The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-11-14
THE STUPID COUPLE.

1.-The Stupid Couple "-at least thai was what the other passengers called them during the first fe~ days of the voy. age after the ship had sailed from Queenstown. Not that they were so very stupid either, but people readily get nick. names on board vessel, and nick. name once acquired is apt to stick.
 John Pieuepoint and his wife had come on board the Shasta at Queenstown by the last tender few minutes before the propeller commenced to revolve slow ly and they had not yet found their state ahead" passed from the bridge to the aengine-room and the throbbing of the great engines told all old travellers that their voyage was commenced in earnest, and that till the ship entered New York harbor the engines would not rest for a moment from their work of driving the great ship on. The saloon of the "Shas- ta" was quite full of cabin passengers, and she had many steerage and second cabin passengers as wei. She was the largest and newest ship of the line, and was commanded by the companys com modore, Captain Hood, a general favor ite, and known among old travellers to and from America as the luckiest skip per that had ever sailed the Atlantic. Perhaps 1t was because there were so many of these seasoned travellers, wise in the ways of steamers, on board, that John Pierrepoint and his wife seemed to be particularly inexperienced in travel, and therefore deserving of being called stupid; they must certainly never have taken long voyage before they showed no disposition to struggle for what some thought the best seats at table, and they accepted without grumble the state room assigned to them, which was one of the smallest in the ship. In fact, they were too easily satisfied. The Pierre points were reserved because they knew no one on board but this seemed to give them no concern, they being perfect ly satisfied with their own society. Many of the American families and other pass engers had known each other at home or had met before, either in other ships or travelling about in Europe, and were like large party of friends.
 This journey in autumn to America was what the Pierrepoints called their wedding trip; but it was long deferred one, for they had been married nearly six years, and had left three little chil. dren at home in careful hands. Before they were married they had really set tied to go to America for their wedding trip; but just then MT. Pierrepoint had inherited property, and each year after ward something had happened to pre- vent their plan from being carried out.
 The weather was splendid out in the Atlantic. The ocean had its long low roll, sometimes showing ripple where the wind touched it tenderly, and some times crisped by light breeze, which generally died away at sunset, and each day the voyagers saw red sun sinking into the water right ahead. At length, one afternoon, the voyage was half over mid Atlantic had been reached. Pierre point and his wife were far aft on the poop, close to the rail, he reading and she knitting. as their custom was. She is fair, g acious woman, with grey eyes and squirrel-colored hair, perhaps about twenty-five years of age. He is long iimbed, well-knit fellow of thirty, deep chested and lean, black-haired, with a crisp beard and tawny skin. He is dress ed in one of his old white flannel cricket ing suits, with hat of the same stuff. People wore pretty much what they liked on deck, and this was John Pierrepoint' S fancy; while some of the gentlemen, with tall hats, glorious scarfs, diamond pins, and everything else to match, endeav- ored by their dress to fascinate the ladies, who were sitting, or walking about the deck, in all the brilliant colors of flow er-garden.
 There was one passenger who attract ed more attention than any other, and this was not young lady, nor a gentle man with diamond pin |; he was simply a little boy of eight; but then he was Captain Hoods son, and every one wished 10 be friendly with him and to amuse him. He had made friends of all the passengers, and was quite at home on board, and now was running to and fro on the poop among the groups of ladies and gentlemen rolling a great colored ball of hollow India rubber.
 Captain Hoods home was on the Hud- son, few miles from New York city. His elder children were girls, and little Jack was his only son. It had been an old promise that as soon as ack was eight years of age his father was to take him on a voyage to England and back indeed from the time that lack was four years old he had talked about this great treat he was to have and in the mean time his interest in nautical matters grew large by watching the craft of all kinds passing up and down the Hudson, right in front of the windows of their house When the time came, and Captain Hood saw he could take Jack over, his mother was very unwilling to let him go; she feared some harm might happen to him and raised all the difficulties and objec. tions she possibly could but Jack and his father carried the day. The first east ward run of the Shasta was chance not to be missed; and the weather was yer, fine and settled. Mrs. Hood with he daughters came down to the wharf ir New York to see the steamer of. He last words to her husband were: "Re member, if you don't bring Jack saf' Ihnme you needn't come without him