The Portland daily press., 1873-02-08
Over a Cabin Table.

ton. in the splendid clipper ship SnnSet:
We were children together, and had follow
ed many butterfly in company. In later
years, we had often run after those marvel
Gus butterflies in pink sunpennets-those
Will-o'-the Wisps in dimity-in other fields;
rather as rivals though, than side-by-side
companions, to confess it. This was Franks
first voyage as master. He was now, at two
and.tv enty, every inch a sailor and a man.
4 was his only passenger, running bone after
some years truancy, in a period between a
closing clerkship and an opening partnership
at Canton. These were to me delicious DAYS
care-free, and every hour with my old plsy-
fellow was communion of rare order.
We were chatting one evening openly-for
there was nothing between us but the cabin
table. The light burned just low enough for
the quiet dreamy hour that Frank reeled off
to me the small-talk of the dear old town. of
which his memory held an UNREASONABLE
cargo.
Inere was May who had married January,
and the squire who had drank himself from
af1uence to the poor-house. He told Of
young Skinnem, who in boyhood won mar
bles, and sold them again to the losers at a
hundred per cent. advancs upon regular rates
who never played ON the FOURTH but
opened curb-stone bazar of pop-beer-of his
own brewing, -fre-crackers, peanuts, and a
Aoh iuiC VI dilSo dppiG ldIIS-Ol Il low 0rdQG
Now he was piously loaning money SATURDAY.
afternoons to gain Sunday, at two per cent. a
month, and wondering what this " orld woald
pc without interest. He had bought book,
Business in Heaven" which proved to him
that the occupations of earth are continued
above. He dwelt with miserly unction upon
the life to come.
Inc steward now appeared with our evening
coffee. Then came the usual cigar, and we
swung apart in meditation as lightly as two
vessels parting CON pany after exchanging
sea-courtesies.
Captain" said i, suddenly, as if some
thing had just come to mind, though the
question had been balancing on my tongue
for an hour
"Hap' interrupted my companion, ssdon't
Captain me off-deck, here under the cabin
light, if you love me-"
"Well. then, my modest Old desk-mate,
how is that little Amy Woodson whom YOU
used to endow SO bountifully in school-days
with picked lines and chewiDg-gum ?''
My captain-the splendid fellow-to show
his unconcern, breathed couple of smoke
wreaths out of his mouth, and replied with
counterfeited sadness: "Hal. shall never
have faith again in the power of pickles with
school girls, and l am doubter forever of the
virtue OF spruce gum. So, so, my sly boy,
you were On that tack, too, were you? But
you may as well emulate the example of your
forefathers and throw that chest of break
fast-tea overheard, for father Woodson has
gone where tea-drinking is neither a bless
weathered us all. By Jove, to think of it /!
The little toad that nurse throl gh vulgar
fractions and the rule of three-who never
had spunk enough to kiss girl under four
eyes-to marry Amy! But the ways of
women are wondrous, Hal. The Sunset is
my choice. Isn't she beauty? | am we'd
ded to her."
Then he laughed, drew himself up, and I
thought, How could woman resist you, my
handsome captain?
Poor puss, she had confounded rough
way of it," he continued.
What do you mean?'
why, haven't you heard of it p
Vague rumors only. Her father, cashier
OF the bank. Wasn't there trouble? Was it
all true? Proud old man. His heart broke,
fancy. For Heavens sake, Frank tell me
what you know" demanded.
