Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-03-03
UNCLE J0EL'S BOAT.

Il WAS a delicious June afternoon.
TIE fog was pjling great white band
ant at sea, but alongshore everything
va, dipped in sunshine-the sea, the
.ands. the little winking village in the
background. the hills which seemed
irving to touch the sky with the pine
plumes in their creSts.
II was very still by the waterside.
The fishermen, as a general thing, were
ont in their boats; the children had
zone trawbeTTying in the ''salt marsh, I"
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
ssa and meadow fragrances, had stolen
N al my window. 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 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 crevices of the cliffs. His coarse,
grizzled hair was not unlike the long,
grSy moss suspended from their scraggy
brsnches, which was blown out tonight
by the damp sea winds. The figure
was bent and crooked Ike their gro
teSQue and broken shapes. His face
was filed with seams and crevices like
the rocks, and was of the same brown,
veather-stained hue. But in his eyes,
which cleaned under shaggy brows
IKE TUFTS vi gray iichen, there was 10
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 quick
CLEAN Of hClnOr, which lighted when
ever he spoke or smiled
"Good afternoon, Uncle Joel, what a
ine new boat we have here" said,
noddlns IN the direction Of the craft
which be was gazing upon SO fondly-
"AIn'c she a regular stulnin' out n
out beauty? Eff she don't cut her way
hansome over the water, IN mistaken;
stidty n swift. as a gull. l got a pres
ent ov that there craft this moTnin'.
Yes. a present ov her. 'Taint many
men that IS favored like that, let alone
apoor, unedicated old fisherman, with
the rheumatlcs tuggin' at all his limbs,
N a long spell o. layin' still, clearin'
cut his locker N bringin' him to the
very door o. the pOor-house. I'd about
nade up my mind spell ago that
narn an I'd got to spend next winter
al the poOr-house, If the Lord should
keep Us alive so long, though l said,
SOS ter kinder comfort her, she wuz so
terribly out bout things in ginral, that
Providence would pint a way outer our
trials.
"'But, says she, st may be dread
ful wicked. but what with the sickness
In Lysarnder's family, an all the rest
-Lysarnder, he's our only child, IN
his wife, allus 4 poor, sickly cretur, g
got the spine in her back, now, IN
can't move hand nor foot, m the Oldest
girls all wore out waitin' on her, N
down with the low fever-'I feel all
outer cOnsate with Proyurdunce, that's
a fact.
"But 'twarnt an hour after that there
bote was CIV ter me this mornin' before
eome summer gentlemen that's a-goln'
ter spend a month or two in these parts
come Ter me m engaged both me m
the bOte, five dollars a day m found,
right straight along, at least in fair
weather, n dretful anxious ter keep
me bound ter 'um, too, as they've got
more folks d-commin' the latter part
OF the summer thet they say'll keep me
busy till the summer is over. You see
the bote took their eye the minute they
see it, N Josiah TowIe, up ter tie hotel
sez he:
"''N' can youch fur Uncle Joel's
eein' a good skipper. Why, / should
Just as soon think Of a sea birds goln'
astray m bein' wrecked, as any bote
whatsoever IN his handG.'
"|S' they laughed m said they
should know that by my looks, WIZ
sailor clean through.
Then went home m told marm
all about It.
"'What 40 ye think about bein' out
er consate with Proverdunce, nowE'
sez l. No wet-weather work. nogittln'
soaked in cold water, a pullin' In fish,
no risk, no p1-in' out, no beln' up all
night, no rheumatics, no poor sales, no
layln' still, no waitin' fur pay, m no
more 6 thet tarnal bayberry tea
"'N' marm, she burst out a cryin'.
Pie minister said thet the uses of per-
Verslty wuz good for folks sez she, m
made 'em more religious IN nearer TO
parlecshin, but 'taint been SO with me.
IL makes me feel ez If l hadn't never
got religion ct all; kinder rebellln' m
cold-hearted. l 'spose Pm material
Tickeder than other folks, but the
Lord knows that I'm thankful to Him
fur this great marcy.
=, Yes went on, IN be a leetle
Gansful ter Bob Haley, too. while yer
.Oout 1t, fur he Civ the bote;' not ter be
HreVrent, miss, you know. but when
marin gits teary ye hev ter tech her up
Dlt. or she'd food the whole kentry.
Then she stopped 4 minute fur ter
give me leetle advice, as | knowed
she would, IN didn't git ter cryin' ser
Hard agln- But 'taint no wonder, she's
got more'n common feelin's. now, fur
tie oote rightly b'longed ter her. ye
see. Ia ct hadn't been fur her sayIn'
ways, we shouldn't never a he'd it. Ef
- "a a he'd my way, | should had thet
Auere laQdick overheard. fur long side