The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-11-04
MISSING HIS RECKONING.
AN OLD SAILORS YARN.

--ss0He of the puZZlinest things Knows
on for a stranger saws old Tom the
other day as we sat together; ''is the
way they has in England, of namin'
their streets. You gets into the street
you wants, and afore you've gone a
dozen blocks you find it's changed its
name and you're in an entirely different
street. Thus one and the same street
will have three or four different names
afore you've gone the whole length
of it.
al mind funny blunder made once
in consequence of this, though, arter
all, il turned out all right, jist as if I'd
a kept my right reckonin'
"When | used for to be goiu' reglar
into the Liverpool packets, out Of one
ship and into another, it so happened
that come for to be shipmateS with a
chap as were called Dick OStrom, three
or four wages, one arter another, and
we got for to be chumS like.
"Dick were one of those steady
chaps; didn't never 90 onto no spreeS,
always boarded to the Sailors Home
when he were in New York, and went
to church Sundays. / never had much
opinion of sich, but Dick were pretty
good sort Of a chap, and tiptop sailor
man aS well, and so | looked over his
failin's and we got to be chummieS,
turnin' in and out together at sea, and
wearin' each others dunnage. The both
of us come in the John X. Skiddy, and
then both shipped agin in the New
World.
81 expect Dick were the bashfullest
chap along of wimmin, that ever stood
on two legs. Sailors amt given much
that way. sir, and ii were a wonder,
scein' as he'd been so long in that trade,
that he hadn't got over it, but you
see he never went round like the rest of
us, and would turn the color of red
buntin', if any of the gals at the board
in house said any thin TO him, and that
was the way they come for to call him
Bashful Dick.
/" Soon as supper were over Dick
would top his boom and sail barge and
none of us know'd where he went to,
and we supposed he either went down
aboard or else TO some gospel shop to
hear a bit of preachin'; any way his way
wer'n't our way, and we didn't trouble
ourselves about il.
"While we was in Liverpool that
time in the New World, we sot the rig
GIN up fore and aft, and me and Dick
was up in the foretop one day--Satur-
dav il were-a SeiZin' off the topmaSt
riggin', when all of a sudden Dick says
to me, Tom, I've an idee of gettin'
spliced.'
"Well. if ned told me he'd an idee
r - & +,,y I Int
have been more aStonished. All right,
my lad. says |, If so be as you gifts the
right kind of lass, but there's many a
leaky cratt,my boy, to every sound one,
and you'd better be sure she's seaworthy
afore you ships
"'She's good as they build EN- says
Dick. too good for me I'm afeared.'
"'That I'm sure she amt says |.
where does she hail from and how on
arth did you ever come athwart her
hawse?'
- She lives here says Dick, 'and
I've been cruiSin' off and on in her wake
for couple of years or so, and I've
been a saving up, till I've got $500 in
the bank at home. and that's enough |
think for to get spliced on
'whv it's a fortin, it's more than | ever
had in my life at one time, and I've
been spliced for years. When is it to
come off? If it'll be any help to you,
| can Civ YOU the mark and number of
the chap as Spliced me, and he's man
as will DO the Job neat and cheap
"'Wel, as to that says Dick, Il
amt said nothin' to her about it as vet.
/ thought | would last wage in the
Skiddv, but every time | went there
somethin' turned up, and couldn't jist
cit to il, and since I've been here this
time I've gone there lots of times de-
tarmined to say Somethin' about it, but
the fact is, Tom, | can't do it, and
there's the truth about it. You've seen
me in many a gale of wind, and You
know that where any man can 90 | can
90. and that | amt last at anythin' them
times; but alongside of woman, Tom,
I'm nothin' but a baby. Not but what
! can take care of one, Tom, if I'm once
safe Spliced 10 her, and she needn't be
afeared of wantin' for any thin so long
as have my health; but it's jist rs |
tell vou. Tom, when | comes to the pint
of speakin about it, l always think I'll
wait till next time
"Weu. | thought the thing over
awhile, and then | says, Dick, my
flower: it's clear that YOU can't do this
thing by yourself, and rs you and has
been Shipmates for so long n time, |
don't mind lendin' You hand in this
here business, provided when | sees the
craft, Judges her all right. Tomorrow
nd % a
I'll rig up and YOU shall civ me her
mark and number and III go up and
see her and fix this thing for You in
iitfey. You see havin' been one wage
to larn. myself, | can do it as easy as
iumpin' overheard
"tTom,' says Dick, 'this here were
iist what were a-goin' for TO ask you
TO do for me-
well, sir, next mornin' arter we'd
washed the decks and had breakfast |
went over in Waterloo Road, and paid
threepence for a shore-shave and then l
puts on pair of blue cloth pants and
white shirt, and borrowed red plush
vest from a chap named Billy Small,
and put Dicks frock coat over that and
with a high hat which l borrowed from
the fnlIu luSlSs Il lclllu MIN 4 were
a-roin' to q funeral, jiSt looked equal
to any thin.
"The sailin' directions l got from
Dicl, were. to stand up Mortimer Street
70 the head of it where it is crossed by
Rincon Street, turn round Rincon Street,
o., abo,t three blocks to No. Go, and ask
f,r Mrs. Lee. Well, kept my reckon
ip' ou r;ybt tiU | come to Rincen Street
and then it struck me that Dick hadn {
said which way to turn; but remember
in that the rule of the road were always
for to port your helm, sheers around