Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1868-12-16

watch off duty mustered, and come in !;
best hats, best Guernseys, washed hands
and faces, smoothed heads. But then
arose set of circumstances so rampantly
comical, 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-books on tables. Ship
rolling heavily. Pause. No minister.
Rumor has related that a modest young
clergyman on board has responded to the
captains request that he will ottlclate
Pause again, and very heavy rolling.
Closed double doors suddenly burst
open, and two strong stewards skate IN,
supporting minister between them. zen
eral appearance as of somebody picked up,
drunk and incapable, and under convey
ance TO station-house. Stoppage, pause,
and particularly heavy rolling. Stewards
watch their opportunity, and balance them
selves, but cannot balance minister; who,
struggling with a dropping head and a
backward tendency, seems determined to
return below, while they are as determined
that he shall be got to the reading-desk IN
mid-saloon. Desk portable, sliding away
down table, and aiming itself at the
breasts of various members OF the congre-
CATION. Here the double doors, which
have been carefully closed by other stew
ards, fly open again, and worldly passen-
ger tumbes in, seemingly with Pale Ale
designs who, seeking friend, says " Joe ~
Perceiving incongruity, says Hulto !!
Beg yer pardon :" and tumbles out again.
All this time the congregation has been
breaking up into sects,-as the manner OF
congregations often is,-each sect sliding
away 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 violent rolling. Stew
ards at length made dash ; conduct min
lister to the mast in the centre of the sa-
loon, which he embraces with both arms ;
skate out and leave him in that condi-
tion to arrange affairs with flock
There was another Sunday, when an
officer of the ship read the Service. 1t
was quiet and impressive, until we fell
upon the dangerous and perfectly un-
necessary experiment of striking up a
hymn After it was given out, We all
rose, but everybody left it TO somebody
else to begin. Silence resulting, the
officer mo singer himself) rather reproach-
fully gave Us the first line again, upon
which rosy pippin of an old gentleman,
remarkable throughout the passage for his
cheerful politeness, gave 4 little stamp
with his boot fas if he were leading off
country dance,l and blithely warbled us
into a show of joining At the end of the
first verse we became, through these tac-
ties, so much refreshed and encouraged,
that none of Us, howsoever unmelodius,
would submit to be left out of the second
verse; while as to the third we lifted up
our voices in a sacred howl that left II
doubtful whether We were the more boast
ful of the sentiments we united in profess
ing, or of protesting them with most dis
cordant defiance OF time and tune.
Lord bless Us" thought l. when the
first remembrance of these things made me
laugh heartily, alone in the dead water
gurgIing waste of the night, what time |
was wedged into my berth by a wooden
bar, or | must have rolled out of It, 4" what
errand was then upon, and TO what
Abyssinian point had public events then
marched ? No matter as TO me. And as
to them, if the wonderful popular rage for
a plaything utterly contounding in its in-
scrutable unreasonl had not then lighted
on a poor young savage boy, and poor
old screw of a horse, and hauled the first
of by the hair of his princely head to '' in
spect" British volunteers. and hauled the
second off by the hair of his equine tail TO
the Crystal Palace why so much the bet
ter for all of US outside Bedlam! ~
So, sticking to the ship, l was at the
trouble of asking myself would l like to
show the grog distribution in =" the fiddle"
at noon, TO the Grand United ANA gamated
Total Abstinence Society. Yes, | think |
should | think it would do them good
to smell the rum, under the circumstances.
Over the grog, mixed in bucket, presides
the boatswain's mate, small tin can in
hand Enter the crew, the guilty con-
sumers. the grown-up Brood of Giant Des-
pair, in contradiction to the Band Of youth
full angel Hope. Some in boots, some in
lcggings, some in tarpaulin overalls, some
In trocks, some in pea-coats, very few in
Jackets, most with southwestern hats, all
with something rough and rugged round
the throat all, dripping salt water where
they stand all pelted by weather, be-
smeared with grease, and blackened by the
sooty rigging.
Each mans knife in its sheath in his
girdle, loosened for dinner. As the first
man, with a knowingly kindled eye,
watches the filling of the poisoned chalice
(truly but very small tin mug. to be pro-
saic,l and, tossing back his head, tosses
the contents into himself, and passes the
empty chalice and passes on, so the second
man, with an anticipatory wipe of his
his turn, and drinks and hands, and passes
on In whom, and in each, as his turn
approaches, beams knowingly kindled
eye, brighter temper, and a suddenly
awakened tendency to be jocose with some
shipmate. Nor do [ even observe that the
man in charge oft the ships lamps, who in
right of his office has double allowance
of poisoned chalices, seems thereby vastly
degraded, even though he empties the
chalices into himself one after the other,
much as if he were delivering their con-
tents at some absorbent establishment in
which he had no personal interest But
vastly comforted | note them all to be, on
deck presently, even to the circulation OF
redder blood in their cold blue knuckles
and when | look up at them lying out on
the yards, and holding on for life among
the beating sails, cannot for my life see
the justice of visiting ON them-or on me
the drunken crimes ofany number OF Grim
inals arraigned at the heaviest Of Aslsses,
Abetting myself in my idle humour, |
closed my eyes and recalled life on board
of one of those mail packets, as lay, part