The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1886-08-19

CSOh AOiuS W Sc6 tucSc
twenty-five years." said the stewardess
OF an American cOastwise steamer, one
afternoon, recently, as she sat sewing in
the ladies' cabin of the vessel to which
she belonged, "and yet l was never
wrecked nor has ship l have been on
lost so much as spar while was aboard.
Yes, my life has been a very common
place one. There has been no romance
In any way connected with it-stop
though, | did play very small part in
a romance once. That happened fully
twenty years ago, and now it seems like
dream. l sometimes wonder if 1t
wasn't after all a dream. 1t seems
stranger to me now than it did even
then" The worthy stewardess paused
and tar-away look in her eyes showed
that she was indulging in retrospection.
When was young l went on sailing
vessels instead of steamers" continued
the stewardess. "About twenty years
ago-that was when was young-l Wis
tied some friends in the country after a
voyage, and then | came to New York to
find ship. The agent went to see told
me that could 60 as a stewardess on
ship bound to Australia The skipper
said he, is good man, but he's a regu-
lar old maid said that didn't mind
old maids, and so it was settled that was
to 60 with the old maid captain The
next day went aboard and reported to
my new captain, who was called Harris.
The captain was short and rather slightly
built, with mild, gray eyes, but with a
full, heavy black beard He seemed about
hIrtvE Exyn ~11
small and delicate, and his voice was high
and just trifle shrill, and he walked up
and down the deck with mincing sort of
gait. Thinks ], Captain Harris, if you
wasn't skipper, you'd have made first
rate single woman; | regularly despised
him until the first storm came on. Then
he went on deck and handled the ship in
such a way that | could not but admit
that he was the very best navigator had
ever sailed under. Then began to think
better of the old maid captain. never
saw captain 80 considerate of his men.
If one of them was the least bit sick, the
captain would 90 into forecastle and
| tend TO him rs tenderly as any nursu.
And when the weather was bad he would
not allow the mates to make the men do
any work that wasn't really necessary.
The mates used to make fun Of the cap
tain behind his back for being so consid-
crate of his men, but somehow thought
it was a good trait in him. l began to
watch the captain closely, and | soon
made up my mind that there was some
mystery about that man. Once On a
pleasant evening came on deck and saw
| the captain looking at the red sunset with
tears in his eyes. At another time,
when | thought he was on deck, l went
into the after cabin for something.
found him there. What do you think he
was doing? Why, he was sewing, as
seamen often do, and crying into the bar
gain. 'They are right in calling you the
old maid oaptain,' thinks l.
"The mate, Mr. Wood, was tall, fine
looking down-eastcr, about thirty five
years old. The captain seemed to like
him, but ! thought how he must envy
him his size and strength. The captain
though, was much the smarter man of the
two. The mate, somehow, seemed to take
fancy to me-for as / said / was young
in those days. He was always running
into the cabin on some pretext to talk tC
me. But never encouraged him. You
see was engaged to be the mate of an
other mate and that mate, poor fellow
was lost at sea few years afterward
Although the captain didn't seem to care
much about me, he didn't fancy the mates
taking liking to me. That used to puz
zle me. One pleasant evening when
went on deck saw the captain, who
stood aft, looking admiringly at the mate
who was sitting at the starboard gang
way. When the captain saw me come or
deck he gave me sort of suspicious look
and when the mate came up to me and
began to make himself agreeable, al
though as | said before | had not giver
him any encouragement, glanced again
at the captain and there was an angry
snap in his eyes. He did not like to sec
the mate and me together That wat
plain. But why should he object to it al
long as he didn't seem to care for me him
self tried to hit on some reason for this
but soon gave the whole thing up as 6
mystery too deep for me to attempt tt
solve.
"One morning when we were in thu
south Pacific, some one cried out thai
there was small boat with several peo
pie in it in sight on the lee bow. W.
bore away for the boat, which in a shor
time was alongside the ship. Five mer
and little boy climbed up from the boa
to our deck and We gave them a warn
welcome. The little boy couldn't have
been day over eight years old. He wal
bright-looking little fellow, with lonl
curly hair. Captain Harris took to hin
at once. He carried the little fellow intt
the after-cabin and put him in his owl
berth, and took him something to eat
while the rescued men were telling vi
how they came to be in the open boat
They belonged to bark which was bound
for New York, but had sprung leak and
had foundered the day before. The crew
left the vessel in two boats just befor'
the vessel went down, but when she die
20 under she swsmped one of the boats
and the captain and seven men wer'
thrown into the water and drowned. Th'
other boat, with the mate in charge, man
aged to keep afloat until we came up will
it.
"The mate of the wrecked vessel, Mr.
Bradley, wss . grsy-bsired, rough-look
ing man, but be seemed to have . kint
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