The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-09-17
THE LOVE OF THE SEA
HOW MEMORY OF EARLY DAYS AZ
FECTED AN OLD MERCHANT.

He was portly In figure and had on bis
faos that look of contentment and peace
which comes with the possession of plenty
of the worlds goods and the disposition
and ability TO enjoy them He was we'll
dressed. wore silk hat and would have
given 10 a casual observer the impression
that he was o retired merchant. one OF the
many men in this great big city who have
successfully fought the battle of life and
calmly settled down to enjoy the fruits of
victory. The casual observer would have
been hight in his impression. tie was re-
tired merchant. He had wealth In plenty
His home was fitted and filed with all the
Injuries which the unsparing use Of money
could procure. His wife and daughter APP
peared az all the fashionable social func-
tions, and be and they were welcome guests
In the proudest homes Of the great city.
Sheltered from the falling rain by large
umbrella. he sauntered down South street
as nnconcsruedly as IL be were hundred
miles from any excitement instead of being
only q short distance from the scene of
great celebration. AT Buriing slip he
STONED. looked carefully around and went
across South street and down the pier,
where a big ship was tied up. Tue gang
way stretched from the rail of the ship to
| the nier floor, and up the narrow walk, over
the rail and down on to the deck he went
The Waterman was there, and after brief
! talk thes went aft and down the cabin
ganQway. He gave sniff Of delight and
a SIGH OF satisfaction as the warm air from
the cabin rushed up the gangway, and he
disappeared into the depths whence 1t came.
/ When ne reappeared, he wore a SIT OF the
watohman's clothes, and the silk eat was
| replaced with a "sOu'wester" He went
forward with the rolling gait of born and
bred sailor, took O look aloft in a way which
/ showed that he knew what he was looking
at, unlocked the cooks galley and explored
il thoroughly, went into the paint 10 ker
| and fumbled around among slush buckets,
paint cans, scrapers, "bo'sun's chairs"
| swabs and tar pots. Then he went into the
sail locker and stretched himself mt full
| length on the ibis and staysails, which were
carefully rolled up and packed away in the
little room. Long. deep breaths he took,
and look Of bright, buoyant happiness
came into his eyes.
The big iron eye at the clew Of a topsail
| stuck out from mass Of canvas near him,
and be patted and stroked it and spoke
soft, low words to it rs though it were the
hand of a woman whose heart he hoped to
win. Over the great folds of storm stained
duck ne rolled and tossed and at last went
out and closed the door, With "goodby"
which was partly a whisper and partly a
sob; then into the "fo'c'sle," with its three
tiers of hunks deserted, save by the pungent
odor which IS always part Of Jacks float
ing home.
There was the forward bunk, always tho
last one taken, because being built
athwartship instead Of fore and aft its
owner may wake up and find that "tacking
ship" has placed his heels higher than his
head, and Jack prefers sleeping on an even
keel. Into one OF the hunks he cFawled and
carved his initials on the board which sep
arated 1t from the one Just forward of it,
then out and forward TO the chainlocker,
the big box where the anchor chains are
/ laid away.
Still forward. away under the forecastle
deck. where the dull CLINT Of the water
came up through the great round eyes Of
the ship-the hawseholes-the air was full
Of a damp, sticky odor that told of stores
of salt beef for the meh and pig for the
cabin. Back again by the big windlass,
which received q loving pat from the hand
which only a short time before had been
soft and white. bat now was soiled by con-
tact with almost everything it had been
able to reach on board the ship.
Giving pull at the neatly coiled ropes
as he went by, he talked TO them as If they
were old friends, gave the main deck cap
stan q whirl, picked up marine spike and
carried il to the locker, found a Delaying
pin aud put it into vacant hole in the rail
where it belonged, and at last got back
to the cabin, where the Waterman had
tin pan Of coffee and couple of hard
tack" waiting for him. Mechanically he
raped the "soup plate crackers" on the
table and dropped them into the hot coffee.
There's none in them, sir" said the
Waterman. They're too hard for tho
creepers. But s'pose it's habit, sir"
yes" WAS the answer, ''it is habit.
When was a boy and ran away to sea, as
so many boys have done, we used to get
hard tack that would have walked over
board if it hadn't been kept in barrel"
Them wGs great times, sir" remarked
the Waterman.
True. they were, and they gave me the
watchmani That love for the sea and its
ships and the life Of it all, that once you
have tasted is always with your That
makes OF a ship a living being, to be loved
and petted and taken care of and chided
and watched over. That makes it part Of
your own life and almost as precious"
Indeed have, sir, or wouldn't be here
now" answered the Waterman, and the
men, 80 widely separated by circumstances,
but with kindred hearts, clasped bands
and then Spilled the main brace"
Then he changed clothes again, put on
his silk hat and went up on deck with the
vatehman. At the rail he stopped and
shook hands once more with the ships
guardian.
"Goodby," he said "The sea was my
first love, and she treated me so harshly
that left her But cannot get rid OF the
old feeling. and once in awhile 1t conquers
me. Now I'll 90 home again and be AL
/ right for a time. GoOdby," and as the
watchman's hand closed over g gold
piece his visitor went up the pier to the
street. with a light, springy step and
slight roll which showed that the successful
merchant had not entirely obliterated the
sailor lad of years gone by and that the
,ea and her ways had not been forgotten
New York Tribune
Tourists With Their Eyes Shut.
.It is a funny thing" said prominent
| ar.fst vVho has lived abroad