The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-08-05

| lest the easiest KIM ID llIe ICllOW COu',
have. All he had to do was TO get aboard
one o'them ships and be of seekin' his
fortin ut Z other end o. the rainbow, where
gold grows ON bushes and there's valleys
o. diamonds. --
So nothin' would do but 10 gin my old
mother the slip, and away to sea, with
my duds tied up in handkerchief. s't
tell We what, don't We never 60 10 sea.
I tell ye life on shipboard amt what It
looks to he on shore. hadn't been aboard
more'n three hours afore / was the sickest
cri.ter that ever yer did sec, and tell you
I didn't get no kind o. compassion. Caps
and mates they alters thinks boys hain't
no kind o. business TO have no bowels nor
nothin, and they put It on m sick or well.
It's Jest a kick here and cuff there and q
switch by the ear and In t'other place |;
one shown on IN this way, and another
hittin' on 'em clip. and all growlin'
from mornin' 10 might. believe
the way my ears, got so long was bein'
hauled out o. my berth, by 'em; that ares
sailors regular way o. wakin' up boy.
Wal. by the time got to the Penobscot
county all wanted to know was how to
get back again. That ares Jest the way
folks 20 all their lives, boys. It's all fuss,
fuss, and stew, stew, till ye getsomewhere !;
and then lit fuss, fuss, and stew, stew, to
get back ag'in; jump here and scratch yer
eyes out. and jump there and scratch 'cm
in ag'in. a
Wal. kind o. poked round in Penob-
scot county till l got u berth on the Bril-
liant that was lyin' ut Camden, goin' to
sail to Boston.
Ye see the Brilliant she was tight lit
tic sloop in the government service; twas
in the war times. ye SEQ. and Commodore
Tucker that is now Che was Cap'n Tucker
then he had the command on her,-used
to run up and down all the coast takin'
observations o. the British. and keepin'
his eye out on 'em, and givin' on 'em q
nip here and nip there, 'cordin' ne he
got good chance. Why. your granther
knew old Commordore Tucker. 1t was
he that took DR.. Franklin over Minister
to France. and lodged all the British YES
sells, right in the middle of the war. |
tell you that are was like running through
the drops in thunder-shower. He g {
chased by the British ships pretty consid-
able. but he was too spry for 'em. Arter
the war was over. Commodore Tucker
took over John Adams. our fi,st Minister
to England. A dreffhl smart man the
Commodore was, but he most like to n
been took in this ere time Ina tellin' ye
ab ut, and all cause he was sort o. soft
hearted to the women. Tom Toothacre
told me the story. Tom he was the one
AZ. sI,. cl,
used to know Tom at Newport. and once
when he took sick there my mother nrssed
him up, and that was why Tom was friends
with me and got me the berth, aud
KEEP me warm in 1t, too. Tom he was
one of your riel Maine boys, that's hhtchcd
out. so to speak, in water like ducks. Ho
was born away down there on Harpswcll
Pint; and they say If We throw one q
them Iarpswell babies into tho sch, he'll
take to il material and swim like n cork |;
ef they hit their heads agin rock 1t only
dents the rock, but don't hurt the baby.
Tom hc was great character on the ship.
He could see further and knew more 'bout
wind and water than most folks; the ofli-
GERS took Toms judgment, and the men
all went by his say. My mother she chalk
ed u streak o. good luck for me when she
nussed up Tom.
Wal, we wus lyin' ut Camden there,
one AFTERNOON, goin' to sail for Boston that
night. Itwa sort o. soft, pleasant ar
ternoon, kind o. still. and there WANT
nothin' goin' on but jest the hens craw-
crawin', and histin' up one foct and
holdn' it spell cause they didn't know
when to set it down, and the geese sissin'
and a pickin' mt the grass. Ye see Cam
den wasn't nothin' of placc,-'twas jest
as ifsomebody had emptied out n pockctful
o. houses and forgot m; there weren't
no,hin' stirrin' or goin' on. and so we was
all took aback, when bout four o'clock In
the AFTERNOON there come u boat alongside
with u tall, elegant lady In it, all dressed
In deep mournin; she rared mp sort o.
princcss-like and come aboard our ship
and wanted to speak to Cap'n Tucker.
Where she come from or what she wanted
or where she was goin' to, we none on us
knew; she KEEP her veil down so we
couldn't get sight o. her face. All was
she must see Cap'n Tucker alone right
away.
Wal, Cap'n Tucker he was like the gen.
crality o. cap'ns. He was up to bout
everything that any man could do, but it
was pretty easy for women TO cOmeNit
over him, Ye see cap'ns, they don't see
women as men do ashore. They don't
have enough of 'cm; and every woman's
an angel to u sea-capn. Anyway, the
cap'n he took her into his cabin, and he
sot her chair. aud was her humble SER
want To command, and what would she
have of him? And we was all winkin'
and \ nudgin' each other and u peckin' to
see what was to come of 1t; and she see
it, and so she asks, In sort % princess
way, to speak to the capn alone. and so
the doors was shut, and we was left To
our own ideas and a wonderin' what 1t
was all 10 be about.
Wal, YOU see, 1t come out afterwards
all about what went on; and things went
this way. Jest rs soon rs the doors was
shut and she WAS LEFT alone with the cap'n,
she busted out cryin' and sObbn' fit to
break her heart.
Wal, the cap'n he tried to comfort her
up; but, no, she wouldn't be comforted.
but went on u wecpin' anda wailin' and u
wringin' on her hands till the poor capn's
heart was Almost broke. for the capn was
the tendercst-bcarted c.itter that could b..
and couldn' bear to see child or woman
in trouble noways.
% cap'n Tn the most unfortunate wo-
man. I'm all alone In the world, and
don't know what'll become OF mo Of you
don't keep me- says she.
Wal, the cap'n thonght 1t was time to
run up his colors, and 50 says he: 'Ma'am.
I'm married man, and love my wife,
and so can feel for all women In distress,
SAYS he. rE
20, well them says she, you can feel
for me, and know how to pity me. My
husbands just died suddenly when he was
up the river. He was taken with the fever
In the woods. nussed him day and night,
but he died there In u miserable little hut
far from home aud friends, and I've
hronght his ho1y dawn with ma honin