Huntington advertiser. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1874-1921, 1875-01-28

months Of his wages would pay
4 preachers salary for : year. Now
some OF US were left disconsolate.
We could not get on the river, at least
our parents would not let us.
So by and by ] ran away. said l
never would come home again till |
was a pilot and could come in glory
But some row could not manage it
I went meekly aboard few of the
boats that lay packed together like
sardines at the long st. Louis wharf,
and very humbly inquired for the
pilots, but got only cold shoulder
and short words from mates and
clerks. had tn make the best Of
this sort OF treatment for the time
being, but l had comforting day
dreams Of future when / should be
a great and honored pilot, with plen.
ty Of money, and could kill scme Of
these mates and clerks and pay for
them.
Months afterwsrd the hope within
me struggled to8 reluctant death,
and | found myself without an ambi-
ton. But was ashamed to 60
home / was in Cincinnati, and /
set tn work to map out new career.
had been reading about the recent
exploration of the river Amazon ny
an expedition sent ont by our govern
ment. It was said that the expedi-
ton owing to difficulties, had not
explored part Of the
country lying about The head waters,
some four thousand miles from the
mouth of the river. It was only
about fifteen hundred miles from Gin.
cinnati I, New Orleans, where could
doubtless get ship. | had thirty
dollars left: would 60 and complete
the exploration of the Amazon. This
was all the thought | gave to the sub.
ject. never was great in matters
of detail. packed my valise, and
took passage on an ancient tub called
the Paul Jones, for New Orleans.
For the sum of sixteen dollars had
the SCARED and tarnished splendors
of "her" main saloon principally to
myself, for she was not creature to
attract the eye of wiser travellers.
When We presently got under way
and went poking down the broad
Ohio, | became a new being, and the
subject of my own admiration. l
was traveller! A word never had
tasted so good in my mouth before. |
had an exultant sense of being bound
for mysterious lands and distant
climes which | never have felt in so
uplifting degree since. / was in
such a glorilied condition that oil
ignoble feelings departed out Of me.
and | was able TO look down and pity
the untraveled with a compassion
that had hardly a trace of contempt
in 1t. Still, when we stopped at vii
lagos and wood-yards, could not
help lolling carelessly upon the rail-
ings of the boiler deck to enjoy tie
envy of the country boys on the bank.
II they did not seem to discover me,
| presently sneezed to attract their
attention, or moved to u position
where they C uld not help seeing me.
And as soon as | knew they saw me
| gaped and stretched, and gave
other signs Of being nightly bored
with travelling.
| kept my hat of all the time, and
sta, ed where the wind and the sun
could strike me, because ! wanted to
get the bronzed and weather beaten
look of an old traveller. Before the sec.
ond day was half gone, ] experienced
a ioy which filled me with the purest
gratitude tor ! saw that the skin
hid begun to blister and peel of my
flce ard neck. / wish that the boys
and girls at home could see me now.
We reached Louisville in time, at
least the neig ghb,rhood Of it. We
stuck hard and fast on the rocks in
the middle of the river and lay there
four days. / was now beginning to
feel a strong sense Of being apart OF
the boats family, sort Of infant son
to the captain and younger brother
to the officers There is no esfima-
ting the pride took in this grandeur.
or the affection that began to swell
and grow in me for those people. /
could not know how the lordIy steam
boa.men scorns thai sort Of prcsump.
tions in mere landsman. particu-
larly longed to acquire the least trihe
Of notice from the bi stormy mate,
and was on the alert for An oppor-
tunity 10 do him a service to that
end. II came at last. The riotous
powwow of setting spar was going
on down the forccastle, and I went
down there and stood around in the
way--or mostly skipping out Of it
till the mate suddenly roared gen.
eral order for somebody to bring him
a capstan bar. Isprang to his side
and said; "rell me where it'll
fetch it!"
Il "A rag.picker had offered to do a
iisplomatic service for the Emperor
Of Russia, the monarch could not
have been more astcn1ded tIran the
mate was. lie even stopped swear
ing. He stood and stared down at
me. 1t took him ten seconds to
scrape his di,jointed remains Together
again. Then he said impressively:
..Well, if this don't beat hell" !" and
turned to bis work with the air ola
man who had been confronted with q
problem too abstruse for solution.
I crept away. and courled solitude
for the rest OF the day. did not go
to dinner; stayed away from supper
until every b ,dy else had finished.
did not feel so much like a member
NJ rho the hoaf'. famiIv now M et,r