Daily Kennebec journal., 1870-05-27
NO. 126.


never ill-tempered, never dull or dispirit-
ed, and though frank and bright in man
ner, never transgressed the limits of maid
eniy propriety She was quite aware of
the fact that she was extremely pretty,
and she had an irresistible tendency tow
ard innocent Irritation. Had l been
younger man, or had Dick not possesseda a
wife and a quantity of children at home,
one or both of us would certainly have re-
hearsed the world-old drama of idle love,
with Mary Ellis in the leading female role,
as the critics would say.
As for Mr. Jones, he was the last man
whom any one would have deemed capable
of sentiment of any sort. He was old
for although he said he was only thirty
five, rough weather and wild, dissolute
life had made him much older than his
years. His complexion was nearly the
color of mahogany when it is thoroughly
oiled, though it lacked the polished sur
face which is generally associated with
that article in its manufactured state. His
hair was grizzled and unkempt, and an ugly
scar. which stretched across his forehead
the memorial of desperate fight with
a mutinous crew-added nothing to his
beauty. Still his eyes were clear and
piercing, and his figure athletic and man
ly. | suppose there are women who might
possibly have fallen in love with him.
The Duchess Josiane certainly would.
When one came to scrutinize Jones spiri-
tual, as distinguished from Jones physical,
it was still more difficult to understand
how he could have had the amazing self
conceit to imagine that Miss Ellis could
regard him with anything but the barest
liberation. He was bold, quick, skillful
sailor; man born to command the refuse
of humanity that mans our merchant YES
sells. He was hard and cruel to the lazy
and igorant, and, as swearer, eclipsed
any one whom had ever heard. in the
devilish intensity of his innumerable oaths.
He was totally illiterate man, and his
want of knowledge of navigation made it
impossible for him to rise above subor-
dinate station in his profession His con-
versation had certain spice of shrew,l
ness and homely good sense, but was a
perpetual defiance of Lindley Murray
and all his works. His code of morality
was summarily comprehended in the two
rules-never to drink at sea, and always
to obey orders. This was certainly a
pretty sort of fellow to take a fancy to a
refined and delicate girl. To do him JUS
tice, he was brave and manly in his station;
but what right had he to look, except
from an infinite distance, at sweet Mary
Ellis?
Itwould have been amusing, had it not
made me indignant. to note how the man
watched for her appearance. At every
step that sounded from the companion
way he would turn, with look of eX-
pectation in his face that the dullest wit
ness could not fail to understand When
she did appear, he would soon contrive to
carelessly approach her, and would never
be absent from her side, except for few
moments at a time, while the two were on
deck. He was perpetually bringing mat
tresses tor her to rest upon, and shawls to
wrap around her. have known him to
keep Il sailor in the mizzen-chains for
hours at a time, catching floating bits of
sea-weed and stray jelly-fsh, for her
amusement. What was more creditable
to him, he never abused the men in her
presence and rarely swore while she was
within hearing More than once, at the
warning touch of her hand upon his arm.
he dropped his raised hand and suppressed
the halt-uttered oath about to be launched
at some unhappy fellow who had COM
mitted an unusually irritating offense
against the laws of good seamanship.
This moth-and- candle business went on
forSeveral weeks. Mary Ellis was, or af-
fected to be, totally unconscious of the
conquest she had made. Neither Dick nor
myself felt at liberty to demonstrate with
her in behalf of the peace of mind of the
Second Mate. l did, however, venture
one day to warn Mr.. Jones of the attention
that his conduct had attracted. We had
grown quite friendly by this time. and l
fanced that the kindly interest | took in
his welfare would rather fatter him than
otherwise. He listened to what had to
say, with his hands thrust into his pockets,
and his gaze directed miles away toward
the distant horizon. 'And so, Mr. JONES'"
concluded, ''you must see that this sort
of thing won't do. The lady is quite out
of your sphere, and either don't suspect
that you care particularly for her, or else
is amusing herself at Your expense"
He turned and looked at me, silently.
"Nlister." said he, at last, slowly and re-
hectively, "like enough, You mean all
right, so | won't git mad about it. But
you're maxim the d--est fool of your
self! Talkin' to me about yer spheres!
Why, I'm man, amt / ? And a White
Man, too9 And she's woman, amt shep
What's yer spheres got to do with my bein'
perlite to the young woman? expect she
gifts tired of your internal jaw sometimes
know do, anyhow-and she don't mind
listenin to me a bit, for healthy change.
What | think of her amt your business,
nor yet anybody else's; but | amt agoin'
to let any man say that she's playin' it on
me. Now you've got your course, and
that's enough. don't allow no interferin
from passengers, nor nobody" And he
walked away.
After this failure, tried him with no
more advice. Gradually l became con-
vinced that Miss Ellis was in reality
heartless coquette, who was amusing her.
self with a conquest so out of the ordinary
way as to interest her from its very oddity.
The conviction that she was actually capa-
BILE of this petty cruelty made me necessa-
rily revise my original opinion of her; and
ceased to regard her with the warm ad-
miration with which she had at first in
spired me.
The voyage grew dull and tiresome.
As it drew toward close began to chafe
at any lull of the fair wind that had fol-
lowed us nearly across the Atlantic, and
to lose all patience at the first breath OF an