The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1880-11-27
The imported Child.

In isl shipped aboard y New
London schooner, bound 10 Baf.
fms Bay for right whales.
The vessel was the Salcni-A
neat.lpokiug craft, having the liss-
ure-head ofa Sea-scrpent ut her
bows. When We got under weigh
| could not help noticing how
weird and singular lllisinlage looS-
ell, with its lieIl pr0truding out-
wQrl.=catclling=tilt glcam The
=GEuIy zrNinbows wnyr in the tossing
spray by the sunlight, aNl seeming,
:lAzlact, ,=likesa= live serpent as Tie
t0wS lifted anil SwaYGII and the
shadows OfZtlic sails ErllZup0nziti
seeming 10 endluwzit with a=sort Of
unlulalrd mUtiOn. ===zas==
There wls one person aboartl for
whom this serpent, doubtless, had
u sort Of terrific and. singular
cllarm. allulc 10 the captains
little daughter, Mary, who lad ac-
compAnicd her father and mother
FIR The voyage. She was II perfect
little fairy, with gold-colorGl hnir,
falling in long curls about her
childish face, brown eyes, and ii
skin aS willie Us IL sn0w-drift.
The sailors all tOok II liking 10
the child, anu would speaG; to her
in Il kind, pctting way Whenever
she came forward. SIle was only
five years old, but she could run
about and climb almost rs actively
as the best seaman in the ship.
"Men," said Captain Knight, adj
dressing the fifteen lnrenmst hands,
'you will keep Il good lookout for
my cIrild. She has got in the habit
of running about The decks; ard il
you lei her get overheard. blast me,
il don't make you vince for it,"
The captain was u stern, dark,
hard-fcatured man, in looking nj
whom one could not held wonder
iug how hr ever cume to have such
Il pretty child
We perceived at once, by his
rough, stern arunner OF addressing
us, that we had Il tyrlnt TO deal
with; and We aIl felt sorry We had
shipped aboard this vessel
Captain Knights vile was, on
the contrary, n meek, gentlc-loUk'
ing creature. who nheycd lrr hus.
Lant'$ every word like IL slave.
We hal not been long ut scn err
the captains temper began to show
itself. Especially did hr vent llis
spleen upon tall, br,ad-Sllnul,lpr'
ed fellow named Tom Euot. Il man
who had I,een brought up in tin
buckwoods somewhere, but wh'
had heen persuaded by Il relative
To come on to New i.nnlnn ant
try his fortune ut Whaling, til,
aforesaid relative having in thi,
business amasse,l Il considerable
fortune.
Tom slonl about six feet in hi
Stockings. hal Il hmal. honest. cnn
pcr.ccl'rd face and busly viii
krrs, herruIran shoulders, am
lone arms.
It was soon discovered that, "
might have been expected from /
| man who |la,l never seen anvthin!
Int firA water, that he cnu,l han
die M ax much lmttrr Than h,
could II nwrlinr.sriEr'' and tllat h
made clumsy work Of it in furlin,
n sail nr splicing II rope.
"T kin lnrn in time" lir wnult
sav, "hnt gall 'Iarn mo, cf | don
think It's a.goin' to mEe timcw
Upon this man III" cnptain wuull
shower cursCs by the dozen; hu
Tom would pay M attention /
him. lie went on. dni,g the hrs
hr could, and soon improved n III
tie. This, however. made no di!lrl
ence with Captain Knight, VIII
would continue to shower uro
him the most offensive cpithcts.
Sometimes little Mary would rl
to her Enthcr, while lie was thu
igoing on, and cling I" him, bel