The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-10

rather womanning, their own craft with
grace and skill
1--WE get up at half-past 81 mean at
three BELLS" said 12-year-old Katie, "and
get ready for school. OF course the
Seventy-six-that's the name of our yacht
is always ready at the wharf After
breakfast we go aboard of our Whitehall
or sailboat and shove off. We often take
papa along, but he is only the crew, and
we make him go forward and haul in the
lines and clear up the deck after hosting
the sail OF course he has to obey orders,
and to refuse would be mutiny, you know"
81 am captain" said Addie, because
am the eldest and the only woman on
board" This mistress-mariner, who as
sumes command by virtue of her great age,
| is little over Is.
Except when mamma is aboard, in
terrupted Lottie.
But mamma is no sailor-not the
slightest. She doesn't know the main
sheet from the forestry, and what's more
doesn't want to know. She almost hates a
boat and would keep US out of one If she
could. We didn't inherit our love for the
sea from her at any rate. So she is only
a passenger and never has a word to say
while on the bay. And papa, who IS only
the crew, has no right to interfere with US
three officers. So you see we are our own
mistresses while afoat."
81 don't care much for boat" said Lot
| tie, aged fourteen, as she sat on the tlller
and swung herself from port to starboard
nautical ''I'd rather live on shore and
ride a bicycle. A boat is too rocky and
rolly, and the sea is smelly" smiling dis
dainfully the nondescript odors of the
wharves around her. "But wheel is just
! lovely continued the fair traducer of the
| grand old ocean, forgetting that bicycle
under some circumstances is rocky and
''rolly" too.
Papa says 1 will be rated ensign-1' m
only midshipman now-when l can box
the compass said Miss Kate, "and [ can.
Listen at me go around the points-nor,
nor'-by east, nor'nor'-east, nor'-east-by-
nor nor least; nor east-by least, east nor
east, east-by-nor,' east; east-by-sou,' east
sou'-east, ou'-sou'- east"
Hold on therel" chimed in Captain
Adelaide, you're four points Off your
course. It's SOU -east-by least, and you've
failed in your examination. Katie tried
the marks-and-deeps of the leadline the
other day, and said the red rag was at
| five fathoms instead of seven"
"But can reef and steer, and can sail
the plunger in any kind of wind" as
serted the young sailor, who was plucked
in her compass exam, land l can beat
everybody on the island at the oars. We
| have lived at lighthouses all our lives and
That is what made US such water birds"
And this small Grace Darling went on to
enumerate the wonderful things she can
| do in boat.
| Lottie, the lassie, who doesn't love a
sailor or anything pertaining to the sea,
and only takes to the water because it
flows between her island and the school
house, is the botanist of the fleet, and is
more at home among the flowers than the
ships. But she is a thorough boat woman
all the same, and can handle the plunger
equally as well as her sisters.
II dislike to have the girls out on the
water" said Mrs Lime, fFbut they must
attend school, and it is only by the plunger
or Whitehall they can do So"
John 9. Lime served for many years as
| petty officer in the United States navy.
and was at one time flag coxswain of Ad-
miral John A. Winslow's barge, which is
now used by the Naval Reserve of this
City. He is proud of the seamen-like
abilities of his little daughters and saws
they are true chips of the old block.