Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-05-01
OUR PASSENGER.

1t was a lovely autumn afternoon to-
wards the close of September, when we
weighed anchor and sailed out of the
river Mersey, bound for Melbourne
We had a good ship-Janet's Pride
loaded with miscellaneous articles. On
board were fourteen passengers, and
take them all in all, a pleasanter lot
never steered across the stormy seas.
There were three old gentlemen, who
were going out to share their fortunes,
come what might. and which, poor old
souls, they seemed to think fashioned
in the brightest colors, long before the
English coast was out Of sight.
Then there was solitary old gentle
man, who, judging from the general
tone of his conversation, was seeking
the new world for the Ostensible reason
Of finding fault with it.
There were two young married
couples, and full of hope and activity,
bent upon making a new home far
away from their native land.
There was also very jolly elderly
brother and sister, neither Of whom had
ever entered into the bonds Of matri-
mony, but instead, had stuck by eacn
other through life.
There were three old Australian set
tiers who had been over to have peep
at the old country, and who were now
returning to the land which to them,
through long communion, had become
the dearest of all others:-"H Home,
sweet homep
Lastly, though not least, there was a
solitary passenger who soon became the
pet of all on board. He was man of
about eight-and twenty years of age,
possessing a very clear complexion, a
very handsome, long, flowing beard. and
very silky moustache.
His name was Reginald Moore. His
given reasons for taking this sea voyage
was the delicate state of his health.
There was not the least doubt that the
poor fellows chest was considerably at
feCted, for his voice, though charminglY
sweet, was one of the weakest | ever
remembered hearing; and it had q GER
tain hollOWness in Its sound that IN my
mind is invariably associated with that
terrible disease commonly termed con-
sumption. He always wore a thick
muller round his neck to protect his
throat and chest.
In all my experimental it has
been pretty wide One-I never knew
any one with so many friends and such
undivided esteem in so short a time as
Reginald Moore. There was not, | be-
ieve, a sailor on board who did not en-
terrain the warmest possible liking for
him.
AS for the passengers, they had never
seemed SO happy as when listening to
his amusing anecdotes, Of which he
seemed to possess an ineXhaustible
store. And this delicate young English
paragon of passengers had made his
conquest over all our hearts before we
had been three weeks at sea.
He was, too, such clever fellow with
his hands; he could cut and shape you
anything out of piece of wood, from
an oyster to an elephant, and making
models for ships | never had seen his
equal. He was, besides, such a kind
and considerable fellow towards his fell
low-passengers.
When the three elderly gentlemen,
who imagined their fortunes made, were
afflicted with sea-sickness, he was the
first to come forward and help them
about while they slowly recovered. He
would insist upon their taking bis arm,
weak as he was himself, and he would
lead them about on deck with firm
ness that spoke volumes in favor Of his
own "sea legs"
do not remember any voyage ever
passing SO quickly as the one when the
pleasant passenger was on board. i
could, with infinite pleasure, make a
long pause at this juncture in the thread
of my story, to dwell upon the pleas,
ant memories l still retain of Reginald
Moore
We were within a weeks sail of Mel
bourne. Reginald Moore had all but
completed model of the Janet's
Pride, which he purposed presenting
to me the night before we landed.
Now he worked at this model princi
pally on deck, and strangely enough, he
had chosen for workable the top oil
one of the empty water-casks that stood
on deck, abaft, md under the shelter OIL
the bulwarks,
While he worked through the day
you were sure to see him surrounded
by some of the passengers or sailors
The amount of industry he displayed
was truly wonderful. for he was invari-
ably at work in the early morning.
long before any of the other passengers
dreamt of turning out of their snug
berths.
As have already stated, we were
but six days sail from Melbourne. For
the first time in our experience of him,
the pleasant passenger appeared at the
dinner table with a solemn, downcast
expression of face and silent tongue.
Before dinner was over, / asked him
what troubled his mind, and caused
this unhappy change in his wonted
cheerful manner.
At first ne tried to evade my queries
by replying that it was nothing, moth
ing in particular" but | pressed him
persistently until | won from him an
explanation.
perhaps, after ALL" he said, cit is
only fair that | should explain matters.
The fact of the matter is, my watch has
been stolen"
'Stolen! we all exclaimed in a
breath.
Undoubtedly" he answered; "but l
pray you, aptain"-here he turned to
mel pray you say not one word
about it. The only thing that renders
the loss Of consequence to me is the fact
that it once belonged to my poor moth
er. On that account alone, Would not
have lost it for any amount of money.
However it cannot be helped. and there
fore it is useless to cry over split milk,
as the old adage has it. My only re-
quest in the matter is, my dear cap
tain, that you will leave the matter en-
tirely i'll my bands, and think it very
probable that may recover it. This
reouest [ am sure Won will oblioe m nv