Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-04-15
The Tables Turned.
ny AUSTIN c. uuRprcK

ny AUSTIN c. BURpiCK.
One evening, not long since, number Of
US, old ship masters, chanced to meet at a
social supper, and after the cloth was re-
moved we went in for spinning. Among
our number was Captain Richard Sutter,
and fner man or a better sailor never
trod deck At length it came his turn to
tell story or what we preferred-and
what the rest Of US had done-relate some
incident in the experience of hiso own life.
"Well, boys" he said, as he rejected the
wine, which was at that moment passed to
him for the first time, " will give you a
bit Of the early part Of my ocean life, and
it is very important bit, too, for upon it
| have built the whole Of my subsequent
manhood"
We prepared to listen TO Captain Sutter
with the most perfect attention, for he was
not only an old seaman, but one Of the most
successful commanders in our mercantile
marine. We listened, and his story was as
follows
| was very young when | first entered
on shipboard, and at the age Of fourteen |
considered myself quite sailor. When |
was eighteen was shipped on board an
East Indiaman, for long voyage. There
were six Of us on board of about the same
age, and we had about the same duties to
perform. The ship-the old Lady Dunlap
was large one, and our crew was large
in proportion, there being fifty-two, all told.
We boys, as we were called, messed to-
gether, and in all other respects were sepa-
rate from the rest of the crew, just as much
as the officers we're. Our captain was
noble-hearted, honorable man, kind and gen.
erous, but yet very strict. OF course, we
youngsters found plenty Of occasion to find
fault with him, and very often were his de-
cisions arraigned before our mess and de-
cidedly condemned. In fact, we should
have reversed many of his judgments if we
had had the power but as he was the COM
mander, and We only foremost hands. and
boys at that, he had his own way, and the
luminous decisions we came to were conse-
quently Of no avail and lost to the world.
"Now, we boys had learned in the course
of our travels, to drink our grog as well as
any sailor. We could toss off a glass of
rum and water with as much grace as any
one, and we claimed the right to do so not
only as privilege bu, as an honor to which
life on the ocean entitled us. But even
in this respect our captain presumed to
differ with us. When we could get on shore
We would invariably indulge in our cups,
and not unfrequently would we come of, or
be brought off, in state of anything but
sober. | said we, but there was one Of
our number who could not be induced to
touch drop of anything intoxicating. His
name was John Small, and he belonged in
one of the back towns Of New Jersey.
"Now, Jack Small not only refrained
entirely from drinking himself, but he used
sometimes to ask us to let the stuff alone
He 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 Small favors which he did not show
to us. He would often take Jack on shore
with him to spend the night, and such things
as that, while we were kept on board the
ship. OF course, this created sort Of envy
on our part, and it ended in decided ill.,
will toward poor Jack
Nov, in truth, Jack was one Of the
best fellows in the world. He was kind,
obliging honest, always ready to lend a
helping hand in case of distress, and as true
a friend as ever lived only he wouldn't
drink with us, that was all No-that
wasn't ALL He learned faster than we did,
he was a better sailor and had learned
more navigation. But this we tried to lay
to the captains paying him the most atten-
tion, though we knew better at the time,
for we had the privilege of learning just as
much as we had mind to. The truth Of
the matter was, we Ave loved the idea Of
being old salts better than we did any.
thing else, and we spent more time in watch
ing for opportunities to have a spree than
we did in learning to perfect ourselves in
the profession we had chosen.
d" 1t even got so at length that J ack Small
was called upon to take the deck sometimes,
when the officers were busy, and he used
to work out the reckoning at noon as reg
ularIy as did the captain. Yet Jack was
|
We saw that he was reaching rapidly ahead
of US in every useful particular, and yet we
wouldn't open our eyes. We were envious
Of his good fortune, as we called it, and used
to seize every opportunity to teaze and run
him. But he never got angry in return.
He sometimes would laugh at us, and at
others would so feeliugly ehide us that we
would remain silent for awhile.
"At length the idea entered our heads
that Jack should drink with us. We talked
the matter over in our mess when Jack was
absent, and We mutually pledged each other
that we would make him drink at the first
opportunity. After this determination was
taken, we treated Jack more kindly, and he
was happier than he had been for some time
Once more we laughed and joked with him
in the mess, and he in return helped us in
our navigation. We we're on our home.
ward bound voyage, by the way Of Brazil
and our ship stopped at Rio Janeiro, where
we were to remain week or SO. One pleas
ant morning we six youngsters received per-
mission to 60 on shore and spend the whole
day; and accordingly We rigged up in our
best togs and were carried to the landing.
Now was our chance, and we put our
heads together to see how it could be done
Jacks very FIRST desire, as soon as he got
on shore, was to 20 up and examine tho va
rious things Of interest 10 the city. lie
wanted to visit the churches and such like
places, and to please him we agreed to &C
with him If he would go and take dinner
with us. He agreed to this at once. and
we thought we had him sure. We planned
that after dinner was eaten we would have