The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-10-22

I've been savin' up, till I've got 500
in the bank at home, and that's enough
/ think for to get spliced on
Five hundred dollars, says / why
it's fortin', it's more than ever had il
my life at one time, and I've beer
spliced for years. When is it to come
OFF, If it'll be any help to you, / can
give you the mark and 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, i aint
said nothin' to her about it as yet.
thought L would last vy'age in the Skid
dy, but every time / went there some
thin turned up, and | couldn't jist git to
it, and since I've been here this time
I've gone there lots of times determined
to say somethin' about it, but the fact is,
Tom, 1 can't do it, and there's the truth
about it. You've seen me in many gale
of wind, and you know that where any
man can go / can go, and that aint last
at anythin' them times but alongside
of woman, Tom, I'm nothin' but ba-
by. Not but what l can take care of
one, Tom, if I'm once safe spliced to
her, and she needn't be afeared of want
in for anythin' so long as l have my
health but it's jist as L tell you, Tom,
when L comes to the pint of speakin'
about it, Ialways think I'll wait till next
time"
"'Well / thought the thing over q
while, and then L says, Dick, my
flower it's clear that you can't do this
thing by yourself, and as you and / has
been shipmates for so long L don't
mind lendin' you a hand in this here
business, provided when l see the craft /
judges her all right. Tomorrow is n
Sunday, and tomorrow AFTERNOON, I'll
rig up and you shall Civ me her mark
and number and I'll go up and see her
and fix this thing for you in iiffey.
You see havin' been one wage to larn,
myself, ] can do it as easy as jumpin'
overheard.
"Tom. 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 L
went over in Waterloo Road, and paid
threepence for shore-shave and then l
puts on pair of blue cloth pants and n
white shirt, and 1 borrowed red plush
vest from chap named Billy Small, and
put Dicks frock coat over that, and with
high hat which / borrowed from the
third mate, a tellin' him / were a-goin'
to funeral, iist looked equal to any
thin.
"The sailin' directions / got from
Dick were, to stand up Mortimer street
TO the head Of it where it is crossed by
Rincon, turn round Rincon, go about
three blocks to No. 65, and ask for Mrs.
Lee. Well, I kept my reckonin' all
straight till I come to Rincon street, and
then it struck me that Dick hadn't said
which way to turn but rememberin' that
the rule of the road were always for to
port your helm, L sheers around to the
right at a venture thinkin' I'd soon git
true departure by the numbers. For
the first block there weren't no num-
bers there were vacant place, and
factory and what not, but when / come
to No. 25 on the next block, were glad
1 had made lucky land-fall, and were
sure / were right. OF course then all l
had for to do were to follow along till |
got to 65. It were nice little two story
brick house, and as L ringed the bell, L
couldn't help wonderin' however Dick
had fetched up in sich moorin's as these.
There were nice little lass opened the
door. and when asked her if Mrs. Lee
were at home, she said she were, and
asked me to walk in.
"What maze shall / say 2 says she,
as i went into a snug little parlor on the
right of the hall.
"'Well, miss, says /, 'as she don't
know me, the name don't matter tell
her its friend from particular friend,
as would like to see her on important
business.
Yes, sir, says she, and L thought
to myself if the mistress is as nice as the
maid, don't wonder at Dick, and then
L thought of what 1 promised Old Nep-
tune the first tine / crossed the line
never to kiss the maid if / could kiss
the mistress, unless / liked the maid the
best, and wondered if / should like the
mistress as well as / did the maid
Presently there come into the room
as neat a little craft as one would wish to
meet in days sail. Fine fgure-head,
good smooth bow, able body, and clean
run, all ship-shape and Bristol fashion
fore and aft
"Did you wish to see me2' she said,
and / didn' twonder at Dick gittin' in the
doldrums for L weren't much better my
self. You see thought it would be a
easy thing for to do, but now that it had
got to be done didn't hardly know
what to say.
"'The fact is, marm, says / a-stand-
in up before her, and wished 1 were
hundred miles away, Dick Ostrom,
whom / s'pose you knows well, is a
chum of mine, me and him havin' now
been shipmates off and on for over a
year, and put Dick, marin, to q weather
earin' in gale of wind. and there aint
none better as anybody'll say as has ever
been shipmates with him, but along
side of a woman, marin, as no doubt you
have obsarved, Dick are as skeery as q
colt, and so you see, marin, havin' long
cen almost worshiped the ground you
stand ON, he never couldn't git his cour-
age up to the stickin' pint for to tell you
SO, and 80 / bein' his cbum. volunteered
g. A. 1900 o.I lat uott Ennxx, hn,y tb A