Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-04-14
LOVE ON THE OCEAN.
: Ye =; that was long ago

"Now," said the captain, "we shan't
see any more land for week, and you
young ladies'll have nothing to do but
let some OF these young fellows fall in
love with you"
Fall in love-" cried Hetty, her tip
tilted nose curling with increduhty and
disgust. Who could fall in love at sea,
I'd like to know"
"Who could q asked the captain in
innocent surprise. "Why, everybody
does. Why not?"
Hetty smiled in evident unbelicf, but
glanced furtively across the deck toward
the handsome young officer whore he
leans on the rail blowing rings of smoke
into the deep blue sky.
Mischievous Dell and the quick-sighted
captain detect both, and laugh unmcrci-
fully. Hetty bushes, and the first
officer uncompromisingly turns his back
and a deaf ear to the captains gutfaws.
1t IS evening on shipboard, dinner is
over, the days work is done, and all are
assembled on deck.
The sun which has hung all day like
n copper gong upon brass ceiling, is
now mercifully disappearing. The
mountains Of Lower California shine in
his fast fading rays like "the golden
hills of heaven" whilc one little hum
mock of an island, long and high and
narrow, rises ont Of the sea like the
grave mound of some ocean god.
For once the water is smooth moth
ing breaks its stiffness but the steamers
trail, and the sea-gulls now and then
brushing its surface. Far, far away
far as the eye can reach-is nothing
but the same eXpanse of deep blue
waters, broken only by those yellow
hills, now fast vanishing into distance
and night
Overhead, only another and wider cx-
plnse, still deeply, darkly, beautifully
blue and behind cloud the new moon
just beginning to look forth upon the
aboisterous world below.
Prigsby, from London, explains to a
kaping audience how the scenery now
before them suffers from comparison
with that of the Rhine Sam Boland, Of
San Francisco, carelessly replies to an
inquirer that he is going prospecting
for gold in Guatemala, acknowledges
it to bea "pretty risky business" admits
tho country to be full OF road agents
and bushwackers, "but reckons hell
pull through" Meantime Hotty and
Dell. seeing the captain had story in
reserve, settled themselves to hear it..
"Didn't tell you how my first officer
got married No? Well, nobody could
been sickeF'n his wife when he courted
her. I'll just tell you all about it, if
you like.
"Well, you see, haven't always been
captain Of first-class steamer-no,
stree / ran away TO sea when / was
twelve years old, and I've worked my
way up from the bottom of tho ladder.
Well, when was thirty / was captain
of large sailing vessel thst was in the
South American trade.
81 sailed from the port of Callao, San
Francisco being my destination. Ny
second officer was an Englishman, but
my first was an American. only two or
three years younger than I--as good
looking a young fellow as ever saw;
tall and straight aud handsome, with
eyes like blue china. He was right
good fellow, too, brave and honest, but
srisky as q kitten and up to all sorts Of
larks.
"Well, we crept mp the coast, stop.
ping at every ninth door, as our orders
Obliged us TO do, taking in all sorts OF
things, booked for San Francisco.
Finally We came TO San Jose de Guate--
naia that lies ninety miles inland