The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-10-12

& - -
Wen, it depends, John. Are you
particular about outlook 20
Il don't say am, William; I don't
say amt. Rely, ! don't know. But
mainly, reckon, I'd set store by a south
exposure" "
That's easy fixed, John, They re
both south exposure. They take the
sun and the shorbs get the shade ?"
" How about siIe, William ?"
"D's a sandy sile, E's mostly loom. %
IS You may gimme Z, then, William
sandy sile caves in. more or less; and
costs fot repairs.
." All right; set yow name down here,
John, under E. sow, if you don't
mind payffn' me yOts. Ehare of the fqPrteen
doIars, John, whilsf re on the breiness,
eyerytlaing.= 9.4,Sslnt
After some hig39g and sharp bar
gains the money %>s paid, an~ ohm
bade his brother good-nrht and took his
leave. There was silace for some
moments; then a soft chwkle welled up
from 3the lonely William and he NUT
tered: "t declare for 't,jf I haven't
made a mistake It's D's hats mostly
loom, not f. And Johns boxed for a
sandy sile after all
There was another soft Guckle, and
William departed to his rest, also.
The next day, in New York, was hot
one still we managed to get more or
less entertainment out oft. Toward the
middle of the Afternoon we arrived on
board the sta1nch steamship Bermuda,
with bag and baggage, and hunted for a
shady place. 1t was blazing sxmmer
weather, until we were half down the
harbor. Then I butoned my coat
closely; half an hour later I put on q
spring overcoat and butoned that. As
we passed the light-shipI added an ulster
and tied a handkerchie around the col
lar to hold it snug my neck. 50
rapidly had the summg gone and winter
come again
BY nIghtfall We wee far out at sea,
with no land in sigh 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 justas usual. The
J., int ggil ..F
the Atlantic solitudes,-out of smoke
colored soundings into hthomless deep
blue no ships visible anywhere over the
wide ocean; no company but Mother
Cary's chickens wheeling, darting, skim
ming the waves in the sun. There were
some sea-faring menamng the passen
gers. and conversation difted into mat
ters concerning ships ard sailors. One
said that true as the needle to the pole
was a bad figure, sine me needle seldom
pointed to the pole He said a ships
compass was not ulhfuI to any par
ticular point, Dat was the most
tickle anG treachenus Of the servants Of
man. It was forever changing. 1t
changed every day in the year, conse-
quently the amount of the daily varia-
tion had to be ciphered out and allowance
made for it, else the mariner would 90
utterly ast-ay Another said there was
a vast fortune waiting for the genius who
should invent a compass that would not
be affected by the local influences of an
iron ship. lie said there was only one
creature more tickle than 4 wooden ships
compass and that was the compass of an
iron ship. Then came references TO the
well known fact that an experienced
mariner can look at the compass ofa new
iron vessel, thousands of miles from her
birthplace, and tell which way her head
was pointing 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 a lot of college
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 thar another man would
in year We had one once, in the
Mary Ann, that came aboard with gold
spectacles on. And besides, he was rigged
out from main-truck to keelson in the
mobiles clothes that ever saw a fo'castle.
He had a chest full, too cloaks, and
broadcloth coats, and velvet vests; every
thing swell, you know and didn't the
salt water fix them out ior him? l guess
not. Well going to sea, the mate told
him to 90 aloft and help shake out the
fore-to' 'gallants'l. Up he shins to the
toretop, with his spectacles on, and in
minute down he comes again, looking in
suited. Says the mate, What did you
com, ,->lown for?' Says the chapf-P 'raps
YOU did MT notices pat there amt any
add S above therei You see wr-lad Mt
any shrouds above the foretop. The
men bursted out III a laugh such as |
guess YOU never heard the like of. Next
night, which was dark and rainy, the
mate ordered this chap to go aIoft about
and m dummed IL he didn't
start up with an umbrella and lantern!
But no matter; he made mighty good
sailor before the voyage was done, and
we'd to hunt up something else to
laugh at. Years afterwards, when had
forget all about him, comes into Bos-
Ton mate OF ship, and loafng around
town with the second mate, and it so
that westepped into the Revere
house, thinking may be we would chance
the salt-horse in that big dining-room
for q flyer, as the boys say. Some fell
ows were talking just at our elbow, and
,ne SAYS, 'Yonder' s the new governor of
Nlassachusetts,-at that table over there,
with the ladies' We took a good look,
nymate and L, for We had n'teither of us
sver seen a governor before. | looked
md looked at that face, and then all of
, sudden it popped on me But didn't
1--WE any sign. Says !, Mate, I've a
notion to go over and shake hands with
aim Says he, 4 think I see you doing
t, Tom Says 1, Mate, I'm a-going to
10 it. Says he, 'oh, yes, [ guess so.
Nay be you don't want to bet you viii,
Top,7' Saws 4 don't mind going q Y on