Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1865-07-08
MIscELL ANY.
CAPT. sisK BiLLasr,s STORY.

know, and though yOu reg Tar story wrl-
tars mayn't call IL romantic, think
4 the wind sets better that way blysc.E,
and there's bit of lovein it, too, though
would never think vas a subject for a
love story, to look at me.
I'm old enough, dye see, to feel safe
about the draft, aud brown enough to be
a Hostentot; and as for fesh-well, NO
matter, some of you slim young dandies
will be as stout as i am If yOu live as
long. Besides that fracaS at Gibraltar
didn't much improve my looks / will
tell Won about that before the story is
over. / reckon; but at present L Il bet
ter heave ahead.
Fat as am, aud old as am, there
was a time when / was as slender "a young
fellow as ever shipped afore the mast
agin his parents leave.
They, Lord bless 'eml wanted to make
a counter jumper of me, and / tried
measuring rags about year. Then
couldn't stand it any longer, and jump
ed the old counter for good, and cut and
went to sea. Id had a handkerin' for
it "A good while, and the only thing /
ever regretted was the way my poor
mother took it to heart.
Wait bit. Honor bright, there 9raS
one thing. That was Jenny Blush, old
Blush's only daughter, and the prettiest
glrl ever cast eyes on.
Her skin was Just as soft and fair as
any bahy'S As for her hair, I've got a
bit in my Did desk up stairs; and though
it's crosse tine ocean about a dozen
times, it's so bright now you'd take 1t
for a gold chain cooled down under the
bit OF blue ribbon it's tied with.
Old Blush was my captain ashore. L
mean to say, he was the head of the big
dry goods store where they first sent me
to measure rags, and Jenny used to come
over every day after ribbons, and calico,
and the like; and, Lord love We! L
don't find any fault with women folks
lookin' after such things, though it don't
seem mans place to sell 'em.
she looked mighty pretty when she
put 'em on, did Jenny. Father and old
Blush were fast friends, and when they
found out that / was sweet on Jenny.
they put their heads together and resolv-
ed to sanction the match. I was to be
taken into partnership, dye see, aud
was to step into the rag business when
the old man stepped out.
'.Dry Goods, Wholesale and Retail, !"
was on the sign; but 1 always called 'em
rags.
Well, Jenny and were fond of each
other, and knew it already; SO, the old
folks being agreeable, we saw good
deal of each other Sundays and eve
nings, to say nothing of the errands she
made to the store. And used to wish
could make up my mind to It and stay
ashore; but couldn't, not If I'd died
for it. heard the waves beating about
my head in dreams. hated the cloth
yard and the scissors SO they made me
sick.
One night / told JennysO. She cried
a bit; but by-and-by she owned that she
didn't hate me for it, aud we talked of
the time when j should be captain,
and she should make every voyage with
me, and have a cabin like parlor for
herself.
Then she let me kiss her. P'raps she
kissed me back; and / cut off the yellow
curl l told you of with pair of scissors
the only pleasant job ever did with
the confounded things in all my life.
That night L ran away, and though 1
blubbered like a baby when passed nv
mothers door. you could MT have coax
ed me back again. What man wants
to be he will be; and there are men
meant from their cradles for the water
as sartin as the fish are.
got letter from old NANNY that
cut me up, i don't deny; but / knew
she'd come around, and i did mt guess
the worst-hOw should i? When it first
came to me that man that sold rags
was better than a sailor il took NV
breath away. That was when i first
went home, dye see Nanny, she
scOlded and cried, and kissed me: but
Martha and Melinda, and brother Charles
Augustus pitched into me ferocious.-
Says they: '.Fou've disgraced your
famlly-we've been respectable, ginteel
folks all our lives, and now we're to
have common sailor for a brother" L
caught it-reg'lar gale; and father put
IN his oar regarding disobedience.-
When that came i cleared out and march
ed over to old Blush's. Nobody was at
home but Jenny, and she ran into nv
arms. Well, we were bling and cooling,
as sweethearts mostly do, 1 reckon, when
old Blush came home to tea. never
heard gale o wind roar louder than he
did when he saw me.
''What do you want here, STRIP saws
he.
Says i. Don't you recollect me.
Mr.. Blush? I'm Jack Ballast"
Says lac, 81 recollect you well enough.
and how dare you show your face here?''
Saws /, Il came to see my JENNY
's1Our Jenny? says he.~rs'My good
fellow, Miss Jenny Blush is no match
for common sailor before the mast;
and whatever there may have been be-
tween you when you were entitled to
my respect, Is all over now. You have
your choice of walking quietly out YOUR
self or of being kicked OUT
Any one but Jenny's father would
have been fioored for that. / Just look
ed down and saw my fists shut up of
themselves, and tried TO keep 'em so.
Says j, cool as L could, 81 don't mean
to be before the mast all my life, sir. II
expect to be captain some day
And says Old Blush, "a man with no
advantages. brought up to the sea.
might boast o that; but YOU might
have been partner In our firm, sir
You might have been q gentleman, and
had a good business in the dry goods
line as any man alive. And you Lave
chosen to be rowing rascal. And I'd
see my daughter in her grave before I'd
give her to you. Sam, show this per-
son out"
That was the niger Just come aboard
the parlOr will the coal hod. And wnen
he said that, my fists were beyond my