Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-04-30
OUR PASSENGER.


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 rleasanter lot
never steered across the stormy seas.
There were three old gentlemen, who
we're going out to share their fortunes,
come what might. and which, poor old
souls. they seemed to think fashioned
in the brig htest 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 each
other through life.
There were three old Australian set
tiers who had been over to have a peep
at the old country, anG who were now
returning to the land which to them,
through long communion, had become
the dearest of all others: -'sHome,
sweet homer
Lastly. though not least, there was
solitary passenger who soon became the
pet of all on board. He was q man of
about eight-and twenty years of age,
possessing very clear complexion, a
very handsome, long, flowing beard. and
a very silky moustache.
His narue 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 al
fected, for his voice, though charmingly
sweet, was one of the weakest | ever
remembered hearing; and it had a 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 1t has
been a 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-
lieve, sailor on board who did not en-
terrain the Warmest possible liking for
him.
AS Tor 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. 3
He was, too, such q clever fellow with
his hands; he could cut and shape you
anything out Of a piece of wood, from
an oyster to an elephant, and making
models for ships [ never had seen his
equal. He was, besides, such kind
and considerable fellow towards his fel-
low-passengers.
When the three elderly gentlemen,
Whoimagined 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 his arm,
weak as he was himself, and he would
lead them about on deck with a 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. !
could, with Infinite pleasure, make a
long pause at this juncture in the thread
of my story, to dwell upon the pleas
ant memories still retain Of Reginald
Moore
We we're within week sail of Mel
bourne. Reginald Moore had all but
completed a model of the Janet's
Pride, which he purposed presenting
to me the night before we landed
Now he worked at this naodel princi-
pally on deck, and strangely enough, he
had chosen for workable the top of
one of the empty water-casks that stood
on deck, abaft, and under the shelter OF
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 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. a
At first he tried to evade my queries
Dy replying that it was nothing, moth
ing in particular" but | pressed him
persistently until / won from him an
explanation. e.4.
Perhaps, after all" he said, sit is
only fair that should explain matters.
The fact of the matter is, my watch has
been stolen" ap ptuTfx
''Stolen!" we all exclaimed in a
breath. taa 4saE asr ~ &
IL, h Il.