Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1897-01-12
CHAPTER II.
MATE OF TIE HINDU.

Sailors and .andsmen-good people
all-permit me TO introduce myself as
Ralph Tompkins, sailor man by pro-
fession and mate Of the merchantmen
Hindu. Whatever has gone before this
b from the pen Of good friend Of mine
who has to do with books and newspa-
pers. After he had heard my story he
says to me, says he:
"Tompkins, that would make a full
cargo for book, and / warrant you it
would be read with interest. Why not
put il in that form:''
One cannot reach the position OF mate
Of craft sailing to all ports without q
fair education, but even out Of hun
dred college bred men not more than
one in hundred ever attempts book,
I'm told One must have gift that
way, they say. I'm sure that nature did
not give it to me, but after thinking the
matter over for fortnight-getting my
latitude and longitude, as it were-I
answered my friend after this fashion:
I'm hut plain sailor man, as you
know, and can only write in a plain
sailor fashion. II you think the readers
Of books will overlook my slips Of gram
mar and not be too particular about my
language az talk to them, and II you
yourself will agree TO write the first
chapter and get me under weigh and
well of the coast. SO to say. / will try
my hand at print.
He instantly replied that it was a
bargain, and as he has stuck to his
promise must stick TO mine
The Hindu was q fine new bark
hailing from the port Of Liverpool.
One half Of her was owned by Mr..
Abernethy. the well known trader, and
Captain Clark and each owned quar-
ter interest The captain was my own
brother. in-l law, and, though / held a
masters certificate and was competent
to command a ship. circumstances made
me glad to take the berth Of mate for u
few voyages. We had come home with
q full cargo from Smyrna, but had met
with disaster OH the way, and the Hin
du had to go to the dockyard for repairs
as soon as unloaded. When the last Of
the cargo was out of her. said to the
captain:
'"Tom, I think I'll take q run up
country and have bit Of visit with
mother. It's going on three years now
since l had q sight Of her blessed face.
and il don't take advantage Of this
breeze it may be three years more. )"
"By all means. Ralph by all
means" was his ready reply, "and I'll
send her new dress and my love along
with you. You can have a couple OF
weeks on firm ground, and, il the Lord
spares your life to get back. you'll like
" be the better for it, though I've
known Of plenty Of cases where even a
week in the country was the spelling of
o good sailor man."
That's the way, may it please the
reader, l happened to arrive at the town
Of Dudley on the day before the events
recorded in the chapter that has gone
before. My old mother had lived there
for nigh upon 20 years, wife and widow,
and you'll excuse me for saying / am
proud to declare that ii was my money,
earned by hard knocks at sea, which
gave her the little home and kept the
pot boiling. II 1t wasn't the popular
belief, which is all wrong, that no sail
or man ever makes good use Of dollar,
! shouldn't have made the above state
ment.
I arrived in Dudley in the morning.
Along about 8 O'Clock in the evening
word came to me that some Of my old
friends had gathered at the Dudley inn
not far away and on the banks Of the
Severn to drink a cup and have chat
with me, and went over. Ifound Tom
Vance, Jerry Simpson, John Wakefield
and two or three more-all old chums,
and some Of them sailors who had given
up going to sea With chat and cup and
story the time fed rapidly away. and