Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1881-11-05
LOVE ON THE HIGH SEAS.

Nov said the captain, 1--WE shan't
SOC any more land for week, and you !,
Young ladies Il have nothing to do but |
let some Ct these Young fellows fall III
love WITH YOU.
Fall in love-" cried Hetty, the tip
tilted nose curling with incredulity and
disgust. Who could fall III love at sea,
I'd like to know
who could y asked the captain, i'll
innocent surprise Why everybody
does. Why not? -
Hettv smiled IL evident unbelief, but
glanced furtively across the deck toward
the handsome young officer where he
leaned on the rail, blowing rings OF
smoke into the deep blue sky.
Mischieyous Deb and the quick sight
ed captain detect both, and laugh un-
mercifullv Hetty bushes, and the first
officer uncomprolnisingly turns his back
and deaf ear to the captains guf1a,.s.
1t is evening on shipboard, dinner IS
over. the DAYS work is done and all are
assembled Oh deck,
The sun, which has hung all day like
copper gong upon brass ceiling, is
now msrcifully disappearing The
mountains of the Lower California shine
IN the fast-fading rays 'like the gollen
! hills Of heaeen while one little hum
mock of an island, long ANA high end
| narrow, rises out of the sea like the
grave mound OF some ocean god.
For once the water is smooth; nothing
| breaks its stiffness but the steamers
trail, and the sea gulls now and then
/, BRUSHING its surface Far, far away
! tar as the eye can rench-is nothing but
the same expanse ot deep blue waters,
broken only by those yellow hills, nov
fast vanishing into distance and night.
Overhead only another and wider ex-
palfse. still "deeply, darilis, beautifully
blue" and behind clond the new moon
Just beginning TO io"h forth upon the
boi,terous world below.
Prgshy, from London explains to u
gaping 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 be pretty risky business admits
the country to be full of road-agents and
n,lsh whackers, but ''reckons he'll pull
through Meantime Hetty and Deb.
seeing the captain had a story in re-
serve. settle themselves to hear it.
Didn't | tell YOU how my first officer
got married? No? Well, nobody could
\ been scker'n his wife was when he
courted her I'll just tell you all about
il, if YOU like.
"Wcll, YOU see, haven't always beer
n{ a fro% o1ooc Ct tao,oor No c;roa
| ran away TO sea when | was twelve
wears old. and I've worked my way from
the hettom of the ladder Well when
was thirty, was captain of large sailing
vessel that WIS in the South American
trade
II sailed from the port Of Callao, Sar
Francesca being my destination. VI,
second officer was an Englishman, bn
nv first WAS ali American, onl two .
three wears Younger than 1as good
looking IA Young fellow as ever | >a~ ;taii
straight and handsome. with eyes Ik
blue china. He was a right good fellow
too brave and honest. but friskv rs
kitten. and up TO all sorts OF lark,.
"Wcl. we crcpt up the coast, stop
, ping at every ninth door, as our order
Obliged IL, to do. taking Ill all sorts q
3 things. all booked for~ san Francisco
j. FINALLY We came to San Jose De Guate
J, mala that lies ninety miles inland -an
9 there We hove to. and waited for chanc
: 10 60 shore.
K Did YOU ever hear of the surf on tia
coa,,. ladies'? No? Well. it often roll
i fifteen to twenty feet high, and Il goo
: par, II the time no boat could live III il
a., Yh II hts 4