Daily globe., 1879-02-16

Yes, in His presence there can be
No looking back.
OUR TRAMP.
'Our tramp came to us foot sore and
dust begrimmed one evening last June.
Perhaps it was the title of "madam'
prefxed to his petition for something te
eat and chance to sleep on the haymow
which moved Mrs x to acquiesce-
somehow against your own Judgment
or it might have been the WEAKNESS visible
in his air and speech. Be this as it NAV
he was inducted kitchenward, with in
structions to wipe his feet carefully, where
judged his performances with the knife
and fork gave rise to Bridget's remark
the next morning, that he'd breed a
famine in any community inside of a
week!
"What can you do, Jim?" I asked of
him the Rext morning, as, emboldened
by breakfast, he begged for JOB.
"A'mosr anything, sir, that's hard
work." was his answer. 'Them as goes
to sea for livin' gently speakin', can
turn their hands to all sorts.''
''There's the strawberry bed to be
weeaed, John," suggested Mrs. x,
seemingly interested in the wanderer. who,
barring the loss of two front teeth, and
hair suggestive of brick-dust in its hue,
was not a bad looking fellow.
I do not assert that Mrs. Ks gentle
will is law in our family, but find it
more conducive to harmony to fall in
with her suggestions with as much dig
nifty as possible; so, with an air of indif-
ference, I acquiesced, and Jim proceeded
to his task, which, being accomplished
with celebrity and neatness, my wife
conducted him to the flower garden the
pride of her own heart, and, as far as
keeping the same free from weeds is con-
cerned, the detestation of my own.
'Ain't they han sum, mum?" said Jim,
kneeling and turning with his rough
forefnger the modest face of an English
daisy outward. "Minds me of that 'ere
young lady on the verandy this mornin',
as must be your twin sister?"
His reference to resemblance between
Nellie and herself was not at all displeas.
ing to Mrs. x, who is five years old.
er than her sister, although she effected
incredulity at the doubled -barrelled com
pliment.
'He has a rough sense of refinement
quite uncommon for one in his station OF
life" she said to me afterward, by which
I knew the leaven of fattery was work
ing; and when, the next day, she decid-
ed that we had better keep him till the
gardening was over-"It will save you SC
much hard work, John," she remarked
en- pare1athese-I knew that Jim, ou1
tramp, had found favor in her eyes.
''Shall you ever go to sea again, Jim?'
asked Mrs. *, as we made a family
group on the piazza in the cool of sum.
mer's evening, while Jim loitered neal
by, picking up the garden tools, and
whistling softly to himself.
"Yes'm," was the answer, somewhat
constrained withal.
"You must have met with some strange
adventures in your life," said Nellie, who
was just crossing the threshold of an age
when all things are touched with CLAM.
our of romance; moreover, anything per.
tanning to the sea had of late been full o1
interest to her--ever since the dashine
Captain Hanson had made her acquaint
ance at Hastings, where she had spen
part of the summer.
had lately learned through the medi
um of Mrs. x -, that Captain Hanson
was daily expected to favor Leybridgt
with his presence, ostensibly to see one O.
his ships owners possibly and proba
bly, to renew his acquaintance with my
pretty sister-in-law.
"Well, num-" answered Jim, who
have left sitting uneasily on the handle
of the wheelbarrow, adventures is mostly
in sea-yarns, as is writ for the story pa
pers; but I've had some considerable
hard pulls, what with bein' wrecked
four times-the las time losln' of as gooc
chist Of clos as Teller would want, tc
say nothin' of bein' in open boat lever
days-..me, the mate an four men witt
never bit or sup the blessed time. W.
was picked up," continued Jim, "by {
blasted-beg your pardon, mum, fo1
swearin-p packet-ship, boun' from Liver
pool to New York. OF Beansole was tht
cap'n- mebbe you've heerd of him, sir2'
this to me.
"Wasn't it he" asked, as dim re-
membrance Of the name brought to minc
a newspaper narration of cruelties or
ship-board, which somehow died out very
suddenly, "who was heavily fined fo]
brutality toward some of the emig ran
passengers?"
"Wot's a fine, that the owners steps W
an pays" said Jim, in scorn, ''to lettin
a woman die on deck from the wet an
cold9 An why didn't they bring up some
of his other cruelties-shootin men of
in the tops'l yard, drivin' 'em overheard
in the Mersey, or breakin' a rib or an arm
wi an iron belaYin' pin2
ooh, come now, Jim," said I, "Yo,
don't mean that there are men on ship
board o-day who are such brutes as al
that? Why, the law would"-
''The law'' repeated jim. claws fol
cap'n an owners, not for us sailors
though they did manage to shove the
petty officers of the Jack Frost, Jr., int
prison, few years ago, arter they killed
two or three men aboard on the passage
though I mind it was said that the
cap'n and mate scaped punishment BY
happenin' to both die-sing'lar, wasnI
it2-jus' afore the ship was hauled into
dock"