The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-01-19
STEALING A JOSS.

Clara Kinghan was one Of the pretti-
est girls that ever walked on two feet.
When aAellow hove alongside her he
couldn't help remarking the beauty of
her lines. She was as lovely as clip
per ship bowling along under cloud of
canvas, and that's saying a good deal.
All the men in Old Salem, Mass, were
madly in love with her, and no wonder.
But there was no lubberly landsman
good enough for her, warrant you. She
had hauled down her colors long ago
and surrendered to Jack Crowninshield,
the big captain of the East lndiaman
Coromandel, lying down at the dock and
taking in cargo for Colombo.
The skipper was as smart sailorman
as ever took q sight at the sun and the
Coromandel was as splendid a ship as
ever flew the saucy stars and stripes
from her monkey gaff. Mind you, am
spinning yarn of times ever so long
ago, when Salem was a busy, thriving
maritime town with her merchants en-
gagged in the Indian trade, and when her
ships, laden with oriental silks, spices,
hides and other products, were continu-
ally coming into port. | was lively
lad in those days, having taken to the
sea like goose to the pond, and when
my captain. Jack Crowninshield, got
spliced to Clara bingham in the little
stone church on the hill 1 was there as
large as life.
The skipper seemed more fustered
than she did. and as they passed down
the aisle it was admitted that a likelier
couple had never before been united at
the altar. They went to Boston to spend
the honeymoon. and went back aboard,
took off my Sunday-go-to-meeting toys
and went afoft with my tar brush.
All our crew was already shipped, as
we were to sail in three weeks time, and
we were trying to see how pretty we
could make the old packet look before
we cast off from the dock and pointed
her nose to blue water. Our sailors
were neither Dutchmen nor dagoes
such as one meets with in these degen-
crate days, but good Americans-th
finest seamen in the world. Pompey,
the coal black cook, was an American,
too, and nobody could handle the fore
sheet as we'll as he; and tell you his
pork and beans was a dish that would
make you blubber like baby for more
and his plum duff was SO indescribably
luscious that every Sunday forenoon
while it was a-sizzling in the coppers
YOU would find the watch on deck, all Of
them under the lee of the galley with
the water fairly running out OF thei2
mouths as they inhaled the fragrant
odors of plums and spice,
The Coromandel was one Of the fast
est clippers hailing from Salem, and it
was the ambition Of every old woman
who had sons to dispose of to get them
aboard of her Mothers used to bring
their boys down to the dock and waylay
the skipper. Some of them would fall
down on their marrowbones and just
beg of him to take their boys. 1t was q
proud day for me when | was shipped,
and on that occasion felt as naughty
as a dog with two tails. This was my
second voyage. and the skipper took
quite an interest in me. was given
charge of his cabin and use! to keep his
traps in order when at sea, the steward
being little old and shalzy on his pins.
The day before the ship was to sail
Captain CrowninHhield brought his wife
back from Boston and installed her in
the dearest little old fashioned cottage
that ever was. 1t was covered with
creepers and vines, and in the little gar
den that surrounded it hollyhocks, sweet
williams and any amount of other scent
ed posies grew luxuriantly and perfumed
the air.
Mrs. Crowninshield came aboard the
ship that afternoon, and while her hus-
band was at the custom house getting
his clearance papers and transactlng
other business she and l fixed up the
captains cabin. 1t did my heart good
to see that dainty little woman decorat-
ing the cabin with ribbons and putting
everything in apple pie order. The con-
trivances for his comfort that were
evolved from her shapely little head
were so ingenious that l fairly opened
NV mouth with admiration. A lucky
fellow was Jack Crowninshield, always
eating the fat and drinking tho sweet Of
life. But while this labor Of love was
occupying the little woman's mind and
busy fingers big tears were yelling up
in her blue eyes, for tomorrow was the
day of sorrowful parting, and she would
not be likely 70 see that big husband of
hers for at least two years. fell in love
with her at sight, and for nearly two
years dreamed about her.
In the morning there was large
crowd to see us off. When tine skipper
stepped aboard noticed he looked sad
and grave-so different from his usual
reckless and jovial appearance Mrs
Crowninshield did not see the ship Off.
The strain would have been too much
for her. They gave us three cheers as
we spread our canvas to the breeze and
sailed out to sea. The wind was fair
and it was q delightful August day.
We gave her every stitch she would
stagger under and Salem was soon out
of sight.
z No41,inp pa7-t;o,7Ior hanneno0 duriu0