Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1880-10-08
CUPID AND THE CAPTAIN.
sEAsroRY.

tired of this horrible old snip, with lis
eternal up and down, tina, don't know
what to do, I've finished my worstcd
work, and haven't an inch Of canvass
ON which can put 4 stitch I've read
I'LL the books and there's not Il soul ON
board we'll enough to speak hut our
two selves
IF the ship didn't ron 50 We might
walk, said Deb turning over in her
steamer-chair, and making \ languid
effort to reply.
At this moment, the captain fresh
and breezy, came along, and rs firm
upon his feet rs the piers for the Brook
Ign bridge
Well, said he, looking down at Us
with his bright brown eyc-thc captain
was handsome, portly man of forty
o--',isnt this lovely? What wouldn't
80 to sea iii such weather aS thiS2'
II wouldn't. snapped Deh
The captain looked honestly sur
priscd
why" said he what more would
YOU ask? Look nj that sunset. Isn't
il lovely? Look nj the moon Just be-
ginning To show her face. Isn't that
beautiful and he appealed to Jean
ME
ooh, yes if one could stand ON land
and see them; but how can one ENJOY
anything nj sea? How can think Of
the moon when my head goes so all
the time" And Jcannic tumhled her
hands over and over III her lap, like a
dog digging for rabbits.
The captain laughed and looked at Us
in pity.
"The fact is, said he, the sea is no
place for women. But for I'LL thai
courted my wife ut sea, and married
her aboard ship"
sob, dear, how could you" asked
Jeannic However, perhaps She
wasn't sca-Sick.
"Gcs. she was; She was terribly seat
sick. If She hadn't been dare say
should never have been particularly
acquainted with her
"Sit down and tell it, said Deb eager
H.
The captain took i long look At the
horizon and then sat down. over III
the west and above the horizon was Il
wonderful purple and crimson country
with range after range of crimson hills;
one faint green lake in the center, and
Just one star drowned iii its depths.
Over in the east was II silver ship, the
first we had seen in a week; and just
behind lis the sea-birds had settled
down for their nights rest inthe cradle
of those stormy waves.
"WclI, said the captain, Fifteen
years ago | Was twenty-SeScn years old
and had sailed ont Of New York, rs
one thing and another, for Il good many
years; but this was my first voyage as
captain and il was long one several
months. | was feeling very good about
IT, Id got a nice ship of course il
was 4 steamer. Steamers We're more
scarce in those days than they are now;
and though I'd liked being mate pretty
well, every sailor wants to be captain.
Then Ed been up to Connecticut To see
my mother, and left the old lady re-
markedly well and comfortable; and
everything seemed just rs nice and
comfortable till ! came back to the
ship ana found seven women booked
to take the voyage with me,
"Gou see. in those days was un-
commonly green. had been 1T sea
jill lllN Ilt' anu lltNIl lltiNl an tillilS "
do with women. and didn't know
how to get along with them, and ! had
an idea that il took all n fellows time
to wait on them And altogether, I'd
il lief have seen the devil himself on
board ~ one woman. let alone seven.
Well, | went down 60 the ship COM
pany's office. and put ii iii bot to the
president But they were friends
mother and her six daughters and he
Was set upon il that they should SO, and
90 they must. Said they were going
out to meet their father, who had set
tied on some island ~ other. and he
sent them along with me because he
knew Id take care ofthem. ! was mad
enough u swear. and told him /
wouldn't have anything to do with them
more than eivility requirei that ID
see they were comfortable, but by the
Lord Harry, that was all ! would do.
But he only laughed. and said he knew
that I'd DO Ill that vas right, and that
needn't be 50 bothered-they were
most of them children and wouldn't
need much attention, and would keep
things lively OH the ship 30 there
wasn't any thing g Ne dome, and ! mad
10 give in.
when | knew they were coming
aboard went ashore and left my
steward and first officer 10 store en-;
and when | came back was right
mad ii Ace how comfortable and 1T
home they looked-the motherand the
two Oldest daughters sitting sewing in
the cabin. and there wasn't d nook ~
GRANNY OH the ship that -four other
girls hadn't poked and pried into. The
Oldest Girl Was twenty and the other
was under sixteen. and though young
er ones were full of mischief, i made
me mad to 80 how gcntrcl and ladr-
like they were. and % pretty behaved
that | COUNT be Il. ofi-h IL ii meant
90 he. Tie mother ma vere soon
great friends, and Is ! 81, With tie
youngest girls but Il. soon - We Ct
fairly Ont NJ sea. tho elder ones were
taken sick and didn't see them again
for d week. AIT the end of tAt TIM
they sore TIL on dect again htt IT,
Oldest, Jessie was Ter name. and the
a - = ~ rs