The record-union., 1894-12-15

MY Helen snail not forget you among the
Literally. She jots easy enough; but my
if you only knew how composing weak
ems hertz
us, you mean," mercilesslv insisted
Kate. to which her brother added faint
"Rah ~ and Mr.. Lessing threw out one of
his arms wildly.
suggestion of a smile lurked in the
corners of the bankers mouth, but ne
bowed slightly and continued kindly:
If you will all give your close atten-
ton you will now catch another delight
ful little ceremony of these steamer sail
ings."
Kate held to her fathers neck closely
at this point, for the sudden laundering
of the ships engines had almost brought
him to his feet.
You will see that the chief officer has
now replaced the Captain upon the bridge
At the foot OF the foremast and mainmast
and beside the gaff, at the stern" said
Mr. Waring, pointing out these different
localities to the Lessings, "stand SUBJ
officers call quartermasters. The flag at
the foremast is the sailing-day flag. That
nylng from the malnmaSt Is the house
Hag-that is, the owners flag, the Blue
Peter.'"
" Our c-c-colors. 'Rah ~ exclaimed
Washington Lincoln Lessing with agi-
tated enthusiasm on the part of his stick.
The ensign OF the country where the
ship is owned always flies from the gaff.'
In this instance our own glorious
Cross of 81. George" ventured Lady Riv-
ington, with delightful burst OF patri-
Otism.
Now watch the chief officer on the
bridge closely. When you see him nod
his head notice what becomes OF these
three flags" resumed Mr.. Waring, with
warning gesture of his hand.
lucy had but moment to wait. The
ch1At OTtlppr a inc of
his head. In an instant the three flags
plunged to the deck, as swiftly as a dead
shot sportsman will bring gay birds of
passage quIvering to his feet.
y farewell cheer rang out over the port
side, ana the Lessings of Midtown and
! the Warnings Of Castle Void, already in
SeparaDIe companions and friends, with
the two thousand other human souls
wedged so eXasperatingly close together
upon great ocean steamer, were speed
ing swiftly across the mighty sea.
And what a strange and ludicrous study
1t all Is, even this mere surface panorama
OF human natures expressive activities
aboard every one of these great palaces
which dash toward either the old world
or the new.
Two or three meals at farthest sponge
the banquet airs from the glittering ia
bIes FIFTY plates are now doing the SER
vice of five hundred. The flowers have
wholly disappeared from the main table
in the grand salon, and only here and
there tarry like a thin array of hectic
ghosts among the shadowy alcoves.
Inc ships commander, bland as a bar
tender in port, has hidden himself from
view. The purSer's window is hermeti-
cally sealed. The ships doctor, that
vealy travesty upon persOnitied medical
science, has retired behind stricteSt in
depreciation OF hours and rules. Room
stewards are canuily specializing upon
the possibilities OF passengers purses
and the silent stewardesseS are as craven
images OF stones in flauntihg frilIs OF
white.
Sergeant-at-arms look you over and
around, fore and aft, as if to remind you
that deck rules must not under any Cir
cunstances be infringed; and the bell
boys, those little, dried-up commodities
OF the Railways. libraries and lavatories,
regard you from beneath beetling brows,
as with savage advance protests against
possible faVorS.
Wander where you may, in your
steamers cabin or on her decks, you
find only savagery, pre-occupation or
mute despair. The officers and crew are
recovering from port eXcesSeS. The few
passengers still upon their legs are scoWl-
lngly contemplating the difference be-
tween the songs and the scOurgeS, the lit
erature and the reality, of the unrelenting
SOSN' LII ldStS WIG uOSIS dI u
IN the throes OF unmitigated, unvanquish-
able seaslckness; swift compensation
for superelatlon of the excitement and
boasttulness on leaving port. For all of
US are likely to roar little along these
| toIgivable heydey lines.
Radiant dudes have lisped beneath
their napkins:
Lying wight dwown on ones back IL
do nausea, l tawncy -
Western packers. loading their plates
with repeated SWaths of their own bone
| less ham, have snorted:
"Pshaw! Lake Michigan en- knock
spots OF this pond for roughness any
time. Nobody ever sick out our way ~
The ladies' have repeatedly chOrused:
Dear me! Ii isn't possible anyone
could ever suffer mai de neer on this
steamer. It's just too lovely for any
thing ~
The lawyers have been oratorIc about
| it. aud have summed up before invisible
Juries with invisible Now, sirs," that
have temporarily and convincingly set
| tied the whole matter.
The cIergymen-bless them for their
gentle faith and fancies have brought
forward the hopeful proposition that,
! after all, sea-Sickness is no doubt pure
and simple, mere matter of imagina-
toni! while each of the many male pas
| sengers with granite heads, brass laws
anu lIO4 SbOHlSiSLIS udNS I6D6dleuIN ClOSeU
the repeated discussion eXplOsively with:
''All boSh and nonsense, sir! Have a
healthy stomach in your body like me!
That's the way TO enjoy sea travel sirr"
But they have all done for now. The
dudes are developing their Lying wight
dWoWn'' theories; the ladies are gaspinglv
| asserting their adjectives; the packers are
comparing the different characteristics OF
lake and pond in miserable seclusion: the
clergymen have been furnished new
studies IN the vagaries of the imagina-
ton; and the men with the iron stomachs
are all slipping their cogs as helplessly as
though possessing the ordinary mortal
diaphragm.
HOW this scourge of the sea levels up
and down among the great, the proud and
the humble. The Warnings retiracy was a
complete eclipse; but the Lessings' dumb
bravery OF primitive force held them as a
permanent exhibit under the lee avn
ings, with hundreds beside them from
whom hope, pride, scorn hauteur and
all had flown, like the faded flush of the
shrlveled flowers in the rocking alcoves
below.
Mrs. Lessing was prominent subject
for study. Her false front was displaced
The powder and color had been SpOnged
from one side OF her chacteristic face by
some over attentive stewardess. Her
laceS, hounces and silks were dishelved
she even snored with diverting palateal
staccatos.
Beside her lay the Lessing family in
spiration, paint and powder and biigewa-
ter blended into pale French gray upon
her senum entail countenance The fog
had added clammy rime to this
Strands of her now waveless hair tiut-
| tered stickily within her open mouth,
and amid this wreck of Genius there re-
manned but one bit of apparent life.
This glowed in her pinky, pointed nose
In "A few daVS mora tho lopCr ~