The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-08-25
A LANDLUBBER.
BY SALLY BAoKUs eRIGes.

that he's the riches man in town, l don't
6eiieve. An he's the very picter of his
father. His fathers been dead these 20
rear an more. be was always called
'rold Cap'n Zach" or ''old ZACH" an he
was the grumpiest, growliest old cretur
ever como across. Ho was terrible
ttingy, too, an he hated religion an ev-
Arything that was good as fur as know
except his wife an son. He had wood
On leg an only one eye, but he was smart,
tell you, an he made money hand over
ist. After he got too old to go regular
voyages he begun putin his savin's out
1t interest, an you might have thought
the family was paupers, they lived so
slose But it was all to save up for the
boy. They didn't have but just one, an
they both of 'em set their eyes by him.
But for all that Cap'n Zach couldn't
hardly wait for him to be old enough to
90 to sea, an if it hadn't been for his
mother I'll bet that child would have
shipped when he was 10 year old. Mis-
Crane she had sort of inhooance over
the old man, but as quick as she died he
took the boy with him on a whalin voy-
age for two years. You see, the cap'n
was terrible afraid he'd want to go to
school or in store or somethin an be
beggarly landlubber. That's what the
cap'n called every one that wasn't a sea-
farm man. He hadn't no opinion of folks
that got their Twin ashore, an he wasn't
one to keep his idees to himself, tell
you
So the boy went with his father as
hong as he sailed, but the year was mar
ried an come here to live was Capn
Zach's first season home, an young Zach
he went out third mate of whaler. !
remember it well, because father got the
rheumatic that spring an had to stay
ashore for long while. expect didn't
feel as bad as I'd ought to, for it KEEP
him with me, an as long as he wasn't in
real pain | was contented, an we was
pretty happy if we did have to manage
close 70 get along.
Well, one mornin in September father
come in iookin dreadful down in the
mouth He didn't speak, but took out
This pipe and set down right where you be
this minute an begun to smoke. knew
somethin was wrong, but I'd lived with
bin long enough to find out he wasn't
one to be questioned, so KEEP on workin
round, an pretty soon he says, without
lookin at me. "Dode Averys failed up,
Adline."
For the lan's sakel" says l, sittin
down on the meal chest, struck all of
heap. Failures wasn't so common them
days an sounded scareful to me, an Ia
ther wasn't much better,
Eyes, he's failed up for good an all"
says father. He called meetin of us
all this mornin and said if we'd let him
go on awhile longer he'd pay us every
cent, but they wouldn't let him." says
father. shakin his head. don't remem-
Der exactly how it was, but at all events
If the creditors didn't they wouldn't
get but small part of their money back,
and Dode he'd loose everything he had
in the world. He was real well mean
in man, Dode was Theodore Avery
was his name, but every one called him
Dode, an it sort of fitted him some way.
He was shift less an easy goin, that will
say, an folks was down on him, special
1y old Cap'n Zach. Dode and father
went one voyage together when they
were youngsters, an they'd always been
real good friends. Father didn't blame
him mite for not goin to sea again as
long as he liked the shore better, but
Cap'n Zach couldn't seem to stomach 1t
no way, an he used to keep a-fingin it
and a-fiingin it at Christy Avery (she
was some relation of the cap'n's wife,
that she'd married "miser'ble land
huggin lubber." But she didn't care q
grain, bless you She set everything by
Dode an got along with him first rate.
After Christys mother died, leavin her
the house, Dode borrowed some money
an set up a "elopshop"-all kin's Of
clothes an things for sailors, you know.
Father lent him what he could an per-
suaded the rest of 'em. That was one
thing made him feel worse. He knew
Dode was honest an would pay 'em If he
had time, but the way they was actin
they would lose most all they'd put in.
The shop was in the front part of Chris
tvs house, 80 they hadn't no rent to pay
and they might have done real well, for
they was both of 'em pleasant to trade
with. But they was queer. Likes not
If a man went in to buy hat he'd find
Dode playin the fiddle to Christy an the
baby, an the man would set and listen,
too, an have a chat, an a little drop Of
Eum maybe, and ten to one he'd forget
what he come for an go off without spend
ina cent. 'Twasn't so at Quinns up the
street A body couldn't so much as look
In their winder but what they was out
tryin to sell somethin, an the consequence
was Quinn was maxim money, an Dode
he failed up He wasn't nobody's enemy
but his own, you understand, an he was
honest, but shift 'less-just shifless.
BY Titles an Titles father told me that
he and some Of the rest-there was five
of 'em-said they'd wait. but Capn Zach
he said no-Dode Avery'd had more
chance than he ever did, an he hadn't no
opinion Of folks honesty that was too
white Evered to earn their bread by the
sea as their fathers did afore 'em, an he
wasn't goin to throw good money after
bad keepin that shop ahoat no longer.
81 was overpersuaded in the fust place
by you, Jonas Stiles" he says to father,
''but the end has come. It's goin to stop.
The rest of 'em turned right round then