The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-01-30
SELECTED STORY.
Dicks Legacy.


Their said he would as soon have seen Dick
20 to the dogs at once, but we all knew
he didn't mean that. He only meant 1t
was very hard that his favorto son and
the child of his old age should not be con
tent to earn his living at home or at least
in his own country, but must botake him
self to lands which the rest of us had only
read of in the geography books. We lived
In London and within very easy distance
of the Thamcs-indeCd our street led into
it-but nothing would do but Dick must
sail to Spain and see the Guadaquver, a
name that sounds like an alligator in ex
tremis. Our Dick cared nothing for for
eign scenery, had no thirst for information
of any kind didn't care whether the eli
mate was warm or cold, hadn't the slight
est knowledge of any tongue but his own,
and that he knew very imperfectly, had
no sympathy with Columbus or Captain
Cook, yet he must be always going to sea
Going to see WHAT his father used to in
quiro peevishly, and poor Dick never could
answer him, for he didn't know himself
He always pinned to be off somewherc-to
Kamchatka or Mozambique or Jericho
after he had been at home about three
weeks or so. Spain not having been
enough for him, he ran over to Canada
Then he took a trip to Hongkong and
finally went to the West Indies, from
whence the dear, light hearted vagabond
never returned.
Yellow Jack laid him low at Berbice
and many an eye was touched with tears
when the news came over the sea. II
sent a spasm to his fathers heart from
which he never recovered. For this ne'er
do well, who was no scapegrace how
ever, was liked by everybody who knew
him He was very poor, of course, being
only common seaman before the mast mt
best, but he had kept all his friends in
his memory whoresoever he went and
brought homo some trine from every out
landish place he visited for one or other
of them He was not man for woman
to marry unless she was prepared to EN-
brace the nautical profession as well as
himself, but he was an immense favorite
with all the sex, and, as for children, they
adored him and called him Uncle Dick
whether authorized by the tables of affinity
so to do or not His last present, post
humous one, brought over by messmate
to my wife, with her brother Dick 5 best
love"-kind, simple soul that he was
was huge black parrot-the very ugliest
bird these eyes ever beheld. Lucy, how
oNbT, NcICOllltu IL as tnOupD IL Hdu DCell
bird of paradise for the sake of the giver,
and father could hardly be persuaded not
to have it in his room, when he lay i'll of
the sickness which at last was unto death.
But the fact was the black parrot was by
no means a suitable bird for a sickroom,
for at most unexpected seasons and COM
monty in the dead of night it would be-
gin to talk as loud as a washerwoman
and use the most reprehensible language,
which it had picked up at sea upon its re
turn voyage, as my wife always would
have it, and by no means from Dick S lips.
"Pooh, pooh" Never say die. " What's
o'clock " Past kissing time, chick, chick,
and time to kiss again, chick, chick -
That was his imitation of OSCILLATION.
"Tolderol, tolderol" who's afraidf"
xiii the captain" "Scuttle the Ship"
and number of other Objectionable state.
ments which would be not only tedious
here to enumerate, but even improper
Notwithstanding this Poll was great
pet with everybody except the doctor,
whom 1t had objurgatcd in the most I'M
measured terms, having mistaken him in
his white cravat for the ships chaplain,
and when misfortune came upon us in the
pleasant guise, however, of a family too
large for our income Poll and his huge
gilt cage still formed one portion of our
furniture, although many persons with
more brain than heart thought it piece
of folly that we did not turn Dick S loving
legacy into hard money. The only incon-
venience Poll suffered in consequence of
this change in our circumstances was that,
being greatly crowded within doors, we
hung him outside the house in the sum.
mer time, in which position he endured
much wordy persecution from the street
boys To these he would return insult
Tor insult, teaching them the badinage
used by mariners and learning in return
the flowers of speech that flourish in the
streets OF the metropolis. His jet black
plumage, his enormous beak and the I'M
precedented (for parroD violence Of his
expressions induced these enemies to call
him Nick, but, very fortunately, his Ger
,w.sas not sufficiently acute to discern the
difference between this contume.ious name
and Dick, which we had entitled him, aft
or him who had bequeathed him to us.
But Never you mind" my good father
would observe to us with general reference
to all these drawbacks, that bird will
prove blessing to you yet, or my dear boy
would never have sent it to you with his
last breath across the seas. -
And so long after my poor father died
and when many of our children had grown
up and were earning their own living the
parrot was with us still without one touch
of gray upon feather.
We were Quitting Jack, our youngest
but one, for a situation as under clerk in a
colliery down in Wales and had had no
little trouble to raise the money for that
and his long journey when Dick first
brought us luck.
my dear George" said my wife to me
one June evening inst after had come
home from long days work, IF 10
guincas would be very great comfort to
you, indeed l know where to get them"
Her voice was not so CHEEKY as her words,
and there fore | knew there was reverse
side to such gratifying offer.
We'll, said l, land what's to be done
for that money! 1t would be great con
venience, Lucy, no doubt, just now"
That's true" returned my wife, with
. little sigh. But we are not SO poor as
20 be obliged to sell poor Dick even for
that sum, and it is for him that the money
has been bid If any of the children were
Ill and wanted expensive medicines or
change of air, L should not hesitate about