Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-06-28
CHAPTFR III.

drunk -royallv drunk on many poets Tor
the first time revealed To him. HIS pupils
were diatcl, his speech tumb.ed over
itself, and he wrapped hlmseh IN quota
tions. Most of all was he drunk with Long
fellow.
Isn't il splendid? Isn't 1t superb?" he
cried. Listen 10 tins;
"WoYllst thou CO." the helmsman answered.
Know the secret Of the sea;
Only those who brave IFS dangers
Cpmprehcnd is mystery
" Only those who brave it, dangers
Comprehend its mystery,
he repeat,d twenty times, walking up and
down the room and forgetting me. But
| can understand II, too. 1 don't know
how 10 thank YOU for that flyer. And this
listen:
81 remember the black wharycs and the ships,
And the sca-ti1cs tossing free,
And the Spanish sailors with bearded lips,
And the beauty and mystery OF The ships,
And the magic Of the sea-
II haven't bravcd any dangers, but feel
as if knew all about IT.. -,
You certainly seemed 10 understand the
sea. Have YOU ever seen II ~
when ! was bttie chap | went TO
Brighton once: We used TO i've IN CoNeht-
nv. though before we came 20 London. But
never saw II.
When dcscencs on the Atlantic
The gigantic
storm wind Of the equinox
He shook me by the shoulder to make
me understand the passion that was
shaking him.
"When that storm comes he continued,
all the oars IN the ship that ] was talking
about get broken and the rowers have
their chests broken IN by the oar-hehds.
Have Won done anything with that notion
OF mine yet;
NO. was waiting TO hcar some more
about IL from YOU. FELL me bow II the
world you're 50 certain about the httlngs
of the ship
II don't know. It's as real az anything
TO me until try 90 write II down. was
thinking about it only last night IN bed
of,or Won had lent me Treasure Island
and made NJ a whole lot OF new things"
What kind of tnnP~:'
About the food the men ate-rotten
fcs and black bean, and WINE III "a bag
MISSED from bench u bench"
was the ship built 50 long ago as
that"
"Aswhat? don't know whether 1t was
ugap0 ornot. IT'S only auOtlOn, but some
tlmps II seems Just ~ real As If II was true.
DO bother you with talking about Z"
" Not in the least Did you make up
ANYTHING else
N &
"WcU. I was thinking and after q while
| cot ont Of bed and wrote down on piece
of papcr the sort of stuff the men scratch
ed ON their oars with the edges OF their
handouts. Ii seemed to make the thing
more hfe-like. Ii Is SO real TO me, know"
Have YOU the paper about you!
"Ye-es. but what's the use of showing II.
rs only n lot Of scratches. Bat YOU might
have'ein reproduced III the book on the
front page" 49,. r..,,ou,o. ..ou.
men wrote
lie pulled out of his pocket q sheet OF
note neper with a single line OF scratches
upon il. and put it carefully away.
liza great nonsense" he repeated.
.but all those men IN the snip seem as
real a, real people 10 me. l can SEQ al
their faces. and some &C them are Just like
the faces OF men ! know"
81 suppose you've fitted faces IN the
sheet 10 your men, ] said.
mo. / haven't. The men / know have
the faces that lit my men. DO do some
thing 10 the notion soon. | should Ike to
cent written ana printed"
:" But OH you've told me would make
Make it then. You've only to sit down
and writelt out"
"Givc me a little time. Have you any
Iltit uDAlVhNs
Not Just now. I'm reading all the
books I've bought"
When he left | looked at the sheet of
note paper with the inscription upon II.
ThenJ embraced my head with both hands
TO make sure that II was not coming OF or
turning round. Then-bui there seemed
10 be no interval between quitting my
rooms and finding myself arguing with q
policeman outside q room marked
"PriVate" in corridor of the British
Museum. All ! demanded as politely as
possible was q Greek antiquity man. Inc
policeman knew nothing except the regu-
lations of the museum and II became
necessary TO forage through all the houses
and offices inside the gates. An elderly
gentleman called away from his lunch put
an end 10 NV Investigations by holding
the note paper between finger and thumb
and shifting at it scOrnfully.
What does this mean? Hmm. So far
as | can ascertain 1t IL an attempt 10 write
extremely corrupt Greek on the part -
here he Planced at me with lntention-"o OF
an extremely illiterate- ah-person.' lie
read slowly: Pollock, EckermdrgH, Id1c'i-
NIX. HeHnik,7" -four names familiar 10 me.
"Can you tell me what the corruption is
supposed TO mean" the gist OF the thing!
l asked.
g have been many times overcome with
WEAKNESS ia this employment" lie re-
turned me the paper. and | fed without
word OF thanks. explanation. or apology.