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

break, and, descending from my berth by
graceful ladder composed of half-opened
drawers beneath it, | would reopen my
outer headlight and my inner sliding win
dow CLOSED by watchman during the
Water Cure), and would look out at the
long-rolling, lead-colored, white-topped
waves over which the dawn, on a cold win
ter morning, cast level, lonely glance,
and through which the ship fought her
melancholy way at terrific rate. And
now. lying down again, awaiting the season
for broiled ham and tea, | would be COM
PEELED to listen to the voice of conscience,
the Screw.
1t might be, i'll some cases, 10 more that
the voice of Stomach. but called it in my
fancy by The higher name. Because in
seemed to me that we were all of us, all
day long, endeavoring to stiie the Voice.
Because it was under everybody's pillow,
everybody's plate, everybody's camp-stool
everybody's book, rybody's occupation.
Because, we pretended not to hear it. es-
pecially at meal-times, evening whist, and
morning conversation on deck but it was
always among US in an under monotone
not to be drowned in pea-soup, not to be
shuffied with cards, not 10 be diverted by
books, not to be knitted into any pattern
not to be walked away from. 1t was
smoked in the weediest cigar, and drunk
in the strongest cocktail it was conveyed
on deck at noon with limp ladies, who lay
there in their wrappers until the stars
shone it waited at table with the stew
ards; nobody could put it out with the
lights. 1t was considered las on shore) i'll
bred to acknowledge the Voice of Consci-
ence. 1t was not polite to mention it, One
squally day an amiable gentleman in love
gave much offence to 4 surrounding circle,
including the object of his attachment, by
saving of it, after it had goaded him over
two easy-chairs and a skylight, g Screw -
Sometimes it would appear subdued In
feeting moments when bubbles of cham
pagne pervaded the nose, or when there
was hot pot in the bill of fare, or when
an old dish we had had regularly every
day was described in that official document
by new name,-under such excitements,
one would almost believe it hushed, The
ceremony of washing plates on deck, per
formed after every meal by circle as of
ringers of crockery triple-bob majors for q
prize, would keep it down. Hauling the
reel, taking the sun at noon, posting the
twenty-four hours run, altering the ships
time by the meridian, casting the waste
food overheard, and attracting the eager
gullS that followed in our wake; these
events would suppress it for while. But
the instant any break Or pause took place
in any such diversion, the Voice would be
at it again, importUning Us to the last ex-
tent 4 newly married young pair, who
walked the deck affeetionately some twenty
miles per day, would, in the full flush of
their exercise, suddenly become stricken by
it, and stand trembling, but otherwise i'm
movable. under its reproaches
When this terrible monitor was most
severe with Us was when the time ap-
preached for our retiring to our dens for
the night. When the lighted candles in
saloon grew fewer and fewer. When the
deserted glasses with spoons in them grew
more and more numerous When waits of
toasted cheese and strays of sardines fried
in batter slid languidly to and fro in the
table-racks. When the man who always
read had shut up his book and blown out
his candle When the man who always
talked had ceased from troubling When
the man who was always medically reported
as going to have delirium tremens, had put
it off till tomorrow. When the man who
every night devoted himself to a midnight
smoke on deck. two hours in length, and
who every night was in bed within ten
minutes afterwards, was buttoning himself
p in his third coat for his hardy vigil
L L., Coll H.
entering our several hutches, came into a
peculiar atmosphere of bige-water and
Windsor soap, the Voice would shake Us to
the centre. Woe 10 US when we sat down
on cur sofa, watching the swinging candle
forever trying and retrying to stand upon
his head, or our coat upon its peg imitat-
ing US as we appeared in our gymnastic
days by sustaining itself horizontally from
the wall, in emulation of the lighter and
more facile towels, Then would the Voice
claim Us for its prey, and rend
Us all to pieces
Lights out, We in our berths, and the
wind rising, the Voice grows ancrier and
deeper. Under the mattress and under
the pillow. under the sofa and under the
washing-stand, under the ship and under
the sea, seeming to arise from the founda-
tions under the earth with every scoop of
the great Atlantic land o, why scoop so y
always the Voice. Vain to deny its exist
ence in the night season; impossible to be
hard of hearing Screw, Screw, Screw.
Sometimes it lifts out of the water, and re-
wolves with a whir, like a ferocious fire.
work,-except that it never expends itself,
but is always ready to go off again; some
times it seems to be aguish and shivers !;
sometimes it seems TO be terrified by its
last plunge, and has fit which causes it
to struggle, quiyer, and for an instant stop.
And now the ship sets in rolling, as only
ships so fercely screwed through time and
space, day and night, fair weather and foul
can roll
Did she ever take a roll before like that
last? Did she ever take roll before like
this worse one that is coming now7 Here
is the partition at my ear down in the deep
on the lee side. Are we ever coming up
again together? / think not the partition
and | are so long about it that really
do believe we have overdone it this time.
Heavens, what q scoop. What deep
scoop, what a hollow scoop, what long
scoop VIII it ever end, and can we bear
the heavy mass of water we have taken on
board, and which has let loose all the table
furniture in the officers mess, and has
beaten open the door of the little passage
between the purser and me, and is swash-
ing about, even there and even here2 The
purser snores reassuringly, and, the ships
bells striking, L hear the cheerful =. All's
WELL" Of the watch musically given back
the length of the deck, as the lately diving
An IN a,