The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-10-02
THE LOVE OF THE SEA
HOW MEMORY OF EARLY DAYS AZ
FEcTEo AN OLD MERCHANT.

FEcTEo AN OLD MERcHAN
rho Queer Actions Of Well Dressed MAN
Explained by His Conversation with O.
Ships NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. For n Ship
Strong In After Life.
He was portly In figure and had on his
ace that look of contentment and peace
which comes with the possession Of plenty
II the world goods and the disposition
md ability enjoy them. He was well
dressed, wore a silk hat and would have
given to casual observer the impression
that he was retired merchant, one Of the
many men In this great big city who have
fought the battle of life and
calmly settled down to enjoy the fruits OF
victory. The casual observer would have
been right In his impression. He was re-
tired merchant. He had wealth in plenty.
His home was fitted and filled with all the
Injuries which the unsparing use OF money
could procure. His wife and daughter ap-
peared at all the fashionable social func.
lions, and he and they were welcome guests
in the proudest homes of the great city
Sheltered from the falling rain by q large
umbrella, he sauntered down South street
as uncopcernedly as il he were hundred
miles from any excitement instead of being
only short distance from the scene of a
great celebration. At Burling slip he
stopped, looked carefully around and went
across South street and down the pier,
where big ship was tied up. The gang
way stretched from the rail of the ship to
the pier 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 they went aft and down the cabin
gangway. 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 whenceit came.
When he reappeared, he wore n suit of the
watchman's clothes, and the silk hat was
replaced with ''sou'wester" He went
forward with the rolling gait of a born and
bred sailor, took look aloft in Il way which
showed that he knew what he was looking
at, unlocked the cooks galley and explored
| it thoroughly, went into the paint locker
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 at full
length on the jibs 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 topsai
stuck out from mass of canvas near him
and he patted and strokcd it and spok,
soft, low words to it as though it were tn,
hand of woman whose heart he hoped t.
win. Over the great folds Of storm stained
duck he rolled and tossed and at last wen
out and closed the door, with 'goOdby'
which was partly whisper and partly
sob; then into the "fo'c'slc," with its tire,
tiers Of hunks deserted, save by the pungen
odor which is always part of Jacks float
ing home.
4 There was the forward bunk, always tn
last one taken, because, being bull
, athwartship instead of fore and aft, it
owner may wake up and find that "tackinj
ship he's placed his heels higher than hi
head, and Jack prefers sleeping on an evcl
keel Into one of the hunks he crawled an,
carved his initials on the board which ser
arated it from the one just forward of il
Q then out and forward to the chainlockel
the big box where the anchor chains ar
! laid away.
Still forward, away under the forecast
T. deck, where the dull CLINT of the waite
came up through the great round eyes q
the ship-the hawseholes-the air was ful
of damp, sticky odor that told of store
Q of salt beef for the men and pig for tn
cabin. Back again by the big windlass
y which received a loving pat from the han,
which only short time before had bee
soft and white, but now was soiled by cor
: tact with almost everything it had bee
able to reach on board the ship.
i Giving a pull ut the neatly coiled rope
i as he went by, he talked to them us if the
!. were old friends, gave the main deck cal
: stan whirl, picked up marine spike an
g carried it to the locker, found belayin
!, pin and put It into vacant hole in the ra
n where it belonged, and at last got bac
Il, to the cabin, where the Waterman had
tin pan of coffee and a couple of "hart
lie tack" waiting for him. Mechanically l
& raped the soup plate crackers on IL
' table and dropped them into the hot COTE
u There's none in them, sir" said Il
! Waterman. They're too hard for Il
d creepers But s'pose it's habit, sir"
III YES was the answer, ''it is habi
u When l was boy and ran away to sen,
j so many boys have done, we used to &
hard tack that would have walked ovt
- board if it hadn't been kept in IA barrel"
~ "rhem was great times, SIR" remark
II the Waterman.
JlI TRUE, they were, and they gave me t
in love OF the ship. Did you ever feel
watchman2 That love for the sea and
oil ships and the life of it all, that once y
~ have tasted is always with you2 I'll
W makes Of ship n living being, to be low
q. and petted and taken ctre of and child
al and watched over. That makes it part
r.. a
u Indeed have, sir, or wouldn't be ht
now" answered the Waterman, and
he men, so widely separated by circumstanc
W. but with kindred hearts, clasped har
81 =, and then "spl.ced the main brace"
n Then he changed clothes again, put
,ts his silk hat aud went up on deck with {
ar watchman. At the rail he stopped 4
nd shook hands once more with the shi
led guardian.
"Goodby," he said. THE sea was
first love, and she treated me SO hars
ON that left her But l cannot get rid of
iii old feeling, and once in awhile it conqu
me. Now III go home again and be
ma right for time Goodby," and as
md twatchman's hand closed over So &
II. " piece his visitor went up the pier to
~. street, with light, springy step ant
he slight roll which showed that the success
ur.l merchant had not entirely oblitcrated
is sailor lad Of years gone by and that
My sea and her ways had not been forgotten
ma New York Tribune.
,to. -
ar Recalling u Mailed Letter.
, ,S To recall letter once mailed is ain
In, as difficult q task as to take back an as
ton once uttered. The sender must apI
reat at the postoifice and is handed blan
ach fill out. In this he must state when
the where he mailed the letter. how il was
Ell 1,.,1 ,,,uet desrriha he envelnnn q