The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1868-11-26
Written for the Commercial Printing Gazette.
A NAVAL OFFICERS STORY.
BY t. ]. p. RINTER.

"Mr, c., the Captain wishes
you to step into the cabin for a mo-
ment, before you retire"
These words, addressed to me by
the Captains messenger boy, aroused
me from the dreamy reverie into
which l had fallen as l leisurely
paced the narrow hurricane deck Of
the trim little gunboat Grapeshot
which place had sought for the
purpose of enjoying my cigar, and in
hopes of catching whatever faint
breeze might fan the surface of the
limpid waters of Albemarle Sound.
All day long the fierce Southern sun
had shone down upon them and been
reflected from the mirror-like face
with an intensity and eneryating in
fuence known only to those who
have passed day on a southern sea
during a calm.
Weeks had passed since our sue.
cessful bombardment and capture OF
Forts Hatteras and Clark, during
which time we had been stationed in :
side the Inlet, to guard the port, and
assist the garrison in case the rebels
should attempt to recapture the po-
sition after the departure of the lars-
or vessels and main body of troops.
But nothing had transpired to break
the monotony of our every day life
except it might be an occasional
glimpse of one of the feet. footed
rebel gunboats, that run down from
Newbern once in while to see if we
still retained our position, and waste
little ammunition by firing a shot
or two at us from SO long a range
that the balls fell short about half a
mile. One old "salt" congratulated
himself upon the fact that we would
soon have to trip our anchor and
move OF we would ground on our own
beef bones. Another declared it as
his belief that we had gone into the
"coolie trade, !" and were waiting un-
til our anchor had sunk through the
quick sands to Chiua, where they
would hook on whole string which
we would haul up with the windlass
AS for myself, the effects of this
long continued inactivity were plainly
evident. Instead of the light heart.
ed, buoyant spirits and genial good
nature, for which | was noted wher
l first dOnned my uniform as an off,
Ger in the volunteer navy of the
United States, | had become peevisf
and ill-natured, and was fasS losing
the love and respect Of the men un.
der my command, who had beef
drilled and worked almost incessant
", in the vain endoavor to drive ava,
the terrible ennui which weighed me
down like q nightmare.
AS l walked the deck this evening
my thoughts had unconsciously gon,
back to the little room of my hoard
ing house in New York city, and t.
that particular evening, over tive
years ago, which had witnessed the
last meeting of the 7. j. p. club
and | wondered when and where tn,
club would meet again-whether al
its members would be present, O.
would some of the places be made va
cant by the chances Of WARRIOR al
had joined 10 the struggle, either oI
one side or the other, each as his ma
tivity or inclinatious prompted. AnC
| recalled the pale, sorrowful face o
Harry s., who remained after tn,
rest had all departed, ia order to re
veal to at least one friendly, sympa-
thizing heart the history of the pas
year, and the seemingly utter wrecl
of his hopes for the future.
Harry was the only son of a Bos-
ton merchant had been kept at tn
best schools, his father intending t
give him thorough mercantile edu
cation, SO that he might be competen
to take charge of his business whe
he become too old to attend to
himself. But Harry had scarcel
reached his seventeenth birthday
when the failure of his father in bus
iness, followed by his sudden death
forced him to leave the college h
had. just entered, and seek for som
employment by which to tighten tn
load Of poverty so rudely thrust up
on his mother. For, upon the settlin
of the affairs Of the deceased husban
and father, the widow found herse
reduced to absolute penury. Harr
was oftoo noble disposition to al
low him to add anything to h
mothers burdens. Therefore, throw
ing aside the bright aspirations {
his youth, he sought and obtained
situation as apprentice in psintin
Office, where by his assiduity an
quickness he soon gained the goo
will Of his employer, who gave hi