The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1896-10-02
CAP'N TOM WOOLLEY.

wen, yes, Slr, Ine young ldQy WAS d
beautiful swimmer. Never seen a
young lady as could swim out like she
could. "Cap'n Tom 'Oolley,' she'd used
to say to me, 81 just love the water"
She come here every year. She said she
never could take to anywhere like the
coast of Cornwall. But after the last
year she never come again. Seems as
If BilI-o-my-soul must have give her
distaste of the Cornish fox like.
Well, that's true what you say, sir
there amt no sea anywhere like the
sea here, in Cornwall. 1t breaks, as
you may see it, all so green as emerald,
round the stacks and skerries off Lands
End and the Lizard. See it breaking
yonder sometimes in fine white foam
most as high as lighthouse, round
they granite peaks, and you wouldn't
find nothing more beautiful, not if it
was painted in oils by they artist gents
at Newlyn. The Channel?-well, what's
the Channel, come to think O. it, but
muddy river, in the manner of speak
ing, with the Seine and the Avon food
ing it all with dirt and refuse? The
North ea?-no, nor the North Sea
amt much better, neither, through be-
ing filed with yellow clay by the
mouths o. Thames and Rhine and Hum
Der. 1 know 'em all, your cart, as l
have sailed in coasting craft, man an
boy, this fifty year an more, an being
bred myself at Lyme Regis in Dorset
an a muddier sea you'd wouldn't
want nowheres than that, though it's
me that says it as ought1't to say 1t,
belying my own home, if l may make
bold to put it so, which is as tidy q
little town as any in the country. But
the open Atlantic, where it rolls right
in. all blue and green, and clear as
crystal, on them Cornish rocks-why,
there amt no water like it, for pleasure
of swimming, in the British Isles, not
till man comes round again to Cath
ness and Sutherland.
Our Joe-him as they calls the fisher
man poet-he says 1t reminds him of a
good woman's heart, it does. You look
right down into the depths, as far as
you see, and it's all transparent and
it's all pure an innocent. That's the
sea, in Cornwall.
The young lady's name 1 was speak
in of was Noe She was a Miss Pryce
O. London; but through knowing O. her
SO intimate like, we always called her
by her given name, Miss Noe. She
was at home with the children, you
see; and my missus was fonder of her
than of any other folks as ever took
our lodgings, same as she might be Of
your good lady, sir, begging your par
don. She was fine built young wom
an, too, was Miss Noe. See her clam
Der up the rocks, you'd say she was
goat; see her swim agin the waves,
you'd say she was seal; see her tell
the little ones stories by the rocks at
nights, you'd say she was one O. these
sir. Fine outstanding young lady, too,
with a color in her cheek and spring
In her step, walking free across Null
y moors the same as If they belonged
to her
Well, 1t wasn't long before we per-
ceived Miss Noe was pretty good
friends with gentleman up to Browns
Mr. Moore from Exeter. He was q
nice young doctor come to Kynance for
his holiday; and when them two went
out walking together, with her father
and mother hanging about like for COM
pany, as. is the way with parents, a
finer young couple you'd never set eyes
on. At the end of fortnight my wife
says to me, ''Tom," says she, sit amt
'Mr. Moore no more with our young
lady; it's plain Alex. this morning. His
name being Alexander, it was Alex. for
short, as Is the new fashion now, though
when was young it was all Alic or else
Sandy.
"An' good thing, too," says 1. "For
a young lady like Miss Noe had ought
to marry one as Is her natural equal" :"
says L; not meaning in birth alone, as
Is thing 1 don't hold with: nor yet in
money, as there amt no counting upon;
but fine outstanding young lady, to
my mind, deserves to be married to a
fine young fellow. Or where'd the
country get its soldiers and sailors
from?'
"And handsome couple they'll make "
says my missus, being fond Of Miss
Noe.
Well, one of the days, Mr. Moore
that's Alex.-he went out swimming off
the rocks by the cove; and Miss Noe,
she was ashore sitting high on the
cliff, reading book or something. But
every now and again my wife sees her
raise her head and look out to sea anx-
ious like, after the heads bobbing
about like buoys in the water. At last
up she jumps and runs down to the
cottage, all breathless. I could see in
a minute her heart was in her mouth
20, Cap'n Tom," she says, "Cap'n Tom,
do look out at Alex. He's swimming
over there, an it seems to me he's in
some sort of trouble"-love having
eyes as can see better'n binocular.
Well, gets down my telescope, an
I fixes it upon him. He was mile out
to sea-a black speck on the water.
gets him well fixed. Sure enough there
he was throwing his arms up wild, and
trying to make signs to the shore for
help.
els 1t crampT says the young lady.
"Don't you believe II" says I: there's
a deal more nonsense talked about
cramp in swimming than there need be.
A man can't swim forever" says /.
Tired out; that's what / calls 1t" says,
L And tired out Mr.. Alex Waa sure