The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-05-13
DAILY JOURNAL
From the Overland Monthly for May.l
THE STORY OF THE SECOND
MATE.

Il do not remember when nc was that
the second mate first began to show
his dem0nstrative admiration for our
pretty fellow passenger. 1t was Dick
Halliday who called my attention to
IL as a capital joke, while we were yet
In the Mediterranean fortnight or
SO after we sailed from Legh0rn. We
two were leaning on the quarter-rail,
lust before dusk. when Miss Ellis
came on deck. There's the candle, =
said Dick, "and presently you'll see
the moth" In the course of the next
five minutes, Mr.. Jones, our second
mate, lounged over from the opposite
side of the deck, and entered into an
animated conversation with the young
lady on the interesting topic of sharks.
At least we judged SO BY her questions,
which were put in sncl a clear, sweet
voice, that the wind, 10th to part with
the musical tones, indiscreetly carried
them within our hearing. He's a
sort of death's-head moth. In point Of
beauty" continued my friend; but
he's neither too ugly nor too old TO
suffer an uncomfortable singeing."
/ had q half-formed idea that /
rather liked the second mate, and a
very certain conviction that / particu-
larly admired pretty Mary Ellis. AS
i disliked to see the man make q fool
Of himself, or tho girl appear in the
discreditable character Of a coquette,
Dicks moth and candle theory an
noyed me. / therefore took the liber-
ty Of totally disbelieving il, and should
have continued to do SO had not the
evidence gradually become too plain
10 be mistaken.
There we're only four Of US in the
cabin-Dick, Miss Ellis. her father
and myself. Why we bad taken pass
age from Lcghorn to New York in a
slow sailing, marble laden ship. in
stead Of returning home by q quicker
and more fashionable route, does not
pertain to the present story. As the
only lady passenger, Miss Ellis natu-
rally was the chief object of interest
to my friend and myself. Her father
was old, i'll. and unable to play whist,
and was consequently an extremely
uninteresting follow passenger. For
tunately he kepthis room pretty close
ly, aud we saw very little of him. But
his daughter was the brightest and
most b~ewitchiBg little woman that ev-
CIR made q long sea voyage not only en-
durable. but delightful. She was
twenty FIVE, as she frankly confessed
and had spent the last three years In
travelling with her invalid father. She
was never i'll tempered, never dull OF
~dispirited, aud though frank and
bright In never -transgressed
the limits of maidenly propriety. She
was qHite aware of tie fact that she
was extremely pretty. and she had an
irresistible tendency toward innocent
Irritation. Had been o younger man
or had Dick not possessed 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 deem
ed capable Of sentiment Of any sort.
He was old-for although he said he
was only thirty-hve, rough weather
and o wild, dissolute life had made
him much older than his years. His
complexion was nearly the color oil
mahogany whelit is thoroughly oiled,
though it lacked the polished surface
which is generally associated with
that article ia its manufactured state,
His hair was yrizzled and unkempt
and an ugly scar. which stretched
across his forellea6-the memorial o
q desperate fEht with a matinoui
crew-added nothing to his beauty
Still his eyes were clear and piercing
and bis figure athletic and manly.
suppose there are women who nigh
possibly have fallen In love with him
The Duchess Josiane certainly would
When one came TO scrutinize Jone.
spiritual, az distinguished from Jones
physical, it was still more difficult Il
understand how he could have haC
the amazing self-cOnceit TO imsgini
that Miss Ellis could regard him will
anything but the barest federation
He was q bold, quick, skillful sailor
a man born to command the refuse o
humanity that man our merchant yes
sells. He was hard and cruel to tn
lazy and ignorant, and, as o swearel
eeliDsed any one whom / ever hearG
in the devilish intensity OF his innu
merable oaths. He was a totally illit
crate man. and his want of knowledg
of navigation made IL impossible flo
him to rise above a subordinate static.
In the profession. His conveTsatio
u1U a CGAL1Au ENACG Nj Al
homely good sense, but was a perpel
ual defiance Of LindEey Murray ant
all his works. His code of moralit
was summarily comprehended in tn
two rules-never to be drunk at sea
and always to obey orders. This wa
certainly O pretty sort Of fellow to tax
q fancy to q refined and delicate CIR
To do him Justice, he was brave an
manly IN his station; but what Figh
had he to look, except from an inanit
distance. at sweet Mary Ellis?
Tt would have been amusing, had
not made me indignant. to note no
the man watched for her appearance
At every step that sounded from Il
companion way he would turn, with
look of expectation in his face thi
the dulIest witness could not fail
understand. When she did appea
he would soon contrive to careless.
approach her. and would never be al
sent from her side, except for q fe
nome nts at a time, while the two wei
on derk. He was perpetually brinl
ing mattresses for her to rest upol
and skawls to wrap around her.
have known him to keep a sailor
the mizzen chains for hours alta tim
catching floating bits of sea weed an
stray jelly fish for her amusemen
What was more creditable to him,
never abused the men 10 her presenc
and rarely swore while she was witt
In hearing. More than once, at Il
warning touch az her hand upon h
arm, he dropped his raised hand az
suppressed the half uttered oath abo
to be launched at some unhappy f.
low who had committed an unusual
irritating ofeoce against the laws
mmm-orw@AfM