The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-12-21

TER Places at the ropes. Cesar
~e,taer braces. Settle aEas the to;,sI
naulards. Clew dowui' With long pull,
esr ng pull and n pUll aluoget Ter, the
garus Sal x rou ii and aver To III cas-.
Ineh; ia Il cut the reef tackles ha II
up the bunslin-sl Al It, tpmenr Up
the shrondS ihe5 go. b AID over hand; they
are IN the tops. Lay outI Take i = two
reefs OUT on the icy yard tIey climb,
sraspi g tns t. zsn sail vita tueiT bare
hand. hauling it over and tying it fast
WIN tins stiff ree:-points. Lay ii" Back
70 TIE mas again, until The order, follow
ing quickly: Lay down from oftri
taen down the shrOuds ami bacAsta;s to
the deci. Then the yards are trimmed and
uoWn the wa ch so again to make all snug
Ine wind is rising fast now. It has
snit led point more to The eastward, and
VIII % n blow ag lie. Hatches are covered,
potts clussi an every gu fastening m
soected to see that the battery can, By no
cnance, get sdrite during tho storm. For
shere Is no d. ubJ now that. as Jack would
say. 1t Is coming on to blow" AM every
Precautlon is taken to make the shi secure.
Inc daylight OF this wintrv day mas gone /:
the eject ic curreIt is turned oh again; in
me smoking corner Of the gul deck the
olncers are gathered, making themselves as
oinrbrtsole as the vi ,leat roll ng the
s lp Will prfl,t; whrls forwa The men
are Keeping as near the galley fires as posi-
Bile.
Ii Shis Christmas story seems TO neglect
tue ward ro lm and Oificers' mess, it is not
Irosu lack of appreciation. There Is o be-
ter type of tie American gentle,nal than
havai officer; b { IL is upon me brawny arm
IN loyal heart Of JACK that the elfice cy
OF the navy dep2n Is, and this holiday ya-n
sDaII lie OF hin and his surround ngs.
supper is eaten at ) O'Clock. Thea the
gun dec is yept down AMI everything il
made snug { r the night. The men off
watch i<At their plpes again, and many Il
"reminiscences Is exchanged OF Christmas
nays III other seas aid ports. T ere we're
III AVS In the navy yard, when the sailor
had "snCre leave" and Improved every
minute It it; days il the tropics, whsr. q
o-azlng sun sno le d. Vn upon green al MS
long stretches OF white sand and curling
Ilne OF role brel1ing over coral re is
O5her days are remembered spent on board
water 'gged Merchant SHIPS and stlrm.
swept pilot blats; and rares5 Of all. a
Christmas day at home with wife and little
ones.
1t Is a wild night. The tramp OF the
watch &C oss the deck and the rattle OF
blocks aud tackle can Le heard above howl
ing WIND and the rash of waves that smite
the cr'l eT's sid s with force that sends
the waite in spur thr ugh the closed gun
ports. The ship rides the gale well. but she
still c rries too much sail; d the boat
SWANS Viii tie is hea d again with the
order: "A-All hands shortel sallp On deck
again; pull at lines and braces; and
up Int) the blackneSs go the top men.
Every stitch OF canvass i taken in mis-
time, an in a darkness so in ense that the
men cannot see each 9th on the yard, 1t
is bitterly cold, to-, d wnan the lleuten-
ants trumpei sounds tbs welc me order
Lay lnT p they do it with a will. On suca q
nigh as this many a topman has lost cou.
troll OF his fingers and tumoled into the sea
beyond help.
The ,uiser, unde: bare poles, rides easier
now. Nine O'Clock Gomez And at tn
stroke Of two bells the bugle SCUM Is tattoo
taps follow; hammocks are stu on the
gan deck; and Jack can s'eeo again. Christ.
mas TO- hun has come and go le; and ten {
one every sailor man il those long 70 Ss OF
Swinging hammocks takes trip nome be-
fore he goes asleep. VnerS Is no place II 40
home at Cnristmasl C. HILLS WARREN.