Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1888-08-16
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WHY BOYS 60 TO SEA.

The Charm of sailor Dress, Loese
Trousers, a Navy Cap, Flowing Neck
tie, Colsred Shirt. Open Collar and
General Jack Tar Rig Are OFTEN the
Reag0Me
I was but very little lad when first
went to sea-my age thirteen and half
Some fellows you know might think thirteen
and half pretty old, but when look back
1t seems to me so young that I can scarcely
believe was ever so small; and the fancy
crosses me sometimes that the MILDLY in
brass buttons and gilt badge, whose face
mine still rather resembles, and whose Inca
ment CLEAN out at me from the shot-silk-like
plate of an old dagusrreotype, must be some
queer small boy have chaneed to meet in a
crowd, and who has got mixed up in my ear
ly impressions as though he and I were the
same person.
Why went to sea can hardly say. had
certainly no clear views. Maybe the reading
of story books about the ocean life raised a
kind of hankering in me; but think it was
the desire to shine in buttons, to wear a pair
of blue cloth trousers flowing at the feet,
little jacket with pretty brass bound sleeves,
colored shirt with collar lying well open
at the throat and embellished with black
silk handkerchief tied in a proper sailors
knot, the ends twinkling to every breeze like
the fly of a streamer pulling at mast, cap
on the back of my head with sparkling de-
vice above the peak of 1t representing gold
en- wreath encircling flag beautifully col
ored with blue and silver silk. say It was
yearning to walk attired in clothes of this
kind that ended in my going to sea. have
told you had no clear views. Ny notions
of the deep were entirely romantic. I
thought of coral islands, green savannahs,
forests of fruit trees, savages with bows and
arrows, great elephants with little black men
riding cross-legged on their heads, blue riv-
ers winding toward the purple of distant
mountains, with shining white cities upon
their banks, where the roofs of the houses of
the nobility were garnished with gold and
silver and precious stones, where there were
ducks that laid emeralds an& hens rnbies
and where there were the funniest monkeys
in the world to be had for the asking I
promised one of my little sisters to bring her
box of gold dust and the ivory tusk of an
elephant; for another was to procure q bird
of paradise, two humming birds and lizard
that wasn't poisonous. To my brother Tom
my, who was two years younger than myself,
] promised real canoe, and I rather think I
added that if it was to be managed I would
present him with a live savage to go fishing
with him In it.
I knew geography pretty well, though my
ideas of distant lands were little confused
when came to think of their product; but
il seemed to me that fellow only needed to
60 to sea to obtain what he wanted. The
world was very big thought, and when
man sailed into it he was bound to meet with
everything that was wonderful and worth
having. It never struck me that I might
make voyage to place where there were
no elephants, no gold dust, no canoes, no
savages even, merely civilized black man or
two, such as You may meet any day, bland,
clean and shining, in a London street. In
deed, no more realized the sort of country
l might first visit than did the life / must
lead in order to get to it. There was great
deal of fruit mixed up in my seafaring
dream; the brass buttons and the badge
stood first, and then my vision was as plenti-
| fully stocked as a big market with coeoanuts,
| bananas. oranges, dates, custard apples and
| other first class eating. knew something
| about ships; I had lived half of my little
l life in seaport town, and could talk of bow
spirits, quarter boats, deadeyes and jibs with
out blundering; but of the hardships of 6
sailors life, the food he eats, the work he
has to do, was of course quite ignorant.
| It has often amused and interested me since
to ask boy, say of thirteen and half, who
has told his papa and mamma that he is de-
termined to go to sea, what his notions Of
the calling are. As a rule find them won
derfully like what mine was. 1t is partly ar
idea of getting away from school, partly ths
/ dream of becoming man all at once, partly
1 fancy of pirates. buried treasure, glitterin1
I uniforms and fine curiosities to be got some
how and brought home, the whole coloret
| with the light of the romance which shine
very gloriously upon the minds of boys whel
they are little, but which slowly fades as on
| gets old and older, till life turns as gra,
| round about one as cold November sky
Clark Russell.