The tribune. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-10-27
THE COMEDY OF ERRORS.


Showing How An Old Salt Found q wife
II When He I.east Expected One. a.s.s'
One of the puzzlinest things I knows
on for stranger is the way they has in
England of namin' their streets. You
gets into the street you wants, and
afore you've gone dozen blocks you
find it's changed its name and you're in
an entirely different street. Thus one
and the same street will sometimes have
three or four different names afore you've
gone the whole length of it. =
/ mind funny blunder I made once
in consequence of this, though, arter all,
it turned out oil right, jist as If I'd q
kept my right reckonin'. 81
When I used for to be goin' reglar
into tue Liverpool packets, out of one
ship and into another, it 80 happened
that / come for to be shipmates with q
chap as were called Dick Ostrom, three
or four wages one arter another, and
we got for TO be ehums like.
Dick were one of those steady chaps !;
didn't never go onto no sprees, always
boarded to the Sailors Home when he
were in New York, and went to church
Sundays. Dick were pretty good sort
Of n chap and tiptop sailorman as we'll,
and SO 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 r. Skiddy, and then
both shipped agin in the New World.
I expect Dick were the bashfullest'
chap along of wimmin that ever stood
on two legs. Sailors amt given much
that way, sir, and it were g wonder,
seein' as he'd been SO long in that trade,
that he hadn't a got over 1t, 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 boardin' house
said anythin' to him, and that was the
way they come for to call him " Bashful
Dick" W.
Soon as supper were over Dick would
top his boom and sail barge and mono
of us know'd where he went to, and we
supposed he either went aboard or else
to some gospel shop to hear a bit of
preachin, anyway his way wer'n our
way and we didn't trouble ourselves,
about it. -" ~''~ .
While we was in Liverpool that time
in the New World, we sot the riggin' up
fore and aft, and me and Dick was up in
the ,foretop one day Saturday it were
q seizin' off the topmast Iriggin', when
all OF q sudden Dick says to me: "Tom,
I've an idee of gittin' spliced."
Well, if he'd q told me he'd an idee Of
jundpin' out of that top, 1 wouldn't have
been more astonished. t"All right, my
lad, says I, eff 80 be as you gifts the
right kind of lass. You'd better be
sure she's seaworthy afore you ships"
"She's too good for me, I'm af ared,"
'A!' That BaaA rm sure she he amt" says I.
"Where does she hail from and how on
arth did you ever come athwart her
"She lives here" says Dick, "and
I've been cruisin' off and on in her wake
for couple of years or 30. and I've besn
a savin.up till I've got $500 i'm the bank
at home, and that's enough think for
to git spliced on" q 80. '-.-'7..
Z. - ''Fiye::' hundred dollars" says L;
'twhy, it, sa fortiu, it's more than ever I
7 had in my. hfe at one time, and I've
been sphced for years. When is it to
come Oft If it'll be any help to you, L
can civ You, the mark aud number of the
chap as spliced me, and he's man as
will do, the job neat and cheap" -!
Well, as to that" says Dick, 81
amt said nothin' to her about it as yet
I thought I would last v'yage in the
Skiddy. but every time I went there
somethin' turned MP, and. 1 couldn't list
git to it, and since I've been here this
time I've gone there lots of times dstar.
mined to say sornethin' about 10, but the
fact is, Tom, can't do it, and there's
the truth about it. You've seen me in
many'a galeiof wind, and you know that
where any man can go can go, and that
I amt last at anythin' them times but
alongside of woman, Tom, I'm nothin'
but d baby Not but what I can take
care Of one, Tom, if I'm once spliced to
her, and she needn't be afeared of want
in Tor arythinp 80 long AZ / have my
health but it's jist as / tell you, Tom,
whom ISoomes to the pint OF speakin'
, abouttit, Lalways think LII wait till next
Well, I thought the thing over while,
and then says: Dick, my flower it's
clear that you can't do this thing by
yourself, and as you and has been ship
mates for 80 long, don't mind lendin'
you q hand in fhis here business, pro-
vlded when 1 sees the craft, Judges her
all right. Tomorrow Is q Sunday. and
Tomorrow afternoon I1l rig mp, and you
shall Civ me her mark and number and
I'll go up and see her and Ak this thing
for You in jiffey. You see havin been
one wage to larn, myself, can do it as
easy as jumpin' overheard"
"Tom," says Dick, "this here were
jist what ] were agoin' for to esk You to
do for me. -.r..,..p =