The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-08-15
CUPID AND THE CAPTAIN.
A Sea Story.

sob, DEAR" said JEANNE, "Im so tired
of this horrible old ship, with its eternal up
and down, that don't know what to do
l've finished my worsted work, and haven't
an inch of canvas on which | can put
stitch. I've read all the books on board,
and there's not soul on board well enough
| to speak but our two selves"
off the ship didn't roll so we might
walk" said Deb, turning over in her
steamer chair and making n languid effort
| to reply.
AT this moment the Captain, fresh and
breezy, came along and as firm upon his
feet as the piers of Brooklyn bridge.
| "Well," said he, looking down at us with
his bright, brown eyes-the Captain was
handsome, portly man of forty-two-" isn't
this lovely! Who wouldn't 60 to sea in
such weather as this %
81 wouldn't" snapped Deb.
| The Captain looked honestly surprised.
| "Whv," said he, "what more would you
ask Look at that sunset. Isn't it beauti-
full Look at the moon, just beginning to
show her face. Isn't that lovely p And
he appealed to JEANNE.
ooh, yes, il one could stand on land and
SEE them, but one can't enjoy anything at
sea. How can | think of the moon when
my head goes SD all the time l' And Jean
| Hlt tuluDltu ppHI uu't pNtI III hti
lap, like dog digging for rabbits.
The Captain laughed and looked at us in
pity.
"The fact ISL said he, "the sea Is no
place for a woman. But for all that,
courted my wife at sea and married her
aboard ship"
"Oh, dear, how could you p asked Jean
ME. However, perhaps she wasn't sea
sick"
"Yes she was; she was terribly seasick
If she hadn't been ! dare say should
never have been particularly acquainted
with her."
est down and tell it," said Deb, eagerly
The Captain took long look at the hori
ION and then sat down. Over in the wes
and above the horizon was wonderful Grim
son and purple country, with range otte
range of scarlet hills, one faint green lak'
in its centre, and Just one star drowned il
its depths. Over ~ the east was silve
ship, the first we had seen in week, ant
just behind us the birds had settled dow
for their night rest in the cradle of thos
stormy waves.
"Well," said the Captain, " fifteen year
ago was twenty-seven years old, and ha'
, sailed out of New York as one thing AM
9 another for good many years, but this wa
my first voyage as captain, and it was to b
a long one, too-several months. ! was feel
ing very good about it. I'd got nice ship
OF course it was steamer. Steamers wer
more scarce in those days than they AZ
now; and though I'd like being mate prett
well, every sailor wants to be captain. The
I'd been up to Connecticut to see my mother
and left the old lady remarkably well an
comfortable; and so everything seemed jus
as nice and comfortable till ! came back
the ship and found there were seven wome
hooked to take the voyage with me.
"You see, in those days was unc0mmOnl
green. I'd been at sea all my life and nevt
had anything to do with women, and didn
know how to get along with them, and la
an idea that it took all fellow time to wa
on them. And. altogether, I'd as lief see
q the devil himself on board rs one woman, II
alone seven. Well, went down to the shi
), company $ Office and put it in hot to the pre-
=, ident. But they were friends-a mother al
% her six daughters-and he was set upon
that they should 60, and go they must. Sa
)e they were going out to meet the father, wi
had settled on some island OF other, and
70 sent them along with me because he kne
st I'd take care of them. was mad enough
swear, and told him wouldn't have an
H. thing to do with them more than civility i
ly quired that I'd see they were comfortabl
but, by the Lord, Harry, that was all won
en- do. But be only laughed, and said he kne
0. I'd do all that was right. and that needI
d" be SO bothered-they were most of the
children and would't need much attentio
~ and would keep things lively ON the shi
~ So there wasn't anything to be done, and
e. had to give III.
d. "When knew they were coming abOa
NO went ashore and left my steward and I'll
officer to store em, and when came bach
>, was right mad to see how comfortable and
100 home they looked-the mother and the Il
oldest daughters sitting sewing in the cabi
nc and there wasn't a nook or Granny on til
n. N, ship that the other four girls hadn't pok
80 and pried into. The oldest girl was TWEEN
ny and the other was under sixteen, and thon
+. the younger ones was full of mischief, it ma
me mad to see how gepteel and ladylilse tn
I'VE all was, and so pretty behaved that couldl
,a,th be as ofiish as I'd meant To be. The motl
ain and | was soon great friends, and SO "
With the youngest girls, but as soon as
's' got fairly out to sea the elder ones W,
et. taken sick, and didn't see them again 70
week. At the end Of that time they were
~ on deck again but the oldest-Jessie was
No name-and the mother told me she could
get her out for u breath of fresh air {
AS she was terribly sick And there she
in her berth, losing strength all the tin
,,h and wouldn't take the only chance Tia
Noo io' hNi bNtihb Eoihb UP
TT deck.
Why, 'am,' said | to her moth
'est 'you must get her out. She'll die II J
don't
"'I can't says she. She won't do
cen and can't make her.
Well, can, says |; and you can j
mt tell her that to morrow morning at l0o'clo
Pm coming to help her on deck, and if
won't come I'm TO take her. won't III
aud anybody dying on my ship ii can help
u "'All right says the mother kin
crying; for the girl was 50 sick by that ii
out that she was dreadful frightened.
&c" "Well, when the time came went bel
md and there was Miss Jessie lying ON a Sc
Are Her mother had told her what said, a
Am ',n, though she didn't believe I'd do anythi
ted she dressed herself enough to see me.
babe her good morning, said |
~ glad to see her, and that ia come to h
her ON deck, and when offered her my
IL she answered very politely-she was alw
very lady-like, even when she was mad
said she was much obliged, but she mean
stay where she was,
10. "' You'd better 60 ON deck, says |; :,