The Osceola times., 1879-06-07
I" What do you want here, sir 2" says

and how dare you show your face here p
Says :" came to see my Jennie" !"
"Your Jenny 7" says he. "My good
fellow, Miss Jenny Blush Ia no match
for 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. ! Just
looked up and down and saw my fists
shut up OF themselves, and tried to keep
'em so.
Says !, ss cool as | could, don't
mean to be before the mast all my life,
sir. ] expect to be q captain some day
"And," says old Blush, ga man with
no advantage, brought up to the sea,
might boast O. that ; but you might nave
been q partner in our firm. sir. You
might have been q gentleman, and had
as good business in the dry goods line
rs any man alive. And you have chosen
TO be rowing rascal And would see
my daughter in her grave before would
give her to you Sam, show this person
out"
This was the nigger. just come from
abroad the psrlor with the coal hod.
And when he said that, my fists were
beyond control, and the last / saw OF old
Blush he WAS on his back on the hearth
rug. Then says to the dsrkey," touch
me II you want to, you rascal" and he
stslked out.
saw Jenny on the sly next day and
tried to get her to run away; but the
girl had a will OF her own and knowed
her duty.
Say she, II can't disobey my father,
jack. l Love you dearly, and I'll 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
aid, turning quite white and looking
away from me. "You liked the sea
best, and you have got it instead OF me-"
These were the last words she said. /
was going away when heard her give a
little cry, and turning saw her arms
stretched towards me and then 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, q woman is woman
and words good enough tor other mems
ears amt to be spoken before her. The
sight of Jenny as / LETT her, with her
yellow hair blown back under the bare
tree branches, all bright with icicles,
haunted me fJr many long day, and
though ] loved the sea, there were times
when, looking over the side, used to
fancy voice deep down In the waves
whispering her words over again
"You've done it yourself, Jack; you
liked the sea better than me, and you've
got it"
1t 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.
got on well enough Before l knew l
was first mate, then second mate, then
captain. ! suppose l should have sailed
the sea until they buried me n it, If it
hadn't been for the first mate, Tom
Hsmlin. loved that fellow as might
brother, il I'd had better one than
Charles Augustus. At Gibraltar, Ham.
lin got into 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. i didn't rave Hamlin,
for they shot him dead; but / got
couple of bullets in me, and was picked
up just as near Dsvy Jones locker as
man ever was who didn't 20 into it. |
got well again and was on the invalid
list and as laid up HANDFUL OF money
and was past forty, made up my mind
To stay at home and take care of Tom
Hsmlin's orphan children. He had two
of them, both girls. i settled down in
New York and fetched them home, poor,
hsli-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
comfortable. Soon / looked out for
CHAPLAIN to pas Sunday ~ it ought to
be, and Rev, Eoen Tooker's church be-
ing handy, shipped him along with the
girls, and l always did my duty, never
pretended not to see the plate when the
steward showed it up our pew. Rev.
Eben Tooker was social man He used
to drop in evenings and talk to me about
my soul and though | can't say but
what / dropped asleep sometimes, he
knowed his duty when he did it. A
captains duty is one thing and a chap
lsin's is another.
One day he spoKe about poor Hamlin's
gals Says he, Z" You send iem to
school, | hope" rays !, al haven't
done it--gsls are better without learn.
ing, il they can read and cipher out the
butchers bill"
But he kept on, and pretty soon I let
him examine them. Lord love ye, they
hardly knew their letters. The schools
ing, as we'll as the bard, had gone for
gin.
"The poor hea'hern are scarcely more
beniehted," says our chaplain. He in
sisted on my saying pastor, but t'other
sounds best.
"we must And an mistress for them,
ca ptain.'
"Surely," said IL wanted TO do the
beat by Toms children that | could
"sarely; just mention schoolmarm,
chaplain"
Said be, MY own are under the care
OF the person who plays the organ--a
highly estimsble lady in reduced circum.
stances. Her school is close by Broome
street."
So he wrote the name and address on
card and promised to take the sirls
there. Monday morning we took sail.
| bought 'em spelling books and satchels
and states, and by nine o'clock We were
| Of the door Than lnnked TOR the car