The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1870-07-14
GOING ALOFT.

GOING ALOFT.
One evening, party OF ship
masters met at IA social supper. Aftel
the cloth was removed, and the wine
began to circulate freely, some of the
older captains commenced spinning
yarns about their own adventures a
sea. Among the number was Cap
tain Suffer, as fine a man and as
good a sailor as ever trod deck
1t was observed that he drank moth.
ing but water; and when it came biz
turn to entertain the company with 9
story he began as follows:
"Well, shipmates, to show you
why | don't and can't drink with
you, so that you won't take my re,
tusal as a mark CT GOODNESS or disre.
spect, l will give you a chapter from
tie story of my early sailor life. Ii
is very important chapter, too
for on the incident | am about to re.
late the whole of my subsequent
LII W 40 buiit.
was very young when first
went to sea. Whom was eighteen
| was shipped on board an East
1ndiaman for a long voyage. There
were six of us on board, of about the
same age, and we had about the
same duues to perform. The ship
the old Lady Dunlop-was large
one, and our crew was large in pro-
portion, there being fifty two, all
told. Our captain was a noble
hearted, honorable man, kind an d
generous, but yet very strict.
Now, we boys had learned in the
course of our travels, to drink our
grog as welt as any sailors. When
We could yet on shore, we would in
variabIy indulge in our cups, and
not untrequentIy would we come off
in a state any thing but sober.
said "we;" but there was one Of our
number who could not be induced to
touch a drop OF anything intoxica-
ting. His name was John Small.
Now Jack Small not only refrained
entirely from dliuking himself, but
he used sometimes to ask Us to let
the stuff alone. lie gave that job
up, however; for we made such
sport of him that he was glad to let
us alone. But our captain had sharp
eyes; and it was not long before he
began to show Jack favors which he
did not show to us. He would often
take him on shore with him to spend
the night, and such things as that,
while we were kept on board the
ship. That wasn't all. He learnt
faster than we did-he was better
sailor, and had learnt more of navI-
CATION. 1t got SO at length tn at
Jack was called upon to take the
deck sometime, when the officers
were busy; and he used to work out
the reckoning at noon as regularly
as did the captain. Yet Jack was IN
our mess, and he was a constant
eyesore. We saw that he was
reaching rapidly ahead ofus in every
useful particular, and yet we couldn't
open our eyes. We were envious
OF his good fortune, as we called it,
and used to seize every opportunity
to tease him. But he never got
angry in return. He sometimes
would laugh at us, and at others he
would so teelingly chide us that we
would remain silent for while.
At length the idea entered our
heads that Jack should drink with
Us. We talked the matter over in
the mess, when Jack was absent,
and We mutually pledged each other
that we would make him drink at
the first opportunity. After this de-
termination was taken, we treated
Jack more kindly, and he was hap
pier than he had been for some time.
We were on our homeward bound
passage, by way of Brazil, and our
ship stopped at Rio Janeiro, where
we were to remain week or So
One pleasant morning, we six young
sters received permission TO go on
shore and spend the whole day; and
accordingly we rugged up in our best
togs and we're carried to the land
ing.
Now was our chance, and we put
our heads together to see how II
should be done. Jacks first desire
as soon as he got on shore, was to &C
up and examine the various things
of interest in the city. He wanted te
visit the churches and such like
places, and to please him we agreed
TO go with him if he would go anC
take dinner with us. He agreed tC
this at once, and we thought we hat
him sure. We planned that aftel
dinner was eaten, we would have
| some light, sweet wine brought on
and tina we would contrive to ge
rum enough into what he drank t.
upset him for nothing on earti
would please US more than to &c
Jack drunk, and carry him on boar(
in that condition. Then we fanciet
the captains favoritism would b
at an end, and that he would N,
longer look upon our rival witt
more preference than he would upol
ourselves.
Dinner-time came at length. /
was capital dinner, and we cam
to it with sharpened appetites. Blu
when the wine was brought in, JAG
not only refused to taste it, but de
clined to remain in our company
We cried out against him as a mean
stingy fellow, who thought himsel
too good to associate with us, ant
accused him at last, of trying to ste
over our heads on the ship, and a
the unpleasant things We could thin
flo make the poor fellow unhappy
At first, he seemed to leave us, an
return TO the ship alone but sudden
| ly, in quiet tone, he said: "ShiI
mates, listen to me moment. Sine
matters have come to this pass,
have resolved to tell you somethin
which Inever meant to reveal. M
story is short. From my carries
childhood / never knew what it wa
to have a happy home. My fathe
was a drunkard Once he ha
been a good man and a good hui
band but rum ruined all his MAJ
hood, and made brute OF him.
can remember how cold and chez
less the winter used to be. We ha
| ~ g. - co1I - .lathao NO IN,