Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-02-23
OUR PASSENGER.
THE CAPTAINS STORY.

weighed anchor, and sailed out of the
river Mersey, bound for Melbourne. VIZ
had a good ship-Janet's Pride-loadeG
with miscellaneous articles. On board
we're fourteen passengers, and take them
across the stormy seas.
There were three old gentlemen, who
were going out to share their fortunes
come what might, and which, poor old
souls, they seemed to think fashioned in
the brightest colors, long before the
English coast was out of sight.
Then there was a solitary old getle-
man, who, judging from the general tone
OF his conversation, was seeking the new
world for the the ostensible purpose OF
finding fault with it.
There were two Young married couples,
all full of hope and activity, bent upon
making new home far away from their
native land.
There we're also a very jolly elderly
brother and sister, neither Of whom had
ever entered into the bonds of matrl-
mony, but instead, had stuck by each
other through life.
There were three old Australian set
tiers, who had been over to have peep
at the old country, and who were now re-
turning to the land which to them,
through long communion, had become
the dearest of all others-"Home, sweet
ho.len'
Lastly, though not least, there was a
pet OF all on board, He was man of
about eight-and-twenty years of age,
possessing d very clear complexion, a
very handsome, long flowing beard, and
q very silky mustache.
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 fellows chest was considerably af-
fected, though his voice, charmingly
sweet, was one of the weakest ever re-
member hearing; and it had a certain
hollowness in its sound that in my mind
is invariably associated with that terrible
disease commonly termed consumption.
He always wore thick muller round
his neck to protect his throat and chest.
In all my experience-andi it has been
pretty Wide-I never knew any one with
so many friends, and such undivided es-
TEEN, in so short space of time, as Regi-
maid Moore. There was not, I believe, a
sailor on board who did not entertain the
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 inexhanstible store. And
oil Oh II
passengers had made his conquest over
all our hearts before we had been three
weeks at sea.
He was, too, such clever fellow with
his hands. He could cut and shape you
anything out of piece of wood, from an
oyster to elephant; and at making mod
els of ships, never met his equal. He
was, besides, such kind and considerate
fellow toward his fellow-passengers.
When the three elderly gentlemen, who
imagined their fortunes made, were af-
ficted 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 the deck with frmness tina,
spoke volumes in favor of his ''sea legs.
1 do not remember any voyage passing
SO quickly as the one when the pleasant
passenger was on board. I could, with
infinite pleasure, make a long pause at
this juncture in the thread of my story
to dwell upon the pleasant memories
still retain of Reginald Moore.
We we're within weeks sail of Mel
bourne. Reginald Moore had all bu
completed model of the Janet's Pride
which he proposed presenting to ME thu
night before we landed.
Now the work at this model princi
pally on deck, and strangely enough, ht
had chosen for work table one of the
empty water-casks that stood on deck
abaft, and under the shelter of the bull.
warks,
While he worked through the day, 70,
were sure to see him surrounded bv some
of the passengers or sailors. The amount
'of industry he displayed was TRULY won
dertul, for he was invariably at work il
the early morning, long before any of th,
other passengers dreamt Of turning GU
of their snug berths.
AS have already stated, we we're bu
six days sail from Melbourne. For the frs
time in our experience of him, the pleas
ant passenger appeared at the dinner ia
BILE with solemn, dcwncast expression
of face and silent tongue. Before din
ner was over, asked him what troubled
his mind and caused this unhappy chang
in bis wonted cheerful manner.
At first, he tried to evade my querie
by replying that it was nothing, nothin!
in, particulars" but I pressed him persist
emily until won from him an explana
tion.
"Perhaps, after ALL" he said, "it is onl,