The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-07-24
OUR PASSENGER

OUR PASSENGER
i 1t was lovely Autumn afternoon
toward the close OF September, when w
weighed anchor and sailed out Of the
river Mersey, bound for Melbourne. W.
had a good ship---Janet's Pride-loadet
with miscellaneous articles. On boar(
were fourteen. passengers, and, take then
all in all a pleasanter lot / never steeret
across the stormy sea.
| There were three old gentlemen whC
| were going out to share their fortunes
come what might, ard which, poor ole
souls, they seemed to think fashioned IN
the brightest colors, long before the Eng
lish Channel was out of sight.
Then there was solitary old gentle
man, who, judging from the tone of hi.
conversation, was seeking the new world
for the ostensible purpose of finding fault
with it.
There were two young married couples
all full of hope and activity, bent upon
making a new home far away from theil
native land.
There were also very jolly elderly
brother and sister, neither of whom had
ever entered into the bonds of matrimony
bat instead had stuck to each other
through life.
There were three old Australian settlers
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, "home, sweet home"
Lastly, though not least, there was q
solitary passenger, who soon became the
pet of all on baard. He was man of
about % years of age, possessing very
clear complexion, very handsome, long,
flowing beard and very silky nous
tache.
His name was Reginald Moore. His
given reason for taking this sea voyage
was the delicate state OF his health. There
was not the least doubt that the poor fel-
lows chest was affected, for his voice,
though charmingly sweet, was one OF the
weakest ever remember hearing; and ii
had certain hallowness in-its sound that
In my mind Is invariably associated with
that terrible disease commonly termed
consumption He always wore thick
muffier round his neck to protect his
throat and chest
In all my experience-and it has been a
pretty wide, one-I never knew any one
to win so many friends, and such undi-
vided esteem, in so short time, as Reg
inald Moore There was not, l believe, a
Ou DOdIu WIN oio hot ShtSAeoAh tAS
warmest possible liking for him.
As for the passengers. they 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 this conquest over all our hearts be-
fore we had been three weeks at sea.
He was too, such a clever fellow with
his hands He could cut and shape you
anything out of piece of wood, from an
oyster to an elephant and, at making
models of ships, he never met his equal.
He was, besides, such kind and consid-
crate fellow towards fellow-passengers.
When the three elderly gentlemen, who
ted 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 q firmness that spoke
volumes in favor of his "sea legs"
do not remember any voyage ever
passing SO quickly rs the one when the
pleasant passenger was on board. could,
with infinite pleasure, make . long pause
at this junction in the thread of my story,
to dwell upon the pleasant memories still
retain of Reginald Moore.
NE were Wllulu U hCCh t1ii Va &fASi
bourne. Reginald Moore had all but COM
plcted a model Of the Janct's Pride, which
he proposed 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 a work table the top OF one
of the empty water-casks that stood on
deck, abaft and under the shelter of the
bulwaIks.
While he worked through the day you
were sure To see INN surrounded by some
of the passengers or sailors. The amount
of industry displayed was truly wonder.
full, for he was Invariably at work in the
morning, long before any of the other
passengers dreamed of turning out of their
snug berths.
AS have already said, we were but SIX
davis sail from Melbourne. For the first
time in our experience Of him the pleas
ant passenger appeared ut the dinner-table
with a solemn, dOwncast expression OF the
face. and a silent tongue. Before dinner
was over I asked him what troubled his
mind and caused this unhappy change In
his wonted cheerful manner.
At first he tried to evade my queries by
replying il awas nothing In PARTICULAR;
but pressed him persistently until won
from him an explanation. ;,
fernapS, aIler all, nc shiu, ~ - Omiy
fair that should explain matters. The
fact Of the matter is. my watch has been
| stolen"
"Stolenm we exclaimed in breath. :
"Undoubtedly," he answered, but 1
pray you, Captain"-herc he turned to me
IL 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 mother. On that ac-
count alone [ would not have lost it for
any amount of money. However. 1t can
not be helped. and, therefore. it is useless
to cry over split milk, as the old adage
has it. My only request in the matter is,
my dear Captain, that you will leave the
matter entirely in my hands, and ! think
it is very probable that may recover it.
This request am sure you will oblige me
by granting"
Certainly, my dear sir" l replied
"but-"
Exactly" he interrupted, with one ol
his pleasant smiles. "you would like to
take the matter in hand, and investigate
| it TO the utmost of your power; / know
that, my dear c. plain, full well but can
trust you to keep your promise, and leave
the case entirely in my hands"
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