The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-10-06

others L hadn't thought about being
buried myself"
"Life's on'y fleein' show, John, as
the sayin' is. We've all got to go, sooner
or later. To go with aclean record IS the
main thing. Fact is, it's the only thing
worth strivin' for, John"
Yes, that's so, William, that's so
there amt no getting round it. Which
of these lots would you recommends"
" Well, it depends, John. Are you
particular about outlook"
C don't say am, William; don't
say amt. Rely, l don't know. But
mainly, reckon, I'd set store by south
exposure"
That's easy fixed, John. They're
both south exposures. They take the sun
and the Shorbs get the shade"
p" How about sile, William"
"D's a sandy sile, Els mostly LOOM"
"You may gimme E, then, William;
a sandy sile caves in, more or less, and
costs for repairs"
" All right; set your name down here,
John, under E. Now if you don't mind
payin me your share of the fourteen dol.
lars, John, while we're on the businass,
everything's fixed"
After some higgling and sharp bar
gaining the money was paid, ind John
babe his brother goodnight and took his
leave. There was silence for some mo-
ments; then soft chuckle welled up
from the lonely William, and he NUT
tered: 81 declare for It, if l haven't
made mistake! It's d that's mostly
loom, not E. And Johns booked for a
sandy sile after ALL"
There was another soft chuckle, and
William departed to his rest, also.
The next day, in New York, was a hot
one. Still we managed to get more or
less entertainment out of it. Toward
the middle of the afternoon we arrived
on board the staunch steamship Bermu-
da, with bag and baggage, and hunted
for shady place. 1t was blazing sum-
mer weather, until we were half way
down the harbor. Then l buttoned my
coat closely; half an hour later put on
a spring overcoat and buttoned that AS
we passed the light ship added an ulster
and tied a handkerchief around the col
lar to hold it snug to my neck. So rap
idly had the summer gone and winter
come again!
By nightfall we were far out at sea,
with no land in sight. No kilograms
could come here, no letters, no news.
This was an uplifting thought. 1t was
still more uplifting to reflect that the
millions of harassed people on shore be-
hind us were suffering just as usual.
The next day brought US into the midst
If hn F,,1a e
colored soundings into fathomless deep
blue; no ships visible anywhere over the
wide ocean; no company but Mother
Carys chickens wheeling, darting, skim
ming the waves in the sun. There were
some sea-faring men among the passen-
gers, and conversation drifted into mat
tiers concerning ships and sailors. One
said that true as the needle to the pole"
was a bad figure, since the needle seldom
pointed to the pole. He said a ships
compass was not faithful to any particu-
lar point, but was the most tickle and
treacherous of the servants of man. 1t
was forever changing. 1t changed every
day in the year; consequently the amount
of the daily variation had to be ciphered
out and allowance made for it, else the
mariner would go utterly astray. An
other said there was a vast fortune wait
ing for the genius who should invent
compass that would not be affected by
the local influences of an iron ship. He
said there was only one creature more
tickle than a wooden ships compass, and
that was the compass of an iron ship.
Then came reference to the well-knOwn
fact that an experienced mariner can
look at the compass of new iron vessel,
thousands of miles from her birthplace,
and tell which way her head was point
ing when she was in process of building.
Now an ancient whale-ship master fell
to talking about the sort of crews they
used to have in his early days. Said he:
Sometimes we'd have batch of col
lege students. Queer lot. Ignorant?
Why, they didn't know the cat-heads
from the main brace. But if you took
them for fools you'd get bit, sure. They'd
learn more in month than another man
would in a year. We had one, once, in
the Mary Ann, that came aboard with
gold spectacles on. And besides, he was
rugged out from main truck to keelson in
the nobbiest clothes that ever saw TO-
castle. He had chest full, too: cloaks
and broadcloth coats, and velvet vests;
everything swell, you know; and didn't
the salt water fix them out for him? /
guess not! Well, going to sea, the mate
told him to go aloft and help shake out
the fore-togallants. Up he shins to the
foretop, with his spectacles on, and in a
minute down he comes again, looking
insulted. Says the mate: What did
you come down for?' Says the chap:
P'raps you didn't notice that there amt
any ladders above there You see we
hadn't any shrouds above the foretop.
The men bursted out in a laugh such
as l guess you never heard the like
of. Next night, which was dark and
rainy, the mate ordered this chap to
60 aloft about something, and Pm
hanged if he didn't start up with an
umbrella and a lantern! But no matter;
he made mighty good sailor before the
voyage was done, and we had to hunt up
something else to laugh at. Years aft
erward, when l had forgotten all about
him, comes into Boston, mate of ship,
and was loafing around town with the
second mate, and it so happened that we
stepped into the Revere House, thinking
maybe we would chance the salt-horse
in that big dining.room for flyer, as
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