Smyrna times., 1876-01-19
NJ IS G eII0n e OWS.
A Blue Jackets Peril.

has tdAl' SpdIC uSulSs SlOOpllS SO signify
for all the weight of his seventy years; his
long silver hair brushed up into a point on
the forehead, as it used to be worn when
George Nv. was king, and curling low on
the collar of his coat behind; his kind
brown eyes beaming with love and goodness
for all who crossed his path; his tender
loving mouth, through which no word OF
anger or aught save peace and charity ere
had exit; and the white regular teeth, per.
feet 10 the last, with which it was the dear
old mans boast he could crack nuts with
the best of us.
Poor and rich, gentle and simple, all
loved the old admiral. OF children the old
sailor was the sworn friend and protector,
and 1t was the drollest sight to witness his
attempt to chastise youthful delinquent.
lie would look at the child with tightly
compressed lips and badly sustained effort
10 be severe, his brown eyes twinkling the
while. Then he would take down his cane
and hold it suspended over the back of
the offender, who could scarcely repress a
Singer which quickly became laugh, for
we all knew by previous experience what
granny's punishment meant. Then
whiz-z would fly the cane to the other end
of the room, the old man would Join hear
tily in the laugh against himself and the
culprit finally RECALLED with bread and
sugar, and warned never to do it again,
you young rascal" Well, perhaps it was
not exactly correct training, according to
Cocker or Solomon, but my darling. my
darling, how we loved you for it! We
would not willingly have grieved you for all
the world, and you know it. You have
been laid to rest these many years in the
pretty churchyard where you and ! loved
to SIT, and the grass is fresh and green over
your grave, but not fresher, not greener,
my more than father. than is your memory
in our hearts
Many happy hour we spent together,
sitting hand in hand in the long summer
evenings on the messy trunk of fallen
tree in Barna Wood, or in that same pretty
churchyard where my dear sleeps, on Sir
Alured Gwynne's tomb, with the rocks
cawing solemnly in the great elms overhead
perpetual requiem, or so fancied it, over
the quiet dead at our feet Many a blood
curdling tale of nautical adventure and
superstition did the old man there recount
to me, until | used to see in every vew
standing out grimly in the fading light
sheeted figure, and occasionally (for l did
not reckon even Granny as sufficient pro-
tector against the unholy ghosts and bogies
he had conjured up take ANONYMOUSLY to
my heels at the conclusion of some pecu-
liarly thrilling story, the recital of which
was as intensely dreaded as it was earnestly
begged for.
But OF all his repertory, which was COM
prehensive one, the tale which he himself
was the hero and indeed on first hearing
It, so profound was our reverence for him.
self and the part he had played in the stir
ring adventure, that we mentally classed
him with Nelson, Collingwood, and other
notable sea worthless whose portraits. and
whose alone, decorated the walls Of nv
grandfather's simple little dwelling. The
incidents of the Irish rebellion where fresh
in his memory, and he, when lad of six
teen or seventeen, had been the unwilling
actor III a remarkable event which very
nearly put an end to all chance of cur
being acquainted.
In the year 9S, when, as you know.
Irish folk, in addition to their other ter
rOrs, were hourly in dread of a French in |
vasion, my great grandfather, Sir John |
Hastings, was the possessor of considerable |
property i'm tlie north Of Ireland. and resi- |
ded in an Old-fashiOned, tumble-down /
manorhouse not far from a wcll.known
wateTing-place IN the county Donegal. Nv |
grandfather, Arthur Hastings, then a mid. |
shipman in the royal navy, had contrived |
to obtain short leave of absence for the |
purpose of paying a visit to his parents on
his return from a cruise of some months |
duration; and he had not been many days
IN his old home before he determined to |
while away a portion of the time, which |
hung heavily enough on his hands in that
not too lively abode, by indulging himself |
with little OF his favor pastime, deep-sea |
fishing. Aeeordinly one beautiful morning |
when there was scarcely a ripple on the
water, he got three of his fathers tenants,
fishermen, to pull him out in their boat to |
place where he would be pretty sure of a
good days sport. When they had left |
land behind at some distance they suddenly |
deserted n large vessel in the offing, which |
young Hastings and hismen assumed to be
one of the English gunboats which cruised
about in those waters in that perilous time.
The midshipman thought it would be
good fun to pull out to her and board her,
with the chance of finding some old friends
among her officers. Accordingly he gave
the order TO pull with a will, and before
very long they found themselves under the
the bows of strange-looking man-ofwar,
about whose appearance there was some
thing strikinclv un-Enclish Hastinoa