"Well, well, old quill-driver, don't rough
up SO. L do know about it, and, though l
say it, more than any but a very few in the
OLD town. never was any hand at a warn.
but If you will have it, maybe twill harrow
you some, seeing you were little sweet on
Amy"
Come, come, captain-there, chummy,
then-begin. But, by George, if you cxag-
gerate one iota, I'll call the SMset-a clumsy
old nooker ~
:"Well, l needn't ask you remember ANY,
began my ris-a-ris, tormentingly, ''nor tell
you OF her step iii the dance, of the color of
iissr ner hair and eyes, nor what her laugh was
like, nor what woman she has grown. Let
me see, you left home in forty
eight"
"And you remember General Woodson,
then, as cheerful, elastic old gentleman.
who, at.the bank counter, told off the notes
with celerity little less than magic, to our
unaccustomed eyes. He was favorite every
where you know. With lads help he per-
formed all the labor in the bank, except when
Amy would come once in while to give him
a lift on the books. Amy was her fathers
housekeeper, too; her mother died, just after
you left home, guess. You see the young
girl had fish enough to fry. For all, she al
ways had spare hour and some nicknack of
her needlework for us sailor-boys when about |
leaving home. And the old general would |
say, Luck to you, my lad,' in mighty good |
manner that won us.
But never could see that she favored one !
much above another. Once / had hidden her
good-by, 1 remember, and afterWard seeing
Ben Boltrope call at her house, stood out of
sight and timed him-you laugh-watch in
hand, and had the better of him some odd
or it may have been seconds, | al
ways think of it when meet Ben's widow in
The street. Ben married the milliner's daugh-
ter, Melissa Bliss, whose name we Young sea-
dogs changed to MISSY Blissy He went off |
TO Singapore month after, second mate of
,he bark Reind eer and was never heard
rom. Her widowhood began, you see, as
soon as her honeymoon ended. Melissa |
wears mourning for him now and ALWAYS will.
And Ben was worthy of all her tears-as |
rood fellow as ever learned a rope. Go and |
zee her, Hal. But where am 1 runninp2 |
Let's tack ship? --r -
You know the Woodson homestead on tbe
,orner of India street, Yes. but Won don't
we young fellows never think of |
uch things-that the grand-looking place |
ad- been in the Woodson family for some /
and that the generals father left |
to him encountered. The mortgage was
retty well, thinking his position required it.
Then in an evil time all Bramblehead ran
lid with land fever-a speculation tina.
romised to make the poor rich, and the rich
Apply. All the old stockings in all the dark
'rners in town were emptied of their shillings
buy land in Roostock. Why, people, old
eople. took money out of their bibles that
ley mad laid away to bury them, to invest,
Apecting 1t to return them a hundred-fold
ea,,, eau.e ~ would be needed. Burial day always
anso 80 Instant to us, especially if there is
n9iron Aro., 70 max make any money tomorrow.
amy father was bitten bv the aoin mod
ess' lie gathered the little ba oof,lJ t,aaI
r. %e areW & his salary regularly and ieI his
anu ha, S'ils run. He sold wronaf;,iJ,
Im w, o@nn 4s shares that he held in trnst
Alny, Wnich an uncle had wiiled - - tLust TOT I
nVested the money in the golden ,a, W ner, and S
y, IN the name of brother in 0ba bbiiu' secret
The voyage turned out miehtu ho n
and was well timbered, but a hnypdpuof. poof. The
way from river or tide-water The 81 h,iii miles c
urst. So the rich became poor, and the ~uoole nan
ecame happy, thinking how their bettors trs
a. "u come down. They were sure of a burial
~ s.TI n1pouy was ever too poor for that
nd ine neson ola gentleman aged. He grew fretful
mtohar nt hausen,5,-minded. The grocer and tba
utcner called again and again tor tba;r u duo une
-at the 'front.' door too. The n,ilI' 'Ieii ba uues
ven more malicious. ua oha,,ly h.poy was {
ardeli-Sate, .Warnin' nav I'M ona,heu ar on the
huckled to himself around thp' tbhp' VI moss, and
eeped and saw Betty Flovd III H. corner, , as he t
pend many minutes spelling ont u'u GO, domestic, q
nore in securing off the words S'., "a and many
ler cloth at the empty street ""T ~, shaking
bandoned the household Ahriit had
Amy knew but little of the truth NJ {
ad only the amount of two or three r,ss salu he
alary in the lamented land slide. 4%aaters' Sha {
ne failing step, and that he did not ill., saw