The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1879-06-12

MI. Oits0 N JACK Ballast.
Says he g recollect you well enough,
and how dare you show your face here p
Says l, -" came to see my Jennie"
Your Jenny 2" says he. "My good
fellow, Miss Jenny Blush is no match
for a common sailor before the mast, and
whatever there may have been between
you when you were entitled to my
respect, it is all over now. You have
your choice of quietly walking out
yourself or of being kicked out"
Any one but Jenny's father would
have been foored for that. I just
looked up and down and saw my fist
shut up of themselves, and tried to keep
'em so.
Says I, as cool as I could, {" I don't
mean to be before the mast all my life,
sir. / expect to be a captain some day"
And says old Blush, " man with
no advantage, brought up to the sea,
might boast o. that but you might hsve
been 8 partner in our firm, sir. You
might have been gentleman, and had
as good business in the dry goods line
as any man alive. And you have chosen
to be a rowing rascal. And would see
my daughter in her grave before would
give her to you, Sam, show this person
out"
This was the Niger just come from
abroad the parlor with the coal hOd.
And when he said that, my fists were
beyond control, and the last l saw Of old
Blush he was on his back on the hearth
rug. Then says I to the darkey, 4" touch
me if you want to, you rascal, and he
stalked out.
/ saw Jenny on the sly next day and
tried to get her to run sway; but the
girl had will OF her own and knowed
her duty.
Says she, "I can't disobey my father,
Jack. I love you dearly, and Tll never
marry anyone else but it must be all
over between US. ] don't think pa
would have repented even if you hadn't
been so violent; but now he never will.
You've done it yourself, Jack" she
said, turning quite white and looking
awsy from me. You liked the sea
best, and you have got it instead of me"
These were the last words she said. I
was going away when | heard her give
little cry, and turning saw her arms
stretched towards me; and then 1 went
back and folded her to my bosom, and
kissed her a hundred times. And Pm
afraid cursed the hard old father from
the bottom of my soul, though 'twasn't
aloud, for mind ye, a woman is woman
and words good enough fer other mems
ears amt to be spoken before her. The
sight of Jenny as / left her, with her
yellow hair blown back under the bare
tree branches, all bright with icicles,
haunted me fJr many a long day, and
though ] loved the sea, there were times
when, looking over the side, I used to
fancy q voice deep down in the waves
W hI9OaTinCr bor VuOr6a Ouor aooiu
You've done it yourself, jack; you
liked the sea better than me, and you've
got it."
Il doesn't take long for the years to go
by, either on land or on the ocean.
They went with me as with other folks. |
I got sn we'll enough. Before knew 1
was first mate, then second mate, then
I suppose I should have sailed
the sea until they buried me in it, if it |
hadn't been for the first mate, Tom !
I loved that fellow as might |
q brother, if I'd had a better one than |
Charles Augustus. At Gibraltar, Ham
lin got into 8 row with some English |
soldiers. They'd all been drinking to- |
gether; Of course took his part. They |
had firearms about them, and used them |
on each other. / didn't save Hamlin, |
for they shot him dead but I got q |
couple of bullets in me, and was picked |
up just as near Davy Jones' locker as
man ever was who didn't go into it. I
got well again and was on the invalid
list and as l laid up a handful of money
and was past forty, made up my mind
to stay at home and take care of Tom
Hamlin's orphan children. He had two
of them, both girls. I settled down in
New York and fetched them home, poor,
half-starved creatures, for the woman
they boarded with was given to drink
and kept them on bread and treacle;
and as they told me ] must put them in
black frocks, they would have felt Just
RS bad in red, and settled down to be
Soon I looked out for 8
chaplain to pass Sunday as it ought to
be, and Rev. Eben TOoker's church be>
ing handy, 1 shipped him along with the
girls, and I always did my duty, never
not to see the plate when the
steward showed it up our pew. Rev.
Eben ToOker was a social man. He used
to drop in evenings and talk to me about
nv soul; and though I can't say but
what [ dropped asleep sometimes, he
znowed his duty when he did it. A
captains duty is one thing and a chap
aims is another.
One day he spoKe about poor Hsmlin's
gals. Says he, You send them to
jchool, l hope" Says I, ''I haven't
lone it--gsls are better without learn
ng, if they can read and cipher out the
bill"
But he kept on, and pretty soon I let
lim examine them. Lord love ye, they
hardly knew their letters. The schools
ng, as well as the board, had gone for
yin.
q The poor hea+hern are scarcely more
SAYS our chaplain. He in
Iisted on my saying pastor, but t'other
" We must find an mistress for them,
e Surely" said II wanted to do the
best by Toms children that l could
'sarely; just mention schoolmarm,
Said he, My own are under the care
of the person who plays the organ-a
highly estimable lady in reduced circum-
stances. Her school is close by-Broome
street."
So he wrote the name and address on
4 card and promised to take the girls
here. Monday morning we took sail
bought 'em spelling books and satchels
and states, and by nine o'clock we were
1t the door TheI looked for the card,
and behold ye, I'd lost it However, 1
WAS in port, and could hail the lady as
'schOelmarm."
Betsy was piping her eye. and Peg was
0sWling out that she wanted to go home.
But. said I, no no gal, I don't want you
% grow up benighted as the !heathern,
md that's what the chaplain calls ye
now.
So I lugged 'em in, and made my