The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1868-11-12
From the Atlantic Monthly. ]
KENTUCKY'S GHOST.
ICoNTINUED.

Kentucky Hodge.
''from his Affecshunate mother
who prays for you every day, Amen"
The boy turned fust red, then white,
and Strengthened up quite Sudden, but
he never said a word, only sat down
again and let us laugh it out. I've lost
my reckoning.if if he ever heard the last
of it. He told me one day how he came
by the name, but 1 forget exactly.
Something about an old fellow-uncle,
l believe-as died in Kentucky, and
the name was moniment-like, you see
He used to seem cut up bit about 1t
at first, for the lads took to it famously;
but he got used to it in week or two,
and, seeing as they meant him no un-
kindness, took it quite cherry.
One thing | noticed was that he
never had the book about after that
He fell into our ways next Sunday,
more easy.
They don't take the Bible just the
way you would, Tomas a general
thing, sailors don't; though | will say
that | never saw the man at sea who
didn't give it the credit of being an I'm
common good yarn.
But tell you, Tom Brown, l felt
sorry for that boy. It's punishment
bad enough for little scamp like him
to leave the honest shore; and folks to
home that were a bit tender of him may
be, to rough it on a trader, learning how
to slush down back-stay, or tie reef
points with frozen fingers in snow
squall.
But that's not the worst fit, by nc
means. If ever there was cold-blOod'
ed, cruel man, with wicked eye and a
fist like amalet, it was Job Whitmarsh
taken at his best And | believe, 0.
all the trips I've taken, him being The
mate of the Madonna, Kentucky found
him at his worst. Bradley-that's the
second mates-was none too gentle in
his ways, you may be surej but he ney.
er held candle to Whitmarsh. He
took a spite to the boy from the first,
and he keptit on steady strain to the
last, right along, just about 50
I've seen him beat that boy till the
blood ran down in little pools on deck
then send him up, all wet and red, to
clear the to'sail halliards; and when,
what with the pain and faintness, he
dizzied little, and cldng to theratlines
half blind, he would have him down and
fog him till the cap'n interfered,-
which would happen occasionally on 0
fair day when he had taken just enough
to be good-natured. He used to racl
his brains for the words he slung at thu
boy working quiet enough beside him
1t was odd, now, the talk he would ge
off Bob Smart couldn't any mor
come up to it than | coudi we used t.
try sometimes, but we had to give il
always If curses had been market.
able, Whitmarsh would have taken ou
his patent and made his fortune by in
venting of them, new and ingenious
Then he used to kick the lad down tn,
fo'6astIe ladder; he used to work him
sick or well, as he wouldn't have work
ed a dray-horse; ne used TO chase tn
lad all about deck at the ropes end; h
used to mast t-head him for hours on tht
stretch; he used to stafve him out Ii
the hold. 1t didn't come in my line tt
be over-tender, but | turned sick a
heart, Tom, more times than one, look
ing on helpless, and me great stou
fellow.
remember noW==don't know as Pv
thought of it for twenty years-a thinl
McCallam said one night; McCallar
was Scoteh,-an old fellow with gra
hair; told the best yarns on The fo'cas
tie always.
"Mark my words, shipmates," say
he, "when Job Whitmarsh's time come
to 90 as straight to hell as Judas, tha
. boy will bring his summons Dead o
alive, thatboy will bring his summons
One day recollect especial that tn
lad was sick with fever on him, an!t
took to his hammock. Whitmarsl
drove him on deck, and ordered hin
y aloft / was standing near by, trim
ming the spanker. Kentucky stagger
f ed for'ard a little and sat down. Their
e was a ropes-end there, knotted thre
times. The mate struck him.
"Tm very, weak, sir" says he.
He struck him again. He struck hi
: twice more. They boy fell over a littl'
} and lay where he fell.
} | don't know what allied me, but a
I of a sudden / seemed to be lying Q
Long Wharf, with the clouds the colo
q of silver, and the air the color of gol'