The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-08-03
JACK TAR.

Jerome X. jerome otdBe oaiioI Gnu
the Real Article-The Clean and
Pleasant Men O'-War' Men who WIS.,
tied Stevenson's Island Home.
1t has fallen to nay pleasant lot to live
in island seaport towns of the Pacific,
where / naturally have many opportu-
mites of visiting men-of-War OF various
natlonalities; hospitable American, re-
spectacle British, noisy Russian, dirty,
picturesque Gillian, and even dapper
little Japanese, so that l know the sail
or man pretty well-know him as you
only can know him in quiet island
seaport, whose principal street lies be-
tween row of dull traders stores and
the Pacific ocean; where the sailor only
distraction Char the drinking places,
which are not so well patronized as you
thnk) Is q weekly tea at the mission or
a game of draughts at the Temperance
Coffee House.
In such place, If you happen to live
far from town, the sailors often walk
out to your house on drowsy after
noon, and, IL there are no signs of COM
pany on your front veranda, one will
venture in, very respectfully, hat in
hand, and ask If your native boy will
be so good as to give him a glass OF
water.
ut is a warm day." you say, or you
may offer him cocoanut or some
sliced pineapple.
Another day he brings friend, or
even then the other one (they almost
invariably hunt in couplesD may pc
waiting discreetly at the front gate, TO
be hailed in by his comrade. arriving
very warm and embarrassed and much
pleased to share in the refreshment-
and SO you get acquainted. A friend
ship so begun is almost sure to be fol-
lowed by gifts-a frame made In imita-
ton of a life buoy containing the dom
or's photograph, an embroidered sailors
cap, a navy ribbon, or even model or
a full-rigged ship. for Jack is gene
rous fellow and does not like to keep
the obligation on his side.
In that ever fresh and amusing book,
"Stage Land" by Jerome x. Jerome,
there is chapter devoted to sailors. 1t
lis very humorous, and I had read 1t and
laughed over it many times before I
suddenly realized that it was all wrong.
He contends that the smart, clean,
handsome sailor of the stage is an i'm
aginary character altogether. He does
SO suffer with his trousers" he says.
'He has to stop and pull them up about
twice every minute" And then he goes
on to say, I'VE have seen a good deal
Of sailors in real life, but on only one
occasion, that we can remember, did
we ever see a. real sailor pull his trorls-
ers up. The stage sailor places his
right hand behind him and his left in
front, kicks out his leg behind in gay
and birdhke way, and the thing Is
done" Which is sarcastic but per-
fectly correct description of what !
have seen a man-o'- wars man do. A
little boy of my family was once pre-
scented with a suit of sailor clothes.
made on board the United States
ship Adams, and Of course his first duty
was to pay visit to the ship in full
man-o'-war rig, the proudest boy Of
seven In the South Seas. And then
saw the quaItermaster take him behind
gun and carefully instruct him in the
art of hitching UP his trousers. The
stage sailor is a true study from life. It
was right hand behind, left in front. a
leap In the air, a kick behind, and the
thing was done"
Still sarcastic, Mr.. Jerome continues:
"The stage sailor Is good to his mother,
and dances the hornpipe beautifully"
Not only good to his mother is the real
sailor, but he is fond of his wife and
loves his children, as know from
many confidence and half hours talk,
which reminds me of an incident an Of
fcer once told me.
1t was Christmas time, and, accord
ing to the old man-o'war custom, the
long tables in the sailors quarters were
laid out with roast beef and plum pud-
ding, and each mess contributed deco
rations from their ''ditty boxes curl
os, shells, photographs, anything to
make the tables look pretty. The off,
GERS made their rounds, captain first,
navigating officer, doctor, and so on
ending with the midshipmen. AS they
passed each table the men saluted, the
officers accepted bit Of cake, or tasted
the plum pudding, exchanging the
greetings of the day, and compliment
ing the sailors upon the decorations
On one table our married officer saw a
photograph of two little girls.
care those your children. Ford?" he
asked sailor standing near.
Eyes, SIR was the answer; "we're
far away from our little lassies now
sir"
The officer passed on; the lieutenant
behind him whispered: II say, do you
think you were quite civil to Ford:
You didn't say a word about his table
decoration; the poor fellow looked quite
hurt" But our officer in telling about
It said: II couldn't have answered a
wogd. thought of my own little girls
and when I looked at Ford I saw that
his eyes were full Of tears; know mine
were, and though we didn't say any
thing we understood each other pretty
we'll"
AS for the hornpipe, have seen II
danced many times by real sailors, by
better-looking men, better dresses than
any I ever saw upon the stage. On a
man-of-war, after a pleasant dinner In
the wardroom, when the company as.
senbled, the officers in their cool dress
iforms, the ladies in their cool dresses
and reclining in comfortable chairs or
the quarterback; when the stars are out
and the big tropic moon paints a path
upon the quiet sea and along the coast
the cocoanut palms throw their silhou-
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