Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-01-26
Burly Captain Thomas


"Ay, ay," said Charlie. "Why should
forget?"
"Sumat better to think on, p'raps," said
the Captain. Fair weather, shipnate-
Respects, num-"
And away he went, feet wide apart, hands
in both pockets, and gait that of one who
used to rolling vessel, seems when Oh
land always to expect the world to give a
sudden lurch, and who tries to be on his
guard against it.
fearful eyes.
What did he mean, Charlie p
He is Captain Thomas, of the Bonnie
Lassle, love"
"Well?"
"And the Bonnie Lassie is your ship ?"
yes"
"And she sails Tomorrow week 2"
To-day week"
Charlie"
/ "Love"
"Of course the horrible thought never
entered your mind of going with her"
" | must"
"Oh no: you want to frighten me. l
couldn't live, you know Oh, Charlie, feel
like fainting Pm all alone have nobody.
Pa will never speak to me again. Charlie,
laugh-say It's all fun Janet"
81 wish could My dear, you knew
your husband was a sailor when you mar
ried him"
"Ycs; but never thought he would be
so cruel as to leave me. Charlie, | really
think l shall die"
Her pretty baby face was so white and
wan, and her hands so cold, that he was
! frightened They sat down upon bench
together, and then she pleaded TO go with
him-only to go with him any where and
any how.
"A long dangerous voyage. He could
not think of it." And her answer was:
a dangerous voyage And l to stay
at home and listen and hear the wind blow,
and think of you. Charlie stay at home if
you care for me-"
Poor Charlie He held her to his breast
in the shadow of the old Park, and tried to
teach her her first lesson-how money must
be earned, and how men must earn it; how
a sailor bred could be nothing but sailor ;
how as a man he must discharge his duty,
and never have to think that he had drag
! ged her from the sheltered home of luxury
to suffer poverty and all its ills how, in
/ fact,
"Men must work and women must weep,
And the sooner tbs over the sooner to sleep"
! 1t was very hard to learn, and the poor
girlwife could not comprehend it. AS for
/ going with him, old Captain Thomas, an old
/ fashioned sailor, who boasted that he never
/ "crept in at the cabin windows" and never
/ studied navigation out of a book, but fought
! his way up from cabin-bOy-that old salt
water would never have consented to have
a women on board, in view of all manner
oftraditionary ill-luck-storms, shipwrecks,
! etc, etc. There comes some such episode
to every young wife in a modified form.
Janet could see no necessity for this voy-
age Only cruel choice.
That fortnight all tears and lamentation.
That parting for six months-six eternities
to her Charlie and Janet had grief enough
in their two loving hearts to fill this world
and leave a surplus for some other.
At last the day came ,and he left her faint
ing and went crying like child.
Then Janet was all alone, and tholght
that she should die. When her tears re-
fused to flow so freely as at first, which was
not for many weeks, she found some COM
fort in an old piano, sweet-toned thing,
and very, very shabby, that stood in the
parlor of her clearinghouse, but her songs
were always sad wounded bird dying
in her nest and calling for her mate could
not have uttered notes more pitiful to lis
ten to- Only now and then when letter
came she frightened up for awhile. But
at last six months were gone and there
came no letter The ship must be at hand,
l A. 6 Il
be here very, very soon; but no Charlie
came those who waited for the Bonnie
/ fdssie saw her not. No letters, no Charlie;
another month-another- -another-still no
news One morning she stood by the win
dow watching and the landlady came to her.
She was good woman, and hesitated to
speak but her clearinghouse only kept
her out Of poverty, and this blue-eyed girl
was boarder after all. So she said Mrs
Oliver, don't like to tell you-but-but-,
"Oh you've heard i'll news of Charlie "
and Janet, turning with ashen cheek, clung
to her arm.
"No, my dear Oh no, thank goodness,
it's quite different Your husband paid
your board for six months in advance, you
/ know"
"Yes"
"Well-ahem. 1ts-its nearly e II
months since he went, and Pm quite poor,
and Pm often cheated, very often, and, the
| fact is, can you pay ME ?"
al? Oh no. Charles-Mr. Oliver will
settle with you the moment he returns"
"Y-e s-but it's no use mincing matters,
my dear. I'd be glad to wait But are you
sure he will come back? The sea is treach-
erous, land they say sailors have also, wife
in every port There, now, don't take on
so. Haven't you relations, or somebody
who will help you ?"
My father, I'll go to my father" said
poor Janet. He will forgive me no,c !" and
she left the house as weary child might
have done, longing for the good old breast
that used to be her shelter Far out of
town the homestead stood, and it's doors
were locked, and its windows barred against
her. A strange servant came at her sum
mons she had anticipated that, and writ