The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1883-03-01

not early in life become hard hearted
and penurious.
The average income of jim Rossiter
lay between seventy and eighty pounds
a year On the first Monday in every
month he received his money at the pilot
office in Waterford. The monthly pay
ments varied according to circumstances.
Sometimes he would have only three or
four pounds to receive, sometimes his
earnings for the month ran to ten pounds,
but whatever the sum might be ii was
eagerly pounced upon by Mrs Rossiter
the moment her husband appeared out
side the door of the pilot office. The good
lady, who was Jm's junior 10y dozen
summers, never was seen in Waterford
except on pay Monday" If she did not
come that day it is probable good deal
Of RoSslter's earnings would find their
way into the public house tills-n0t that
Jim was particularly generous or reckless
IN his ordinary moments, but, as he sad
himself, "When drinks loses my head,
and when | loses my head I'm nowhere. "
Once or twice, when illness had confined
Mrs. Rossiter to the house on her huS-
bands payday, not a penny of his
monthly income had Jim brought home,
the worthy pilot having succeeded in
getting very drunk and in being robbed
at least, so he declared-on the road
from Waterford to his native village.
jim stood in awe of no living being
save his spouse. He would patiently lis
ten to a storm of abuse from an initiated
shipmaster, or from his chief, the pilot
officer, but he seldom lost his temper, or
gave them what he termed 'back an
sWcrs. "They might as well be praych-
i'm salmons to stones as jaWing at me"
jim would say. "Words break no bones :;
but ould as am, let me see the man as
would lift a hand or stick in anger agen
me"
His brother pilots constantly chat1ed
and it was a standing Joke TO ask Jim,
on ''pay Monday for loan of half a
! crown.
GLOW is it that the wife is never seen
in town except once am0nth, Jim Sure
ly. she doesn't come to collar your hard
ealnln's?' ''Be me song, she doesn't,
me darin' man but sure, when she was
a slip OF gTl she got into the habit of
comm into town once a month on the
first Monday and the ould boy himself
couldn't break her off the habit now
There's no undeIstandin' women. | gev
it up for bad job long ago, an' tbs often
| thinks to meself that they're not alto
gether natural, they have such quare
ways about 'em. They're TO he pitied,
they are for makes no doubt the most
of 'em thries their dead best to behave
like ordinary civilized craychurs. But
what comes by nature costs nothn', an
women are mighty fond Of chape bar
| gains" There was often an atmosphere
of mystery surrounding Jim's philosophy.
He had one curious plan for ldodging"
Mrs. Rosster. 1t is usual for shipmasters
to give pilot a small sum-a shilling or
a half-crown-as a gratuity, Or as the
pilot puts it, for "trayellmg expenses"
Mrs. Rossiter, OF course, knew of the ey
lStence OF this custom, and expected jim
to give an account of himself when he re-
turned home. He usually managed to
squeeze halt a crown from the master of
every ship, but to bis wife he confessed
to a shilling only, and sometimes to less.
II don't know what it is, Bridget" he
would say, "but It's me luck to fall in
with the most niggelly, black hearted
ould Wretches Of captains that comes
| into the port. SiXpence is what the ras
cal gave me to-day afther pilotih' him to
| Waterford in the grandest manner you
ever seen. SiXpence bad luck to the lie
I'm telling YOU Rossiter knew it would
be folly to carry his gains, as he consd
cred them, In his pockets, for MS good
wife was certain to institute a careful
search, 50 he was in the habit of deposit
ing his cover plush with a retired pilot
who lived in Waterford and when he
felt inclined for little dissipation, and
could not find any generous soul to stand
drinks, he would draw a couple Of shil-
lings from the funds at Waterford and
| invest them in John Jameson OF Old
| Tom bonds.
The majority Of the pilots in Waterford
Harbor had been sailors in their younger
days, but Jim had never been twenty
miles outside the mouth Of the river. "l
may say | was born on the SUR, and it
would be quare story if | didn't know
every inch of it be heart, me darlin'
man. jim would remark. "I'm the
grandest pilot, though it's meself that
says it, as ever swan salt Wather, and
twill be bad day for the poor ships
when | goes an lives ashore. But be tie
same token, me darln' man, twas high
time they superanniyated me after the
| thirty mine years of honest service.
One stormy day jim was seated in the
stutty, ill-smelling cabin of the pilot cut
ter. He was off duty at the time and he
was amusing himself and some other pi
lots with yarns of his adventures in days
Of yore. The pilot cutter was beating
! ot the h0rhnr the wind hInW-
ing right in from the southeast.
A ship was seen in the ot1ing hove to,
with a signal for a pilot at the masthead.
When they came within hailing distance
of the vessel she proved to be an Italian
bark but the master of the pilot cutter
could not understand what the master of
the bark required, beyond the fact that
| the ''dago" (as Mediterranean sailors are
sometimes termed by Seatarers and long
| shOremen) was in want OF advice or as
sistance. "He has probably got astray
in his reckoning said the master of the
pilot cutter, mdde-aged, red faced
COrnishman, 'and hasn't got chart Of
| the Irish coast. | can't make out a
word that comes from his cursed t'urrin
speaking trumpet. Look here, Rossiter,"
(this to Jim, who had come on deck),
"you're the oldest pilot in the service,
and reckon, after your experience with
those ERE furriners from time to time
you could best understand that chap ouy
there" pointing to the bark. ~ know it
isn't your turn but there's chance for
you now to make an extra bit Of money,
andif you're game, We'll chuck you aboard
the 'Tallyan."
"Right you are" said jim, who was
highly tiattered by his captains speech.
'1 knows the langwidge like native,
and 'twould be quare story if didn't
atther me thirty nine years of honest sar-
vice. Backo, tillo, scrivan, POGO, Capt.
tano y he then shouted, executing the
following pantomme on the pilot cutters
deck: After the word "backo" he stretch
ed his arms out to their full length and
then suddenly drew them back until his
hands touched his shoulders; after the
word 'fillo" he shot out his arms like the
piston of an engine, uttering at the same
time a violent "ssh;" after the word
"poco" he held out his hands little in
| front of hiS obact and cbOoll tbap, Iy