The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-06-27
THE OLD SAILORS YARN.

'IOllN lawson Wtrtn I WHht ptOplc
call handsome" remarked the old
sailor as he sat in the old tavern n
Christmas eve with a number OF veteran
tars around him. spinning Christmas
yarns. ''but she had a dreadful taking
way with her. and | persume that even
al your e OF life you has noticed rs
the talEn'ist wimmin ain't by no means
the handsomest. But AS II TO make up
for the lack OF beauty. some wimmin
are awfully magnotic-so TO speak
and have a way OF sidlin' up 10 men as
ietches 'em every time. / know In
the case OF this here identical gal
there was scarce n chap as boarded at
old Mother Hughes. in Liverpool but
what considered IL n honor. as we'll as
a delight. for TO be permitted 10 peel
spuds OF "a night when II were Polly's
watch In the kitchen.
Polly were a pot-slewer for old
Mother Hughes. her age bein' 'twixt
twenty and thirty. Rugged up OF d
Sunday she looked the fust. In the
mornin' maxim the black-ball soup, for
maybe three or four ships crews. she
look thirty II a day. and at night.
when the dishes had peel washed and
she snugeed herself up a bit and sat
down TO peelin' spuds you'd take her
for about FIVE and twenty, SO / puts her
q at 'twixt twenty and thirty because
] likes 10 be exact and do her no in
justice.
OF course. sir. with three or four
ships companies 10 provide for. II took
nigh hand 20 a barrel OF ''spuds" for
the mornin's scouse. and the slewers
was glad enough for 10 have five or
six us chaps lend "a hand at the peelin'.
was young them times. and though
you might not Judge IL looking at me
now. / was as good looking IA chap
as you'd meet in a days walk. and
Polly havin' the pick of the house
naturally choosed me and "A young fell
low as was In the Shenandoah. Philadel-
phia packet when | fnst know'd him. |
bein' In the Yorkshire. and me and
him goin' out OF one ship into another,
he TO be always in Liverpool at about
the same time, and n backin' and film
round Polly. externally in each others
way.
l presumes. lookin' back at Il now
IN the light OF experience. as during
the three months when we wasn't
there. this other chap. which his name
was Bob Lyons. goin' 10 Philadelphia
and me 10 New York. rs Polly squinted
az other chaps maxim them believe.
as she s~artinly made me and Bob be-
lieve. as she liked 'em better than all
the rest Of the world; but them times,
! bein' scarce out Of my teens. an Bob
only jist past twenty years old. we
both had an idea ~ there weren't 40
body as could shine alongside OF Polly
az we could. and 40 cute was Polly
hat each Of us believed as she thought
more OF him than she did OF the other.
She used for to say 10 me when twas
my night of with her. That softy Bob
Lyons: | wonder what ever he means.
a foolin' around me; why he amt iii 10
be named In the same day with you.
Tom, and I'm telling you, sir, | hysted
II all In as gospel. IL are wonderful.
sir. what an amount OF humbuggin' "A
man will stand when he's in love. and
bein' with Polly of and on for IA year
or so. ] got dreadful spoony onto her,
and was lookin' for'ard to the time
when | might make with her a long
splice. and tie a knot with my tongue
as couldn't unite with my teeth.
Bob were similarly disposed. and we
got TO be d~rcadfully In the way OF zach
other. and two or three times como
nigh hand havin' IL out In the kitchin.
Finally things come 20 a crisis and
goin' down aboard the night before
Christmas. arter we'd both been very
uncomfortable along OF Polly. Bob says
10 me. as we turned out OF Union street
into Waterloo road:
Whatever are tho use. Tom. 81 our
Rittin' athwart each others hawsers
night arter nightp We can't both
splice Polly, and I'm game for 70 do IT.
II you'll sheer of.
1T takes two TO make a bargain.
Bob. says i. and ! don't think the
young will look nj you II she
thinks I'm around"
my idee are. says Bob, II either OF
Ne can sail In II the other will sheer
OF. Az present we're only aggrcvat-
In each other and troublin' Polly.
Both OF US Is good men. lets go down
TO the North Shore tomorrow mornln'.
bright and 'arly. and have II out man
fashion. the best man 10 have a shy nj
Polly for the rest OF the time we're
here. and II so be a she won't Civ In
10 him. hen when we come next wy
age the other are TO be free 20 spark
Der.
Says /, good enough. cause ! were