The Irish standard., 1892-12-03

casing 81 one 81 Tic curt Mess wind
letting in piitiless foods OF daylight - e
rayel ever the damaged ard dusty con.
diiition Of Captain Bligh's belongings,
was stuck 8 long row Of immense neo-
dies with black and white threads dam
Cling, ready for immediate use in the
sewing on Of buttons and the drawing
mp Of rents in the captains wardrobe.
On the wall over his sea chest hung a
chronometer and a marine chart, and
the demiioh Of whisky rescued from
the deep stood on the chimney piece
cluttered with pipes and garden tools,
currycombs and boot5
Captain B.igh looked around rather
ruefnlly, as if the presence Of we'll
dressed woman had for the first time
made him conscious of the clutter and
confusion and discomfort Of his abode.
ST know I sin't shipshape, Mrs. Whit
cu1nb. but haven't much time to pipe
clay inside"
.sIt amt right to live So" returned
Sister Martha, taking in the scene with
her housewifely glance. "You're a
woman hater. Cap'n Biigh, and guess
you've found out you can't manage
house as you would a three master.
A strange look came into the captains
face something between satlrlcal
smile and terrible, black frown. 81
don't suppose you have come here to
talk me over" lie said sharply, as he
seated himself with his back to the light,
but where the Widow Whitcumb, gently
swaying back and forth her stout per-
son in the rocking chair. presented
fair target for his keen eyes.
eyes, have" she answered, plucking
Up courage, as she fused with the
fringes of her mantle. i've come to
talk about what you air, and what you
might have been and ought to have been
"a better and happier man. ..H
,'Well," said he. i'll tone of grim re-
straint that his schooner hands under
stood as a sign Of tempest piping up in
the shrouds. pay out your hawser
if you must. Mrs. Whitcu1nb. I'll be
dumned if / can make out your bear
ings. or which way you are tryin to
steer
Don't use foul langwidge. George
Bligh. in the presence of q woman.
Them sailor oaths are repugnant to my
feelins. It's not associatin with the seq
for so many years that's made you what.
you are, George, and it's the greatest OF
pities, for you had in you the maxim of q
fine mani may say a splendid man
And you know WIS Twin, when we both
was young, at Mother Mayhew's as a sort
of left handed connexion of the fam
lily, dom SEWN and hslpin with tine
homework; and Vinie was just grown ur
then. Well, yes; do suppose Vinie was
as pretty as a picture-an pink and white
and the sweetest hair falling around her
head in big loose ringlets. didn't won
der you admired Vinie. George, but J
knew then she hadn't any physical STAN
my. Her hands were always weak aud
white, she couldn't lift or work hard
and you, George, needed a wife thai
could help you along-could go in an1
rough it if there was any need; anG
there was more than one woman in this
town that would have been glad to do It.
you Twin neighbors and seein her every
time you was home from sea, you fell in.
love with Vinie. But she wasn't the one
cut out for you. l always knew it anc
SO did Mother Mayhem, partly On &C
count of Vinie's being such a weaklir
and partly because she knew you woule
never be professin Christian.
A e1. rr1,k f0
the captains strong frame, and when
Mrs. Whitcumb came to pause he was
silent moment before he put out his
hand and said in a strange, hoarse voice,
II won't hear any more of this
you've got to hear it, said the widow
in tremulous tones, sitting bolt upright
in the rocking chair. Il can't go on this
way much longer with my appetite a
comm and goin like the old woman's
soap, and me turnin marigold yell
low that always had good, clear skin,
and my nights on bed of thorns instead
of a good hair mattress with the best
springs.
''For Gods sake try to keep before the
wind" muttered the captain, as he puck
cred his forehead and moved impatiently
in his chair.
"You know" she went on nervously,
lit was at that time Josiah Whitcumb
was paying attention to me. Josiah was
kind of lubberly, thick sku]led boy,
but he had inherited a good farm at
Bath from his father, Deacon Whitcumb
that was, Mother Mayhew's first hus-
band, and his mother wanted to get him
married off. There wasn't many girls
that would look at Josiah in spite Of the
farm, and Mother Mayhem worried a
good deal about it. She thought it would
be just the maxim of Josiah to get mar
ried, and bein right there in the family
and havin nothing Of my own it did look
as if it might be intended. Mother May
hew was always talking about the pint
ings Of providence. She was a very re-
ligious woman. But you see couldn't
love Josiah no way. never pretended
I loved him even when thought it best
to take him. was girl then, and
had my fancy for a dark man, with a
fine fgger and high spirit. always