The Penn's Grove record., 1886-02-27
UNCLE JOEL'S BOAT.

1t was a delicious June afternoon.
The fog wal piling a great white band
out at sea, but alongshore everything
was dipped in sunshine-the sea, the
sands, the little winking village in the
background, the hills which seemed
trying to touch the sky with the pine
plumes in their crests.
1t was very still by the waterside.
The fishermen, as a general thing were
out in their boats; the children had
zone strawberrying in the ''salt marah, y
and their wives were indulging IN their
usual siestas within doors. Tempted
by this lovely quiet, and the sprightly,
whose sweet breadth, mingled with the
sea and meadow ~fragrances, had stolen
in at my window, l came out OF the
house and strolled along the beach
toward Planners Cove, where, seated
on the slip, his eyes fixed with loving
admiration upon a new yacht which
was anchored Just outside, sat old Joel
Nickerson. He was a weather-beaten
old fisherman, who looked as much like
the natural outgrowth of the place as
did one Of the rocks, or the half-dead
trees which kept an insecure footing in
the erevices of the cliffs. His coarse,
griZZled hair was not unlike the long,
gray moss suspendedfrom their scraggy
branches, which was blown out tonight
by the damp sea winds. The figure
was bent and crooked like their gro
tesque and broken shapes. His face
was filed with seams and creyices like
the rocks, and was of the same brown,
weather-stained hue. But in his eyes,
which cleaned under shaggy hTows
like tufts of gray lichen, there was no
suggestion of rough weather or the
blurring mists of time. They were
clear and blue as those of a child, With
an expression of cheer and trust IN
their untroubled depths, and a quick
CLEAN Of humor, which lighted when
eyer he spoke or smiled.
"Good afternoon, Uncle Joel, what Il
fine new boat we have here,"I said,
nodding IN the direction of the craft
which he was gazing upon so fondly.
can't she a regular Stunnin' out n
out beauty? Eff she don't cut her way
harnsome over the water, Pm mistaken;
Study n swift, as a gull. l got a pres
ent ov that there craft this mornin'.
Yes. a present ov her. faint many
men that is ~favoredllke that, let alone
a poor, unedicated old fisherman, with
the rheumatlcs tuggin' at all his limbs,
m a long spell o. layin' still, clcarln'
out his locker m a bringin' him to the
very door o. the poor-house. I'd about
made up my mind 4 spell ago that
marin an I'd got to spend next winter
at the poor-house, If the Lord should
keep us alive so long, though l said,
SOS ter kinder comfort her, she wuz sc
terribly out bout things in ginral, thai
Providence would pint a way outer oul
trials.
'"But,' says she, st may be dread
full wicked. but what with the sickness
in Lysarnder's family, an all the rest
-Lysarnder, he's our only child N
his wife, allus a poor, slckly cretur, y
got the spine III her back, now, "A
can't move hand o. foot, 'n'the oldes
girls all wore out waitin' on her, N
down with the low fever-'I feel al
outer consate with Provurdunce, that
a fact.
"But 'twarnt an hour after that there
bote was CIV ter me this mornln' before
some summer gentlemen that's a-goin
/ ter spend a month or two in these part'
come ter me m engaged both me N
the bote, five dollars a. day m found
right straight along, at least in fail
weather, m dretful anxious ter keel
me bound ter 'um, too, as they've go
more folks a.commin' the latter par
Of the summer tibet they say'n keep nj
busy till tho summer is over. You SCI
A. 49, NA.1- &hAJ,~ av-n fho "a frnNtfa tho,
see it. m Josiah Towle, up ter the hote
SEE he:
| COM / can vouch fur Uncle joel
bein' a good skipper. Why, l should
just as soon think of a sea birds goln
astray m bein' wrecked, as any bot
! whatsoever In mis- hands
en- they laughed m said the!
should know that by my looks, | wuz
sailor clean through.
"Then l went home M told marn
all about it.
"'What DO We think about bein' on
er consate with Proverduuce, now2'
SEE l. NO wet-weather work, nogittin
soaked in cold water, a pullin' in fish
no risk, no pSyin' out, no bein' up al
night, no rheumatics, 40 poor sales, NJ
layin' still, no waitin' fur pay, m M
more O. tibet tarnal bayberry tea.
I'M marin, She burst out a cryln'
'Fhe minister said tibet the uses of per
versity wuz good for folks sez she, N
made 'em moro religious IN neare Il
parfecshin, but faint been so with me
1t makes me feel ez If 1 hadn't neve,
got religion ct all; kinder rebeliln' IN
c~old-hearted. l 'spose Pm natera
wickeder than other folks, but thu
Lord knows that I'm thankful to Hin
fur this great marcy.
Eyes / went on, IN be a leetlt
thankful ter Bob Haley, too, while yeI
bout it, fur he Civ the bote;' not ter b
irrev'rent, miss, you know, but wheI
marin gifts teary ye hev ter tech her III
a bit, or she'd food the whole kentry
"Then she stopped q minute fur te
give me q leetle advice, as l knowel
she would, M didn't git ter cryIn' Sc
hard Sgln. But faint no wonder, She
got more'n common feelin's. now, fu
the bote rightly Belonged ter her, y
see. e. ct hadn't been fur her sayin
ways, we shouldn't never a he'd it, +
nd q he'd my way, | should a had the