Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1878-05-08
WOODSTOCK, w. WEDNESDAY, MAY s, 1878.

Z AiOie strangers, did your hhhbah
what ] am took for have any parlieula
marks on him by which you'd know
. him 7
{ 'Yon know you have, she says, 'yo'
, unnatural man I you've got a moriro-
dito brig upon your breast Al thi'
Identical mint,
when she said this, Tom, you
might have me knocked down with O
feather You remembers prlckin' that
Identical craft onto me when we was
fore the mast In the Adirondack, and
Of course there was no denyin' Of it,
aud | says You're right, ma am as TO
the brig though how you kpowcd It
Is more than can tell but Tor all
that, ] glyo you Il sailors honest word
that from tho day of my birth till this
present writin', I've been plain Jack
Rodgers aud nobody else, Wife or
child ! never did have, leastways to
my knowledge
Then, she says, do you mean Tor
TO deny that We wasn't married in tho
little church IN Egmont street by Mr.
Churchill2 2
i does deny il, says ], and he'll
deny il, too, il he tells the truth.
will you 90 there with me I says
she. lie knows you well.
Il will, says |, with great pleasure,
for feels sorry to have you so de-
ceived and away we went, all three
OF US lcayin the little gal for to mind
the shop. OF conrse ! thought that
bcin n man, and not bein so interest.
like, he would at once see that | wcr'n't
the man they took me for, but ist as
soon AS ever he claps eyes onto me he
reaches out his fist, and says he
why, Williams, I'm delighted to see
you turned up again all right. We
thought you was at Che bottom of the
sea-.
Says |, I'm sorry sir, but this here
IS all u mistake; | never saw you
lfore, and | never seen them wimmin
fore
Then her what claimed me went on
l! great rate to the parson, and he s
'aid as how needn't no longer deny
"y iden,i'J, ~, lie kncw nie wrn, ""a {
here was plenty more that would I
wear to me anywhere I
whatever were to do, Tom! / l
'egan to be staggered myself-began S
o think Id got changed, somehow, II
hey were all so sar,in I'd read about Il
uch things, you know about folks a
eng turned by witohcraft into other d
olks, and wern't sure but somethin' b
f the kind had happened to mo; that a
here morfrodite brig were the most St
thing of all. Howsoever, o
says to the parson, You say your fe
Ire you spliced me to this woman 2
4 am sure as | can be of anything
this world say he.
And you are sure says l to her, m
hat you was spliced to Inc by this e(
entleman 2 pt
'You know | was, she sobs. fiji
I'm blowed if do, says l 'and so dc
T. forms sake, if this here gent will er
It go through with it again, why hi
en- I'll know it as we'll as you two va
'Well, he would not for while, tn
wing that the marriage ceremony be
IRE too sacred thing for to trife wi
tn; but after while, seeing as / sh
re so set onto it, he done it. be
There, marm,' says 1, giving her a an
Using smack; everything is all MS
hit now, and whether | am Bill nl9
iliams or Jack Rodgers don't make the
la'porlh of difference. l intends to T.
a husband TO you to the best OF my wa
.ural ability up
This here was abou, three years los
}, and l must .ay as have never spe
| occasion for to regret it. She in me
ed as l shouldn't go to sea no Lo
re, not on no account. Fust off l the
ught Id bring some of the chaps was
n Washington up there for to con. hea
ce her that she had made q mistake, doV
then thought what is the use Of "Wl
c,tlin' her mind, and 50 / did not, 7
we have lived very happy. Of is s
rse we have our tiffs time and spir
D, being as sometimes git pining TIM
a sea lite and hast bit too much. poe
sch times she puts it to me for spo'
ng to deceive her, and then We -
e it over this old question of l
ther am Bill Williams or Jack '"e'
lgers, which l am sometimes in v, -,
BIT about myself And now, if you u
sartin am and always have been A