The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1870-04-01
GENTLE JACK.

There is q high wind and a high
tide i'm a little town on the Sussex
coast this Christmas-eve. 1t is a
gay little town in its brief season, and
asks wicked prices for its small lOdg-
ings, its provisions, and crazy carria-
ges but now il is doing penance for
all its pleasant little summer vices
Its winter sackclOth, cold and black,
is about it; and it is strewn, il not
with ashes, with its beach stones,
which the waves tear up and cast
about them, paying back the attacks
| that all the idle lOungers have made
upon them i'm the same manner
through the summer time. The par
ade has vanished from view as utter
ly as have the bright thrOngs that
walked there i'm the moonlight and
music of last tSeptember. 1t is hidden
completely by the sable company of
waves that dance there to their OWN
and the winds music, and that on
such a night as this even cross the
road, and beat for admittance OH the
windows of the front lOdging-hOuses,
and mOckingly remind the landladies,
as they shut them out, that they will
have no more eligible lOdgers than
themselves yet for weary while.
What light there is is surely con-
centrated in one spOt-a shingly cor
ner behind the town, where bathing
machines, with their ladders drawn
up, stand like dogs with their tails
between their legs. Very white and
cold they look, cOntrasted with the
black cottages facing them, and the
black forge that sends out light strong
enough to be seen by travellers on dis
tant lonely roads i'm this fiat country !;
sailor lads and men, with handker-
chief bundles, going home to spend
Christmas; and sisters and daughters
and sweethearts out at service COM
ing home to meet them.
The work of pudding-making Is go
ing on hOtly i'm the cottages; and the
turned-out husbands who won't stone
raisins, chop suet, or mind baby, take
refuge in the forge; where, with faces
like red Indian in the light of the
smithy fire, they are listening to a
story of the town, well suited to such
q night.
When first came to this forge (he
had begun), my neXt-dOOr neighbors
were a family of the name of Hurlan.
They were a sea-faring family, by
which / mean they all got their living
| by the sea. There was Joe Hurlan,
tall, 1.-the, strapping, blackeyed, with
fury of a temper, who sailed his lit
tie fishing-boat, and earned the
pounds. There was old Mary, his
wife, fat, round, blue-eyed, placid,
kept her bathing machines, taught
the lady-visitOrs to swim, ducked
their children, and earned the shil-
lings. There was young Mary-slim,
hlue-eyed, and placid too, dried the
towels and bathing-dresses on the
beach, and earned the pence. There
were five small boys and five small
girls, who went out to sea along with
father, and carried towels and gowns
to and fro between young Mary on the
shingle and old Mary with her ma
chimes on the sands, and earned the
halfDence. Eleven children, and
father and mother, you would think
enough for the sea to have to provide
with food, and blue gowns, and blue
shirts, and tarpaulins, and mushroom
hats, But this was not all: there was
likewise a nephew of JOe's, a CHEEKY;
happy sort Of lad; who by
turns helped Joe to earn the pounds,
old Mary the shillings, young Mary
the pence, and, the small fry the half
pence. To tell the truth, i think he
liked helping with the pence best.
Now though this lnd w&s the son of
Joe Hurlan's own and only brother,
whose bones had never been laid dust
to dust, but were contained among
the mysteries of the deep sea- and
though il had been JOe's own act TO
take the lad from his widowed moth
er, it was only too well known that
uncle and nephew did not pull well
together. Watching them at work,
you would say il was no wonder.
Joe Hurlan was clever, quick as
thought I'm his movements, industrl-
Gus, brave as a lion, and too often not
only as brave but as furious and dan
gerous. Bitter words and sometimes
bitter cries were heard from JOe's boat
by those who cast their nets near
them and even Oh shore, Ive heard
the coast guard say, ashe caught some
sounds out at sea, "rhere's Hurricane
Joe at il again"
Yet to meet Joe Hurlan i'm an Ordi-
nary way was to meet a right pleas
ant fellow, sound and true, who could
spin a yarn-eh! couldn't he spin the
very ale fiat and the pipes out, and
show you tempest, Joe could, any
minute, as If he had it in his pocket? I?
He was not far past forty, but he call
ed himself old Joe.
Now young Jack Hurlan was SO
much the contrary i'm temper and
manner to Joe, that he was called
Fairweather Jack and Gentle Jack I;
and harmless, happy, good humOr-
ed soul he was.
That Jack was bred by the sea-shoTe
there was no mistaking. Hair, face,