St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1870-10-07
TIE SE.f-CIPT.1IN'S STORY

had experience.
TIE SEI-CIPT-IIN'S STORY.
One evening Il party of old shiprnaS-
trI~ met at social suppcr. After the
cloth was removed. and the wine be-
gan to circulate freely, some of the
oder captains commenced spinning yarns
about their own adventures at sea-
Anon" the number was Captain Suttrr,
a. fine a man AMI gDod salnr ~ ever
trod Il deck 1t was observed THAI he
drank nothing but water ; and when it
became his turn to entertain the company
with a story, he began aS follows:
Well. >hipmatcs, to show you why |
don't and cant drink with you. - that
YOU won't take my refusal ~ a mark Of
coIdnc-> or di~rc>peci. ! viii I'VE vuu :,
chapter from the story ut my early sailor
lite. 1t l. very Important chapter.
too tor "i the incident am about Io
relate the whole ol my subsequent man
hood WA huit.
wa, very young wien | lr-t wen; tn
sea When WAS eighteen | wa- ship
ped on board an Ea~t-ludaman to- :.
log luya"c. There wrrc >.N OF u> ON
board, OF about tn" same az. auI ",
had about the same dutlu- to perform.
The >hip-thr old Lpty DDulop-wa- a
iargr one. ant oar crew WIS ATL' u
proportion, there h,in4 titv-.wo. all
odd. Dur captain. WAS 4 nuh,c-h...rt.J.
hn.urAhir man, kind aud gcuyru!~. hu.
vet strict.
Now, We hulS had learned. in th,
coul-r II our travels. to drank cur gru-
H. well ~ any sailors. W hen we could
.rt on shore We w.ull iuvariahi.. i'm
dulgc in our cup.. and rot uulIcUu.utly
would "" coruy oit' in -tnr. au,tI,ju-
bat : nsr. and eve" bat thcr, Wa
one OF cur numhcr wh" could no; tr Ig-
luc,d 10 touch Il drop OF ANYTHING ia
toNlcatiu%. iiI~ name was Iuiu-Nma!'
Now, Jack small lot only RETAINED
entnclv from druI>lug Himself. but h,
used sometimes ln ask u- I, ic; tie >,uii
alone He cave lhat Job up. however
Tor we made such >poIt Of him tina; b,
Wa alad to let IL alone. Bat our cap
tain had sharp eyes and il wa~ not tuu-
hytorr !,r Il -an t" show .Iart taNoc-
which he did uot show 10 u. lie wou!u
Iltcu take him on shor, with him /,
-pynd the Night. and such things n th;.r,
whlr we were kept on u,a,d the ship.
That wasn't all He learned faster
than We diI-he w;,- Il better sailor, auo
had learned more navigation. 1t got =,
at length that JacN was called upon i'
take the dec" sometimes, Wien the "ih
GERS were hu,y and he used To work ON
the reckoning at noon a. regularly "s dl
the captain. Yet Jack was m cur m'>'
and he was Il constant cycsprr. Nrsa"
that hc was reaching rapidly ahead oi u
III every u>riul particular. ana lei We
wouldn't open our eyes. We were cnNl
ou~ OF lbs Cd fortune, as We called H.
and used 10 selzr every opportunity L
tease him. i'ut he never lot angry Il
return lie sometimes would Laugh a
Us, and a. others ID" would - i'rhn-IN
chldr US that We would remain silent io
Il while.
AT Icng'li the ldea entered our mead
'hai Jach sh"uId drink win us. W.
talked the matter over IN the mess, Whci
Jack was absent ana We mutually p'r"%
'd c'ch oth'r Ih"l We wound make III"
drink AT Inc llist opportunity. NIic
thu discrimination was taken, We trtale'
'Jark more kindly. and he was haprlr
than he had been Tor some time. w
were "n our home ward Jound pas
sage, ty way OF Brazil, and our SIM
stopped ut Rio Jdnerlo, where we wrr
TO remain week or 50. One PIcasan
morning, We SIX youngsters received per
mission 10 90 on shore and spend tn
whole day; and accordingly we riG=c
NJ - "rr best toys and were carried +
thv '''".i"g.
Now WAS our chance, and We put on
heads together to see how 1t should b
? done. Jacks very first desire, as 500
; a~ Il, :; on shore, was to % up and N
amlne the various things OF interest il
+ the city. lie wanted TO visit th
churches and such-like places, and &
please him, we agreed to 20 with him
he would 90 and take dinner with u