The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-12-27
Ghe eNtm Orleans Crescent.
NEW UNCOMMERCIAL SAMPLES.
BY CHARLES DICKENS.
ABOARD SHIP

Ny journey as Uncommercisl Traveller for the
firm OF Human Interest Brothers have not slack
ened since last reported of them, bat have kept
me continually On the move. l remain dn the
same IDLE employment. i never solicit an order,
never get any commission am the rolling
stone that gathers no moss-unless any should by
chance be found among these samples.
Some half year ago | found myself 10 my
idlest, dresmiest and least accountable condition
altogether, on board ship. in the harbor of the
city q New York, In the United States OF Amer
lea. OF all the good ships sfloat. mine was the
gcod steamship Russia, Captain Cook, Cunard
Line. bouhd for Liverpool. What more could
wish for?
had nothing to wish for but prosperous pas
sage. Nv saladdays. when was green OF vsage
and seasicK, being gone with better things land
worse) no coming event cast its shadow before.
might bat a few moments previously have imi-
tated Sterne, and said =" And yet methinks, Eu.
geniusm-lsying my forefuger wistfuiy on his
coat sleeve thus" and yet, methinks, Eugenius,
'ris but sorry work to part with thee, for what
fresh felds, my dear Engenius, can be fresher
than thou art, and in what pasture shall | find
Eliza-or call her, Eugenins If thou wilt, Annier'
/ say might have done this, but Eugenius was
gone, and hadn't done it.
] was resting on q skylight on the hurricane
deck watching the working of the ship very
slowly about, that she might head for England.
1t was high noon on a most brilliant day in April,
and the beautiful bay was glorious and glowing.
Full many time on shore there had seen the
until il lay deep in all the ways of men, and par
ticuarly, as il seemed, in my way, for had not
gone dry shod many hours for months. Within
TWO or three days last passed had watched the
feathery fall setting In with the ardor OF new
idea, instead of dragging at the skirts of worn
out winter, and permitting glimpses OF fresh
young spring. But bright sun and clear sky
had melted the snow in the great crncible OF ma
ture, and it had been poured out again that morn
ing over sea and land, transformed into myriads
of gold and silver sparkes.
The ship was fragrant with flowers. Some
thing of the old Mexican passion for flowers may
have gradually passed INTO North America, where
flowers are luxuriously grown and tastefully
combined in the richest profusion; but, be that
as ii may, such gorgeous farewells in flowers had
come on board that the small officers cabin on
deck, which tenanted, bloomed over into the ad'
iacent scuppers, and banks Of other flowers that
it couldn't hold made garden of the unoccu'
pied tables in the passengers saloon. These de-
licious scents OF the shore, mln2ling with the
fresh airs of the sea, made the atmosphere a
dreamy, an enchanting one. And SO, with the
watch sloft setting all the sails, and with the
screw below revolving at mighty rate, and
occasionally giving the ship angry shake for
resisting, fell into my idlest ways and lost my
self.
As. for instance, whether 1t was l was lying
there, or some other entity even more mysteri-
ous was matter / was far too lazy TO look into.
What cid il signify to me If 1t were l-or, to the
more my sterious entity, II II were heg Equally as
or by him-why ask when or where the things
happened? Was it not enough that they befeD at
some imes somewhere!
lnere was that assisting at the church service
on board smother steamship, one Sunday, in a stif
breeze. Perhaps on the passage out. No matter.
Pleasant to hear the ships bells go, as like church
bells as they could; pleasant TO see the watch of
duty mustered, and come in; best hats, best
Guernseys. washed hands and faces, smOothed
heads But then arose set Of circumstances so
rampantly comicsl, that no check which the
gravest intentions could put upon them would
hold them in hand. Thus the scene. Some seventy
passengers assembled at the saloon tables Prayer
looks on tables. Ship rolling heavily. Pause.
No minister. Rumor has related that modest
young clergyman on board has responded to the
captains request that he will oficiate. Pause
sgain, and very heavy rolling.
Closed double doors suddenly burst oDen, aud
two strong stewards skate in supporting minister
between them. General appearances, as of some
| body picked up, drunk and incapable, and under
| conveyance TO station-house. Stoppsge, pause,
| and particularly heavy rolling. Stewards watch
their opportunity, and balance themselves, but
| cannot balance minister, who, struggling with a
| dropping head and a backward tendency, seems
| determined that he shall be got TO the reading
| desk n mid saloon. Desk portable, sliding away
down long table and aiming itself at the breasts
| of various members Of the congregation. Here
the double DOORS which have been carefully closed
| by other stewards, fly open again, and worldly
| passenger tumble in, seemingly with Pale Ale
designs, who, seeking friend, says, Joe " Per-
| ceiving incongruiy, says, Hullo Beg yonr
pardOn !" and tumbles out again. All this time
The congregation have been breaking up into sect:
| -es the manner Of congregation often is-each
| sect sliding by itself, and all pounding the weak
| est sect which slid first into the corner. Utmost
point of dissent soon attained in every corner, and
| viole nj rolling. Stewards at length make dash
| conduct minister 10 the mast IN the center OF
| saloon, which he embraces with both arms skate
cot and leave him in condition to arrange ahairi
| with flock.
There was another Sunday when an officer Of
| the ship read the service. Ii was quiet aud in
pressive, until we fell upon the dangerous and
| perfectly unnecessary experiment OF striking NJ
| hymn After it was given out we ell arose, bn
every body left it to somebody else to begin
| Silence resulting, the otdcer (no singer himself
rather Teproschfuy gave us the first line again
upon which rosy pippin OF an old gentleman
remarkable throughout the passage for his cheer
full poleness, gave little stamp witt his boot
as If be were leading of country dance, anC
blithely wsrbled as into a show of joining. A
the end of tie first verse We became, througl
these tactics, so much refreshed and encouraged
that none of us, howsoever unmelooiOus, woulC
submit to be left out Of the second verse; whil'
as to the third. lifted up our voices in sacred
howl that left II doubtful if we were the NOR
boastful of the sentiments we united in profess
ing, or protesting them with a most discordan
defiance OF time and time.
lord bless g." thought I, when the fresh re
membrance of these things made me laug
heartily, alone in the dead water. gurgling vast
of the night, what time | was wedged into N!
birth by wooden bar, or must have rolled on
of it, "whst errsnd was then upon, and TO wha
| Abyssinisn point had public events then marched
| No matter as 10 me. And as TO them, if the won
| derful popular age for a plaything utterly con
| founding in its nscrutable unreason) had not the
lighted on poor young savage boy, and poo
old screw Of q horse, and hauled the first off b.
| the hair of his princely head to inspect BIRTHS
| volunteers, and haulec the second on by the hal
| Of his equine tail 10 the Crystal Palace, why s
| much the better for all Of us outside Bedlam."
So, sticking 10 the ship i was at the trouble OF
| asking myself would like to show the grog dis
tribution in ''the iddei at Doon to the Gran
United Amalgsmated Total Abstinence society
| Yes, think should. think 1t would do then
coed to smell the rum, under the circumstances
| Over tie grog, mixed in bucket, pIesdes th
| boatswan's mate, small tin in hand. Enter thu
crew. the guilty consumers, the grown up broo
| of Giant Despair, in coniradstinction to ID
band of youthful angel Hope. Some in boots
some in leggins, some in tarpaulin oyeralls. som
in frocks some 10 pea coats, very few 10 jacket:
most with sou'wester hats. all with somethin
rough and ragged round the throat all drippin
saltwater where they stand all pelted by weati
|. err besmesTed with grease, and blackened by III
sooiy rigging.