The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1879-09-11

BURDETTE ON THE OCEAN.
Acrobatic Performances Of a Funny Man on
shlpboard.
St. John, New Brunswick, July a.
We are here and I am Glad Of it. Iwant
to stay here several months, too.
We left Portland in the evening and a
bit Of a storm. There was heavy sea,
with its usual depressing influences. Be-
fore we were ell outside the port made
up my mind that the best thing could
do for my unhappy country was to lay
her little serene highness away in her
peaceful berth, that I might have the
hours Of gathering twilight to undis-
turbcd reflection. l think I laid her
away with some haste. I will confess,
indeed, that the customary devotional
exercises were dispensed with, owing to
the pressure Of business. remember that
l was glad when she was snugly slowed
away for the night, and can recall the
peaceful look that played over her face
as she remarked, referring to the rolling
and pitching Of the vessel, "Isn't it nice2''
For her little serene highness is good
sailor, and was disposed to make merry
over the eager but somewhat spasmouic
haste with which tucked her away.
"1sn't this nice?" she repeated, with
ridiculous feminine emphasis.
AWFUL NICE.
1t was rather nice, I believe, but
hadn't time to observe it Just then. l
wanted to think about something. And
then, to my great annoyance, couldn' t
remember what it was I wanted to think
about. 1t was something beautiful and
sad, know, but couldn't exactly catch
on. Somehow or other it seemed to run
by.
The sea grew rougher, and, as the
pitching aud rolling Of the good steamer
New York increased, my spirits did not
rise. Your spirits are not apt to- rise, I
find. They are the only things about
you that don't rise, however.
My subject of reflection having cludc%i
my rather inactive mind, became scnsl.
bic of sort of languor that suggested
repose. did not feel like standing up
and singing. I WANTED reposc. Iwusn't
particular what kind of repose. The re-
pose Of the grave would have suited me
perfectly we'll.
But there was no grave handy. And
when / went out and looked out to sea-
ward and gazed ut the landless expanse
of angry, tossing waters, didn't see any
material to make grave. And then,
when returned to the state-room, it he.
gan to dawn upon me very dinly, that
the reposc was about as seldom as the
grave.
ROBBIE placidly spoke her little Sc
rene highness, III tones marked with a
shade Of atfectionate apprehension, "Rob-
bic, arc you feeling quite wcll2"
said l was somewhat oppressed by the
grand magniticence OF the boundless ocean,
and wiped the icy perspiration from my
marble brow.
Does an intense appreciation Of the
magnificent in nature usually excite pro-
fuse perspiration IN you2" she asked in
nocently. "The ocean doesn't make me
feel so.'
/ replied that just at present the ocean
made me feel as though had swallowed
it whole, and vas afraid I would have
to spread little to hold it.
lbelleved would retire and abandon
the struggle with my feelings, for l
felt that was on the verge Of quoting
poetry.
. I stood on my feet and took off some of
my things; then l leaned up against the
door and took oft few; then stood on
my head and got of one or two; then I lay
down on my back and kicked of the rest
of them.
GOING TO BED.
Then I looked up at my berth.
1t was six hundred feet from the floor,
and was still going.
I cast an anxious, despairing glance
at it, reached out and dragged a travelling
shawl over me, and tried to MARBLE q
merry stavc Of rollicking sea song.
"What arc you crying tori" asked her
little serene highness. "Are you home
sick, or are you sorry you were so
cross9"
l ceased my song and started to say
something In reply, but it was TOO much
exertion to talk, so lay still: and looked
at my rapidly disappearing berth, climb
ing away like balloon.
"Aren't you going to bed 2" came a
cheerful voice from the lower berth.
l said that when bought my passage
Of the International Steamship Company
did not contract to sleep IN a sky-rock
ct, and that should not get INTO my
berth until it came down close enough
for me to grab at it. And then relapsed
into state OF comparative apathy, as 1t
were.
LYING LOW.
never saw you ile down so fiat"
came the cheerful voice again; " you are
closer to the floor than the carpet. How
do you do it, Robbie e.
There was really nothing remarkable in
it. It required no effort whatever to get
down. The only trouble was to get fiat
enough, and the next greatest trouble
was to get up. l said I would like to
lie dormant till the damp waves were at
rest. And on hearing that remark, her
little serene highness, IN tones of rebnke,
said such language from junior of the
Baptist Church and IN the midst of
storm was as uniting as it was presump-
tuous, and had better say nothing if I
could not frame my thoughts to better
urterances.
CARELESS RHETORIC.
I am willing to admit that my Ian
guage was not polished nor, in every in
stance, refined. It was even in one or
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