The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-11-08
AN OLD SAILORS YARN.
A Fire ut Sea ana no one Left to tell the Story
of the Disaster

of the Disaster
al suppose, sir" said the Old Sailor takln
his pipe from his mouth and reaching Tor IA!
beer.mug "as you thought had slipped m
wind for full deal cause | amt been here 70
40 long, but the fact are sir, that I've been
wage to RIO since seen you and only go
back last Wednesday. You wouldn't think
man of my age, hard on To sixty, would eve
care TO 90 to sea but the fact were there wer,
q brig come to the dock when | were watchln
10 discharge a load of coffee, and me and the
mate got friendly like together and times
when I'd git down on the dock aiore dark anC
look up at the tall, taperin' spars-she were
taut rugged and had two royal yards alOft-as
the settln' sun shined upon 'em and brought
'em out distinct agin the sky to the BASTARD, OF
maybe in the mornin' rs looked through her
rlggin and seen the sun risin', the old home
sick feelin' come on me and longed for to
make one more wage aiorc CIV III my ZINE
for a final settlement.
This here mate, which his name are Jack
son, seein' how were pinn', says TO me one
day: =,
woman the slip and take wage to Rio with
usH It's q weather wage, and It'll doyou
good
"'I'm afesred, sir says /, that it would be
. awful thing to the old woman says | ; she's
kind of got TO havIn me with her reg'lar git
tin home at sch time in the mornin', havIn
my meals at jist sch times, lcavin forth dock
here at 6 o'clock or thereabOuts; It'd kind of
break her up, sir, and don't think she'd stand
il for to have me 60 and leave her
"Wcl, sir, that brig got discharged and took
in her freight, and the day she bent her sails
she jlst to my eye looked lovely. When
came down that night Mr.. Jackson says TO me,
says he:
"'Well, Tom, we're shippin tomorrow;
what do you say, shall put your name down
or notp And says l.:
"'Put her down, sir, If 1t busts the old wo.
mans gizzard; I'm bound to have one more
smell of salt water aforc | die"
'When went home next mornin I'd been
studyin' half the night through how
should break it to her kind OF easy, but some
how 1t all went from me arter | got home and
seen her toddln' about the house busy with
her work, and all the fine lingo I'd got ready
for her jest stuck in my throat aud couldn't
make 1t run. She were to be told, however,
for the brig were TO sail In couple of days
and there were little enough time to get my
dunnage ready; SO marvin myself says:
"'Bess'
well, lad says she
"'I'm thinkin',' says |, that if took
v'yage to sea- iist nice easy v'yage,' says |,
meanin to make II as pleasant rs possible for
her; 1t would do my rheumatic good, and
maybe add ten years to my life
"'What advance IS given now |? says she and
I'm bowed, sir, if | wasn't so much took
aback that come nigh givin' up the whole
thing | expected her sartin to go off into IA
furry, or leastwise to blubber bit, and this
mercenary way of takn' it quite sleweu me
round. 1T wouldn't cost you cent for a fit
ont ' she cppfipupS 'tor "a 1nt nf old
dunnage decent enough for sea use, though
they aint fit to wear ashore, and if you got
big advance could git Il carpet for the back
room, which I've long wanted, but the great
thing would be to git chance. I'm afeared
no one would ship an old codgcr like YOU but
If wouldn't do no harm TO try, and If the wages
was good II would be better than watchin'.' If {
ever felt ashamed of woman, felt asham-
ed of her that mornn', and says to her:
"'fou seem to be mighty glad to git rid of
me, and so may IA well tell you that Pm !
shipped already, and I'm off for Rio in a coup. J
lie Of days Z
"'All right says She IN have everything I
ready for you; but wen you 60 to sign ! must
go down with you and git the advance, because
I'LL be just like old fool like you to 90 off d
on spree if you git hold of it, and that would s
Mt do your rheumatic n Bit Of good
This here were pretty much what I'd made I
up NY mind to do, seem her 30 unfeelin', but Y
wimmiD are all cute crGeters; and she seen \
Nlat were amlss with me at onct, and comm Y
over TO me, she ist put her arms round my 5
neck and CIV me buss, and says she.
"'Don't think, Tom, as how | won't miss n
you; but seen right off as how your heart v
we're set on goin'-and very nat'ral, too, arter a
Dein so long ashore-and you won't be away v
ror long and we'll think all the more of each h
other when you come back .
"She stuck close to me, however, when | "
went down to ship till she got hold OF the $45 8
advance wages, gitun' the landlord of the q
house where we was Twin to go my security "
Well | glts a old chum of mine of the name e.
81 Harry Baker for to take my place on the h
lock till come back, and away | went to sea- u
81 can't say, sir, as | enjoyed it, Things 81
aboard of ship is very different from what o
hey used To be and the gaoos as goes to sea
nowadays amt no more to be called sailors h
han this here boy what draws the beer We Il
had good weather and we're well treated, but 81
found ! couldn't git about aloft like used "
70 do, and | were glad enough when the v'yage Fl
come to end and go, back agin alongside ljl
Of the old woman. I'll never leave her agin, b
sir, TIL me and her has to part company for Ii
GOOD ana all. She were glad enough, too, for "
70 nave me back, and 1t were satisfaction to v
me Tor to know that she found out AFTER had o
gone that new carpet on the back room were b
nj compensation for her loneliness. I've got p
my Old place on the dock, and here am TO
take drop of beer with you and SPIN YOU "
yarn or So jist as | used to afore went away 81
10 sea. [,
Its gittin' cold, sir, for beer, and though p
II amt good for me To be mixin', if you'd let d
him bring hot ram for the fust IN the season b
II tell you OF a thing as happened once when il
| were fore the mast in The old shin Silas o
Wright 0''"' .,
we'd had pretty hard gale of wind from Y
The suth ard, We bein bound home from Law.
erpool and bein' in about the longitude of the
Western Islands, and it had shifted, as il nj.
ways do shift, TO the north'ard a, abou, a Il
o'clock IN the mornin', the weather clear,s q
1ut the wind contnuin' strong, 30 that all we II
,ould show 10 1t were three close-reefed ion. "