The Newtown bee., 1880-08-04
LOVE ON THE HIGH SEAS

LOVE ON THE HIGH SEAS. "Now," says the captain, "we sha'n't see any more land for week, and you young ladies II have nothing to do but let some of these fellows fall in love with you.n
 "Fall in loveT cries Hetty, her tip- tilted nose curling with incredulity and disgust. "Who could fall in love at sea, I'd like to knowp"
 "Who couldP" asks the captain, in innocent surprise. Why, everybody does. Why notp"
 "Why, the seas so nasty" emphati- cally exclaims Hetty. "Of course I don't mean the water, but everything in it and on it: Ships are so dirty and smell so, and everybody's seasick and cross and selfish. How could any man fall in love with 8 seasick woman with disgust.
 Nov, that's big mistake you make," says the captain, eagerly. ' Do you think woman can t be attractive when she's sea-sickp Why, sailors most always court their wives at sea, and there isn't one woman in hundred that isn't sick. Why, what else have tbese youngsters got to do but think of the womenP In storm it's different; but in calm weather sailor hasn't enough to do to keep him busy half the day, and naturally hiseyes and thoughts are occupied the rest O the time with the prettiest girl on board. Look at my first officer over there, pretending to talk to the doctor and looking as de- mure as cat. What do you suppose he's thinking ofp You, I'll bet my hat!" Hetty smiles in evident unbelief, but glances furtively across deck toward the handsome young first officer, where he leans on the rail, blowing rings of smoke into the deep blue sky
 He is ostensibly absorbed in one of the doctors long-winded yarns; but just here his eyes, which have been fixed on the yellow coast to windward, some how or other slide round tc leeward, and bestow sidelong glance on Hetty's pretty little halt sea-sick figure, stretched at full length in steamer chair.
 Mischievous Deb and the quick sighted captain detect both, and laugh unmercifully. Hetty blushes, and the first officer uncompromisingly turns his back and deaf ear to the captain s guffaws.
 There, told you so,' said his su- perior. "Now you won't be out of his head for B week. Oh, I tell you it don't make any difference girls being sea-sick! Cupid has tc have his fling | at sailor as well as at every one else. And they strike their colors quicker'n any other men, for their love-making has to be all done in the course of the voyage. If they hang back and shilly- shally, why, the first thing they know they're in port, and off goes their lady, love, and that's the last they see ot her. As for the sea-sickness, why, they ex- pect that, and it doesn't discourage 'em the least mite in the world. But there's one thing that's pretty hard on a sailor, and that is, If his sweetheart's sick, he can't get her to listen to him at all While he's making love his very pret- tiest and counting his very darndest why, she's thinking all the time how her head does ache, or wishing she had some more ice, or wondering when they'll get into port. And she don't maKe no more account O the pooI teller's feelin's than if a mosquito was a-buzzin' round her ears. Oh, tel you, g sailors much abused animal ?
 And the gallant captain signs an6 shakes his head over the sorrowful To of his fellows.
 1t is evening on shipboard; dinner i over, the days work done. and all wh, can move are assembled on deck.
 The sun, which has hung all day lik copper gong on brass ceiling, IS nov mercifully disappearing. The noun tains of Lower California shine in hi fast-fading rays like the golden hill of heaven" while one little hummocl of an island, long and high and narrow rises out of the sea like the grave noun of some ocean god.
 For once the water is smooth; notb ing breaksits stiffness bnt the steamer trail, and the low-dying gulls now an then brushing it's surface. Far, far ava far as. the eye can reach-is Dothing bl the same expanse of deep blue water broken only by those yellow hills, no' fast vanishing into distance and night. Overhead, only another and wide expanse, still "deeply, darkly. beaut fully blue,n and behind cloud u bashful new moon just beginning look forth upon the boisterous wor below.
 Prigsby, from London, explains to gaping audience how the scenery no before them suffers from comparise with that of tho Rhine. Sam Bolan iSan Francisco, carelessly replies
 an inquirer that lie is going prospectil for gold in Guatemala, acknowledges
 to be pretty risky business" admi the country to be full ofroad-agents al
 bushwhackers, but reckons he'll pt through" Meantime, Hetty and De ,eing the captain had story in resery settle themselves to hear and enjoy
 Didn't ever tell yon how my fiji
 officer got married ? No ? Well, n
 body could a. been sicker'n his wife "
 when he courted her. I'll just tell y,
 about it, if you like.
 Well. you see, haven't always be
 captain of 8 first class steamer-r
 siree ran away to sea when "
 twelve years old, and I've worked [
 pay up from the bottom of the ladd,
 We'll, when l was thirty, I was .capta of of large sailing vessel that was in st South American trade.
 "a 1T sailed from the port of Calls San Francisco being my destinatit Di My second officer was an Englishms
 but my first yEas an American, only t
 or three year ounger than l. as goo nnj,inU a fn as ever saw taIl a