The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-12-10

sentative of the ingenious handicraft
of those patient and indefatigable
workers, the Hindoo artists. The glass
case into which he gazed, With almost
mournful expression, was emblem
attic, too, Of Salems decadence.
In the olden time Salem had his
tory inseparable from the Orient. Her
clippers used to be the proudest and
fastest of all the argosies that plOwed
the Southern ocean, brayely weather
ing mountainous seas encountered
off the Cape of Good Hope, when run
ming Eastern down. and making rapid
passage out and home In those days
Salem had a mighty rival in the shape
of Boston. and the fastest vessel
picked up the choicest freight from.
the Indian and Chinese merchants,
anxious to send their soft silks, their
fragrant teas, their aromatic spices
and all the fantastic products of their
old aud stored countries to the new
and rising nation of the 0ccident
don't know how it was that l first
became on speaking terms with my
friend, the Captain. There is kind of
Freemasonry among those who follow
or have followed that cruel and capri
clous mistress, the Sea, for a livelihood
that frequently amounts to magnetic
attraction-just as two ships in the dol
drums, without a breath Of air stirring
or an inch OF current running, will
gradually approach each other, nearer
and nearer, until eventually Gf the
calm continues they drift close along
side each other. and either collide or
exchange friendly courtesies
In the same mysterious way my
4 friend, the Captain, and drifted to-
gether and became good chums. His
was a striking personality. Although
past his ninetieth year, his eyes had
not lost their fire. Above the medium
height Of man, he lowered erect, in
spite of his burden of days, and his
white hair and eyebrows and his close
ly-cropped beard were in artistic con-
trast to his mahogany complexion,
tanned by tropical suns. He had a
( powerful Roman nose, short upper
lip and massive lower jaw, emblem
attic of logged determination and an
obstinate iron will.
He was clad in the costume affected
by mariners some half century ago
blue coat and a waistcoat, with brass
buttons, trousers of snowy duck, a
white shirt and a well starched .schok-
err and on his crisp thatch Of glisten-
ing silver hair he wore an easy hat Of
felt.
1t was an irresistible fascination. he
afterwards told me. that made him
spend so much time in that quaint old
museum at Salem. 1t reminded him Of
old times. An old East Indian skipper
q feels as much Of a longing to revisit
the scenes Of his pristine trinmphs as a
man who has once reached within al
most an hours railroad journey of the
north Pole has a conquering desire to
renew his exploratory Investigations.
My friend, the skipper, lived in a
most delightful cottage outside the
town, far from the clang Of the trolley
car gong. A sweet, old-fashioned
dwelling of red brick, with clematis,
honeysuckle and trumpet vine shading
Its spacious verand1h.
& There was an old cOlOred servant of
the male persuasion. whom he had
bought for a few dollars from slave
4 ship ever so many years ago, and who
had refused to be liberated. with whom
he kept bachelors hall.
Many a quaint and barbaric dish did
& the old slave cook for him; highly-sea-
soned recipes savoring of the Congo,
whence the youth had been stolen by
Spain. Ii | only knew how to cook
them | would start a private restau-
rant and get rich.
One evening, over Our Medford rum
toddies for this was the gay summer
time, and the lines were PLENTIFUL nv
= 81 & .