Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-08-21
BY LAND AND BY SEA.
[sheldoa Borden in The Argouautl
CLAUSE THE FIRsT.

CLAUSE THE FIRsT. IA
The cadsts' ball at Annapolis Is IN pro-
pesz To II have been hidden many Of those
who were once cadets but are now officers ON
men-of-war, have actually been to sea and
visited foreign ports, which makes them as
sumo Travelled airs and display in various
ways their convictions that there is nothing
much left in the world worth seeing. Lieut.
Green twho is leaning against the columns Of
the ballroom and looking at the dancers with
mild curiosity remarks to Lieut. Simpson
similarly engaged that it reminds him, dye
know, of the Nautch dance we saw in
Calcutta, and Lieut.. Simpson responds that
1t is somew at Like that, but, dye know, it
reminds him more of the Japanese Saki-
MAXI. Then they both looked extremely
Travelled, to the intense envy of several new
cadets who are within hearing.
This conversation also reaches pair Of
pink ears belonging to a small damsel seated
near by, who, however busy she may be in
smiling away the sense of her midshipman
escort, nevertheless finds time to curl up her
lip and make mental comments not at all
fattering 10 the leutenants She asks her
midshipman il he thinks those great men
used to dance and depot themselves like
ordinary mortals when they were at the
academy; and he is quite pleased at her
sarcasm, because-althought ne secretly
admires ieutenants who have been to
Calcutta and Japan-he is very willing to
have them disparaged for daring to know
more than he
Drawls Green to Simpson again: "See the
commodore's wife over the wayp .
Simpson doesn't know the commodore's
wife, but is unwilling to acknowledge nos
kr,oxyix.or ay,Nfhn0 M anUhndU ba nOiQ
and gazes at tall, gaunt lady i'll black,
whose hair and conversation alone have
escaped the ravages of time.
"Hang it, not that one" says Green. THAT
old party looks like Peruvian duenna. Here's
Mrs. Commodore on this side Stout woman,
with black lace mantilla. Reminds one of
Spanish fandango. Wonder who she's got
in t0ws" ...... .....
II know him." replied Simpson, ats Dale,
first lieutenant on board the Larkspur. Fel
lows call him Gentle Hermit, because his inn
tials are G. H., and then he sets up for a
sage To hear him talk you'd think he was
as old as the everlasting hills and as wise as
Solomon. He's pretty good sort, though,
and has been almost everywhere met
him him at Algiers when we we were sta
toned there year before last"
Looks rather young and conceited," seems
to me-" Thus Green "Come along and let's
have some punch. There's feast of reason
and flow of bowl going on in the next
room"
After which they depart, and the owner of
the pink ears, who has been wickedly listen
ing all the time, quite agrees with Mr.. Green
in his summary of Mrs. Commodore's escort
Before she has time to escape, however, that
lady catches sight of her, beams affably, and,
turning in their promenade. says something
inaudible to her partner. He looks resigned,
gIances across the room, and mutters: "De-
lighted, I'm sure" with face not at all indi-
cative of delight, and then the twain descend
upon the corner, where the pink ears are
growing somewhat pinker, and have called
pair of brown eyes to assist in holding an in
dignation meeting over the idea of any ones
being unwilling at an introduction to them
"My dear Angelina" begins Mrs Commo-
dore, effusively, "what faculty you have
for hiding in snug corners, watching people,
and I've no doubt saying clever, wicked
things about them. Miss Owen, Mr.. Dale"
(Mr. Dale does the bow listless and Miss
Owen the nod frigid.) "Miss Owen is from
California, and am her chaperone, as well
as very fond of her"
(which does not necessarily follow by any
means, y, interrupted Dale. But I can be-
lieve that no one would find it a difficult task
to be fond of your charge" And he bows as
II he had said good thing and made a
friend of her for life at very trifing ex-
pense.
The indignation meeting is unanimously
indignant "Mr. Dale is kind enough to ex
ert himself as much for his own glory as
mine His consciousness of merit is its own
reward" Then to her midshipman, who has
not mentioned dancing) Eyes, will dance
with pleasure"
Dale (mentally --Whew! Dear creatures,
girls!
Angelina (whirling off)-such conceit
CLAUSE THE SECOND.
There is banquet on board the United
States ship Larkspur, Commodore Rudkin.
The commodore is man who believes in
"good old customs" and doubts not their ex-
cellence if they have the requisite age so
he has drank healths, smashed glasses, pro
posed toasts land answered them himself
when no one else would respond, for all of
which he is rewarded by carefully audible
whispers from his lady guests to the effect
that he is the life of the occasion-so con-
vivial, SO gallant, so generally charming.
OF truth, he quite agrees with them; and
as master stroke he rises, glass in hand, and
says he has reached the--to him and all true
men-most delightful and congenial part Of
the evenings entertainment, wherein he is
permitted to pay tribute to that lovely be-
ing without whom life would be indeed
q waste! 1t is needless for him to add that
he refers to women. (Murmurs of applause
from young officers and midshipmen) He is
himself somewhat too elderly man, as well
as too indifferent an orator (which he doesn't
in the least believel, to do the young ladies
Justice, and hence he is going to pursue a
plan of his own and depute that pleasing task
to some younger gallant-say Mr.. - cast-
ing his eye up the table, Mr.. Dale, who, he
feels confident, will accept. AS for himself.
he cannot afford to relinquish the lovely
sex entirely--may his timbers shiver and his
lights go out when he does! So he intends
reserving the matrons of maturer years for
his tender mercies. Being a married man he
is certainly more capable of estimating them
at their worth and with all his heart does he
respect reverence--aye, and love such of
them as his wife will permit-and SO forth,
and SO on.
During all this young woman, who thinks
Mr.. Dale the most conceited man in the
world, has found herself wondering what he
will have to say about young ladies and
whether he will ks as fluent as that dear old
commodore, whe'm she considers a second
Demosthenes and an old gentleman who is al
together fascinating from an unsentimental
point of view.
The gallant commodore at last, with a