whereas he wasn't good for any
thing but to clean out pig pens and slop the
cows, besides being somewhat of thief. He
stole my ducks, know. No; | don't know
anything more about Jasper, only what I've
told you. He shipped the day before we sailed,
ana appeared precious anxious to get off-and
| wish you may find him--and you're perfectly
weicome--and now, niatey, take a pipe, while
chaw up some 'baccy, for this talking makes
fellow monstrous dry. Ever see such fine
country, matey? We're going to settle here,
me and Oaha, and here I'm going to keep these
battered and sprung old pegs in quod, and
dream OF the poor boys aholt the tarred ropes,
until such time as it shall please las the par
sons say the Big Captain up yonder to have
all hands plped to quarters. What, matey. off
aready? Well, good bye, if you will go. Short
visit, though, after coming so far to see me
Thank you none the less, though Likely, if
Brawny Back -and-Jasper, oh yes JAS
per, are IN the land of the living, you'll find 'em
working their way aboard some whaler, cruis
ing ever so far away, under the lee of Japan
orup yonder at that Peterowsky Rooshian place
or III the deep grounds, off ST. Helena But
matey, to my mind, going in s'arch of them's
IKE making voyage after ambergreese. They
III be hard to find. Best stay here till they come
round into this neighborhood. No? Well.
good bye, matey, and God bless We, and hope
yell find EN- all safe and sound and hearty, for
you're the true grit, you are"
Richard shook hands with him, and walked
away, leaving him still lying there on the turf
with a pipe at his mouth, and the blue wreaths
of smoke hanging over him lying there and
listening dreamily, with half closed ewes to the
swish of the ripples on the sand, the little spark
ling ripples murmurng as they came of the long
Pacific wave; while Oaha, propping his head
against her bronze bare bosom, famed him
daintily with her fan of gay feathers, and looked
wonderingy after the stranger who had come
81 s tar Sysr d bhs meaning waters to say very
fair ldyl, this, and deserves to be memtdr1gaSva
IN Iennyson's verse:
They sa, them down upon the yellow sand,
And sweet il was TO di cam of Falherland
Ofchild, and wife, and slave; but evcrmore
Most weary seemed The sea- weary the oar
Weary the wandering fields OF barren foam
Then some one said. We will return no more
Aud all al once they sang Our island home
Il lar beyond the wave; We Will no longer roan' :"
Dut the LOtoS lSlanuS nau no controlling
spell for Richard. However they might make
him long for rest and dreams, and imspissate his
blood with the soft languors born of their air
and sky, his purpose was still ahead Of him,
like pillar of cloud which he must perforce
follow as it listed Jasper not found, there was
no rest for him. He must bring back his olive
branch to the ark, ere he could stay his weary
foot
OFF he sped again, for some of the other
islands, inquiring as he went, and leaving direc
tons to have his inquiries prosecuted. Thence
to Valparaiso, to ascertain if any seal6shers had
been down the coast. Here his fidelity to his
purpose little rewarded. There had been
no seal-fshers lately, but there was whaer in
port, homewaPd bound and from her he learned
enough to make it probable that Jasper was
alive. The ship had spoken another whaling
vessel off the coast of Japan, some months pre-
vious, and in the social gam : that had come
off between the respective crews, it had trans
pired that two of this ships crew had been
rescued, in a state of starvation, from an open
boat off the Straits of Magellan, about year
previous and these men had belonged to the
crew of the Clipper which had been wrecked
The men called themselves Jasper and Brawny
Back. The ships name was the Fllrt and she
was now somewhere in the Northern Seas, after
whale, with half cargo. She had been to the
Friendly Islands, and careened there.
The sturdy old gardener, after dispatching a
letter home, seized the first opportunity Offering
to sail in the direction of the Friendly Islands
He was very hopeful now, and his tough old
sinews were as serviceable as ever.
Speed on, thou trusty faithful old soul-speed
on, for there is need of thee and what thou
canst do.
NoTE.-In calling this story of mine EN-
phatically Romance, ! deem myself screened
from all accusations pointing at the relations Of
" things which never happened as, for in
stance, the wreck of the Clipper and some
after adventures, narrated in Chapters XII and
XIII For the province OF Fiction is inclusive
of all that is probable. If | have shown that,
granting such and such premises certain
things were likely to have happened in the man
ner set FORTH then / have, think, discharged
all the duty | owe to the reader in this regard.
You. have right TO laugh at Othello, if you
behold him (by means of his impersonator, the |
actor attempting to STAY Desdemona with the
hill Of has dagger, for that is an offence against
probability, but you do not get angry with the |
stage manager for putting in action before you
" counterfeit presentments of persons who
never existed, and representations of deeds that
never TRANSFERRED. | claim the right to feign my
incidents as | have feigned my characters and
if these are not dressed ridiculously, and those
not conducted bunglingy shall demand of
every well-disposed reader the customary "cos
XII
Hop the Gardener Sends a Letter.
Things have changed at the Hall, from the
position in which Richard left them. Ruth has
now an office, happily for her, and well does she
discharge it. At first, her grief was most poig-