The Mineral argus., 1884-02-28
~SpOOpcndyke'S Sail Boat.

lAlltil uDkAtlA WV AaoN "a az E1ANAE 49,
mime enjoyment of unpacking for the
summer. "My dear, there's no use
to get %aleng'in the country without
a sail boat, and l have bought a nice
one. Come along and I'll show you how
it works"
"Ain't that nice" giggled Mrs. Spoop-
endyke, who stood in mortal terror Of
the water and was afraid ofanything in
the shape offs boat. Are you going to
sail it on the pond?"
"At first l thought I'd sail it down the
cellar" growled Mr.. Spoopendyke, "but
the landlord was afraid it might upset
the milk; then | thought I'd try the
garrett, but there's too much wind up
there, so | believe I'll stick to the river.
Hurry up now, and I'll show you the
biggest boat in thirteen countless
"If it's as big as that it must have cost
a good deal" murmured Mrs. Spoopen-
dyke, somewhat treasured by the size of
the boat. 81 am very glad you got a
large boat, though, of course, the ex-
pense-"
''Wbat dye think I've been buying?"
dem anded Mr.. Spoopendyke, with a
flushed face; got some kind of a notion
that I've invested my wealth in Il salt
marsh, with telegraph poles for masts,
haven't We? Think pve been laying out
money in a town site, don't We? Well, |
haven't, and l haven't been buying a
rural district with a rudder TO 1t. It's a
boat, l tell YEA sail boat-and it won't
come up here to make a formal call; so
if you are going to it, you want to go
where it is. Coming?" and Mr.. Spoop-
endyke pegged off with his hat pulled
down over his ears and the expression
of a veteran tar on his visage.
Eyes, DEAR" replied Mrs. Spoopen-
dyke, luttering after him. Say, dear,
I'll stand on the shore and watch you
sail the thing"
You won't do any thing of the kind,
rotorted Mr.. Spoopendyke. 81 bought
that boat for your pleasure as much as
mine, and you're going to sail init. When
| want you to stand on the shore and
watch anything, I'll hire a man to drown
himself. Now, look at that boat Isn't
she a daisy? See how she sets oil the
water!"
"What are all these clothes lines hang
ing down from that stick for?" asked Mrs
Spoopendyke, surveying the yacht crit
ically.
"To play Copenhagen with" roared
Mr.. Spoopendyke, who was not at all
anxious to be examined on the techni-
cal points of his new acquisition. You
take hold of those ropes, and slap your
hands, and then we kiss. See into il
now? Does the art of navigation begin to
appear to your understanding? Now you
get in, and I'll make sail " and Mr.. Spoop-
endyke handed his wife into the cock
pit and began to tug away at his hal
yards.
"Why didn't you have a sail made
when the boat was built?" inquired Mrs.
S~poopendyke, by way of encouraging
her husbands labors with pleasant con
~versation.
Because the man was sick" snarled
Mr.. Spoopendyke, glancing at the head
of the mast to see what was wrong.
Come up here, will YEP" he grunted as
he grabbed the halyards again. There,
dod CAST We! l knew I'd fetch ye" and
he walked aft to examine the trim of the
mainsail. "How does that set?"
at seems to be a little full n the back
breadth, f." said Mrs. Spoopendyke, hold
ing on to the coaming with both hands.
'If you cut q gore "a that top stick it
would be straighter."
81 suppose So" muttered Mr.. Spoop-
endyke, giving another haul at his peak
halyards. eff I put a hustle on it l i'm
agine it would take the wrinkles out.
Now, I'll get on that jib, and mind, don't
you touch anything"
Mr.. Spoopeudyke set his lib and
pushed off. As his sail filled, the boat
heeled over, to the manifest c~onsterna-
ton of Mrs. Spoopendyke.
"What makes the thing tin so?" she
asked, scrambling up to windward and
grasping Mr.. S~poopendyke by the col
lar.
"Let down the centreboardV' yelled
Mr. Spoopendyke, suddenly remember
ing the instructions he had received
when he bought the boat. LET go that
centerboard, quick"
at haven't got it," squealed Mrs.
Spoopendyke. al haven't seen It'll We
must have left it ashore! oh, myl" The
last exclamation was addressed to a half
hundred weight oil water sloping over
the coaming.
"Haul away on that jib sheetl" reared
Mr.. S~poopendyke, who found it was GO
ing ashore on the other bank of the riv-
er. "Pull her in as quick as you cant
Let go of thai he" continued, as he saw
his wife clutching convulsiVely at the
peak haylard cleat. "Let 90 that meals
iy thing, will We, and haul the jib
sheet"
els this it?" gasped Mrs. Spoopendyke
casting the throat halyard loose; cor
this?" and she let go the peak halyard,
dropping the boom on Mr.. Spoopen.
dykes head aud burying him under the
mainsail. perhaps this is what he
means" she so~liloquized, as she hit up
on the jib halyard, and let it 60 by the
run. Nov we are sailing better, dear,
If it hadn't been for me we would have
tipped over"
That's IT." yelled Mr.. Spoopendyke.
s~frnrrlinn nnf from unhar the canvas