The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-04-06
CAP'N TOM WOOLLEY.

Well, yes, sir, the young lady was beau
tiful swimmer. Never seen a young lady
as could swim out like she could. Gap
tain Tom Cooley, she'd used to say to
me, II just love the water. =" She come
here every. year. She said she never could
take to anywheres like the coast Of Corn
wall. But after that last year she never
come again, Seems. as II -o'-my- soul
must have give her distaste Of the Corn
ish folk like, ....s s.,..s .....,
Well, that true what you say, sir. There
amt no sea anywheres like the sea here in
Cornwall. 1t breaks, as you may put 1t,
all so green as an emerald, round the stacks
an skerries of Lands End an the Lizard
See 1t breaking yonder, sometimes in fine
white foam, most as high as lighthouse,
round they granite peaks, an you wouldn't
find nothing more beautiful, not IL It was
painted in oils by they artist gentsat New
Ign. The channel-well, what's the chan.
mel, come to think Of II, but muddy river,
in the manner Of speaking, with the Seine
and the Avon flooding 1t all with dirt an
refuse2 The North sea-nO, nor the North
sea amt much better neither, through be-
ing filed with yellow clay by the mouths
Of Thames an Rhine an Humber. know
'em all, bless your cart, as have sailed
In coasting craft, man an boy, this fifty
year an more, an being bred myself at
Lyme Regis In Dorset, an o inuddier sea
you wouldn't want nowheres than that,
though it's me that says 1t as oughtn't to
say 1t, belying my own home, II I make
bold to put IL SO, which lie as tidy little
town as any in the country. But the open
Atlantic, where 1t rolls right In, all blue
an green an clear as crystal on they
Cornish rocks-why, there amt no water
like 1t for pleasure Of swimming in the
British isles not till man comes round
again to Caithness an Sutherland.
!. Our Joe-him as they calls the fisher
man poet-he says 1t reminds him Of
good woman's heart, 1t does. You look
right down into the depths, as far as YOU
can see an it's oil transparent, an It's
all pure an innocent. That's the sea in
Cornwall.
The young lady g name was speaking of
was Noe She was Miss Pryce of London,
but through knowing of her 80 intimate
like we always called her by her given
name, Miss Noe. Sho was at home with the
children, YOU sec, an my missus was
fonder of her than Of any other folks as
ever took our lodgings, same as she might
be with your good lady, sir, begging your
pardon. She was fine built young wom-
an, too, was Miss Noe. See her chamber
up the rocks, you'd say she was a goat; SEQ
her swim agin the waves, you'd say she
was seal; sec her tell the little ones sto-
ries by the rocks at nights, you'd say she
was one of these book writers, as 1t might
be yourself, sir. Fine outstanding young
lady, too, with color In her cheek an
spring in her step, walking free across
Mullyon moors the same as If they belonged
to her.
We'll, 1t WASH t long before we perceived
Miss Noe was pretty good friends with
gentleman up to Brown's-Mr. Moore
from Exeter He was nice young doctor,
come TO Kynance for his holiday an when
them two went out walking together, with
her father an mother hanging about like
for company, as is the way with parents. a
finer young couple you d never set eyes on.
At the end Of u fortnight my wife says to
me "Tom, " says she, lit amt Mr.. Moore
no more with our young lady; it's plain
Alex this morning" His name being
Alexander, 1t was Alex for short, as is the
new fashion now though when / was
young twas all Alick or else Sandy.
can good thing, too" says I. "For o
young lady like Miss Noe had ought to
marry one as is her natural equal" says
], not meaning in birth alone, as is thing
don't hold with, nor yet in money, as !,
there amt no counting upon, but fine
outstanding young lady, to my mind, de-
serves to be married to fine outstanding
young fellow. Or where'd the country get
its soldiers and sailors fromp
can o handsome couple they'll make !,
says my misses being fond of Miss Noe. a
Well, one of they days Mr.. Moore-that's
Alex-he went out swimming off the rocks 4
by the cove, an Miss Noe, she was ashore
sitting high on the cliff reading book or I
something. But every now an again my
wife sees her raise her head an looks out to
sea anxious like after the heads bobbing
about like buoys in the water. At last up
she jumps an runs down to the cottage
all breathless. could see in minute her
heart was in her mouth. "Oh, Cap'n
Tom," she says, "Cap'n Tom, do look out
at Alexl He's swimming over there an
it seems to me he's in some sort of trou-
ble''-love having eyes as can sec 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 we'll fixed. Sure enough, there he
was, throwing his arms up wild an trying
to make signs to the shore for help
"Is 1t cramp?" says the young lady
Don't you believe it, says L There's
deal more nonsense talked about cfamp
In swimming nor there need be- A man
can't swim forever" says /, "let him be
so strong as you like" says l. "Tired out,
that's what calls ii" says l. An tired
out Mr. Alex was, sure enough, by the
look of him
"Oh, Cap'n Tom," says the young lady,
will you save himf" wringing her hands
in way that might melta stone, let alone
Christian.
l was half way down to my boat by that
time.
Save himp" says l. us 1t saving of
himP Bless your heart, II he warn't no
friend Of yourn at alias man to man
I'd save him. Bill-o'my SOUL" says I,
seeing Bill on the shore, "come and help
me-" says !. "Theres o gentleman
"Drownding2" says Bill running down
an putting out "Come on" says Bill,
I'm with you" His name being Bill-o-
my soul, along of his having been such |
favorite when he was young with all the
young women
Well, we put of an rowed, Bill taking
sne of the sweeps-as is our name for they i
long oars-an me the other. After awhile |
ID struck me we wasn't heading outward.
looked up and saw, an we was most
turned toward shore agin. I'd pulled the
boat round on Bill-which didn't under
Itand, he being then q stronger man nor
me to pull-not but what when was in
my best days I'd have pulled boat
against any man In England
"Bill," says sharp, you're not a.pull-
Ing" ,...4
He looked up at me rather odd "Mate,"
says he quiet like, "I'm no fool Now,
what are you rowing for, the young fellow
or the money!"
"Pull, pull mani" shouts out "Pull,
pull, tell you'll The gentleman drownd.
ing-Miss Noes young gentleman"
He pulls stroke or two quite feeble.
His heart wasn't In It, Then I loses my
temper.