Telegram-herald., 1888-12-23
JACK TAR'S CHRISTMAS.

The r-nasras ~ rhs Chinese sailor en-
i,ted afoara a Dalted Stltes m4n-Of-
war "N.heu Ci-ssIlls. me no sabey ney'
a8 he came issl from fls foretopsal
tri VI a.-rl hs lat been lending q hand
~ rlF' rhe remnant ~ Iop-al bloNn
almost % ralll- ~ the LeTee winters
gale taa1 a4s bowling one Christmas
Ll-snrss. ard BEGAN blowing on his frost
ti.ial l-Eers 4ll rubbing them IA the
-nlss 9HIrh covered tLe vessel deck, 10
. very good expoalrgn ~ the practical
eltss 81 rflr universal Christian h0lstaY.
49, lI-lueufly seen ~ n hardy toilers
~ the sssA Stern necessity sometimes
esnands taaI ths work muss %
trps and ths ship made safe
al snug before JACK Tar Gun
~ ck ~ beam sCep or Christml5 pud
dirg ard ltfer tzngs. and rot infTe-
qle1fly AZ -ls "a remembers nothing
sut pays no honla.se o. customs. no mat
trr hos ancient. Imagination u Grand
banquet can alone be relied upon % ap-
Ies-so rhe appes.te. - "hct water and
spoons" are very apr 90 be about al hat
can 10 OosA4nod - tie way of a square
meal. aad even the luxury II the hot
water Is often omitted. "a the tossing,
side. makes it impossible % keep any
thing ca top * the galley stove, II. in
deed. u - a rracticable thiny 10 keep up
the fires st AL la such a case tho cul
u dlsc0ntent. 20 % speak. must be rep
resented. ~ the song gives 10. BY the
starhoard side OK an oil soG'wester.
Christmas away from home Il, how
ever. always kept IN some or
another. even uDden such adverse CIR
c'lnst2nces a. those mentioned; az a
htsie something % warm ufn up Is
quiesly given % The half froa. man by
soEao EindhcsTted ofi;cer a. be comes
down from nlofs. and before drinking he
Manages, as rule, % pun of his cap
and - say Merry Christmas" which Is
about al tho circumstances of the case
xfl Admit Of Wind 1nd weather PER
mitting. however, only the absolutely
necessary things are done, and the
C-hrtstuAs dinn-r Is made a. sIImptuous
"a The payrnaster's stores VIII permit, or
90 forssighs II she mess caterer IN lay
lng tn< nEssthfng extra before the ship
left poA : las provided The ration gives
more OF lezs variety Of things that put
mp % k1sp during the cruise, but Jack
p<cfzs rhe things Shat are not made
80 keep. and, bsang prover rhtaIIy inprovi-
dsuh ths day generally tDds him
dapencfn2 on plum duh as the grand
pieco tS resistance. and no matter how
ra1ch ot the resistance chere may be
Aboue the compound tho relish with
wfdch is dlsappaars Is proof sufficient ~
ia aha3ity = take The place Of other pos
shly uss<o dircseihle articles. The bags
containing tho sailors personal effects
ara pfped Up and the unen given an op-
IL
~riss letters " do whatever tho limit "
the shlp vil G1Iat Smoking ia per
u1ftted outside The daily regulation hours,
and everything Is done % make tho men
~ ooznfUrtatds and tho day as much of a
hollay - possible. having. % course.
6=c rssard fOr ths handling q the vessel
WhGr. hosveyxr, tho "a - ara IN port,
ard + happens y b one where there Il a
good rnArkat. al that i affords Il brought
clf - grace ths board. and The scene pre-
ssntrf \ H1s berth deck of ono of our
u1rn-of-~sr on such occasiOrs Is lively
ard pa-rrresQus IN ths extrsxue. The
mess taklss are screened of r<tth canvas
add bunting. Id vcrT often evsrzreens
axo used - complete Tho ornamsntatlOn.
>=.sh mess wing with the others 70 see
which c4l roaSe tae prottiast show An
extra tUllr or two apsec0 u usually
ssrved cut. 90 pgt In tho mess The
acEra-afe SIM making <rnat possibilities
n Eho way q rru-uri-1g Tho coed
thinss Wick arr not found IN tha daily
ration. Tho I'm pCt. pan ard spoon which
arm Jacks cover are made u shine Ike
polished alysr. tn uless cooks taking a
txitp h gseta1x she brightest q polishss
for tho occasion SCrns moro stylish.
tbCugh peEhEps lsss thrifty. messes. get
crcckery fruEa shors. xhich sets of the
tabia verT prsrtilT. and possibly 70 ~orne
OF thera seer7s naowe hoxneiiks and gfves
AT air 4 rayiuE bttle moro attention
~ sie ofsFFvances 4 re day. one might
szv. I n1Fposs. little better relish, pr
haps. a. tha feast. bsTs whoever knc~v
q a Saiior's nct bein< really for goo
square meal as any hour cf Tho day
Clos whs hss watched thc r'lsh for The
hatch-~ay wAea ne crsier pipe h fln-
cer- q ciy~r. Is Grsise apt = g rrr vfnced
shat Jnct's s-sf1nsch = a. sharp as a
shark's.~ anxf taat Re never ~ns IN fner
condlEifn CIR feeling at anv cna tine
mors koan at sEyy ether. y hen rvrrv
preparafson s8s been made E,r dinner
ard the vta1ts sef forth. the ofHcers an.
a. a zen~T,l r1rle. invited - inspect. and
verY Cffcu o. sample The good thirrs. the
captain ~ ths vasael generally r-ants the
-r-yuest ST = bottle q beer % hght wfre
aris-ne, sd n esCt most any reasonable
departane from the ordinary daily Gus
toms Is aiiowet In che aftunoon. II
The reCuest - rnaie. largo TherrY
party gces sshcre. and = permitted
~ rsr1asn a~ev frofn the vr~rcl unt8l the
foilc~1n< riornux Ecat racing - fra
1uenfiv Nse anuzsr-e-1t. erVrc iaIlv n
ther7 ere f'reiEn vessels In de sane r.rt.
and zrvst p ri,e ercfreFnens tn the ir.sr-
onftCrsf cuE-rpErs. Prizes arc cfrs~-,l
Efd as rrnrfy t-'-sfp are snnrred ss csn t.
FVarest frzrs the diferrnt shirs. Is afrr
t--srn<oents~ czfarsaran r.ces zs-d ra-
ris,srs cfaer ssTTlzfic Epcrrs arr i1sn,r~d
tn. az (,,rtstr,as = rCt ai-rav~ ir the W.
tsr sea@us- -1srh = a vessels cruising
besrE fr-e IN t,c arrfhern hrrisrhere.
and TIE l1ts - Lecenter eftr- lnas ffo
ther-r cFnefe- ~o h*rh that -'..a "a ths
ert,v = - - .-zI--~~<zsrr
fh1 - ~Fertnr srrrrersrrt 70 4 --rf--- F
styrl Or 49, <how. whirh ~i0es -uf
sf, af''1skfsa tfpisy n tz.enf saf are
- hazalv believe To@sihie srtsl be
- wttneze3 s7raa ~ tbe character /
ssuss cr 81. & ths fne sirEing efsnn
'>2Fa - q sllsII , cru,Esur- II se oxi. 1r-l .