The San Francisco call., 1897-10-17

The little schooner was gamboling ali arou nd
| her anchor among the silver-tipped waves
| Backing with u start of affected surprise at the
sight of a strained cable, she pounced on it
| like kitten. While the spray of her descent
burst through the hawse-holes she would say
well I'm sorry can't stay aay longer with
! you I'm going north," and would slide off,
| hGlting suddenly with a dramatic rattle of her
! rigging "As l was just going to observe"
| she would begin as gravely as drunken man
/ addressing lamp-post The rest of her sem
J tence (she acted her words in dumb show. of
| eourse) was lost in a fl of the fidgets when
she behaved like puppy chewing a string,
clumsy woman in side saddle, hen with
her head cut off. or COW stung BIZ a hornet
exactly as the whIms of the sea took her,
'See her sayin' her piece She's Patrick
Henry naow," said Dan,
she swung sideways on roller and ges:icu-
lated with her iibboom from port to starboard
"But-ez-fer-me, give me liberty-er give
me-death.'
And, then, in the matter OF what has
aptly been termed current slancuage." 4"
Mr.. kipling is able to furnish US with
much that is new. The man who doth
bestrlde the earth, calculating remarkable
colloquialisms as you're not the only
pebble on the beach, or you're not the
only sponge in the drugstore, or you're
not the only Dyster in the stew" will find
that these little peasantries are mere
platitudes compared to some which Mr.
hlpllng employs in Captains Cour-
ageous-" In this his novel is distinctly
American. for in none other could We find
gem like: "Oh. you are a high-grade
machine with the writing in plain sight"
type writer firms might do worse than
copy in their next catalogues.
"Captains Courageous on the whole is
disappointment. 1t is not strong piece
OF work, and In one part only does Mr..
hlpllng rise TO his usual maaterful man.
ner. 1t is in the seventh chapter, where
Jason Obey is washed overheard with his
son in squall. Olley is picked up by the
Were Here" but wishes, like David,
that he could have died instead of his boy
There is sailor named Penn, whose en-
tire family had been swept out by the
Johnstown food. He is halt-witted, but
the catastrophe is so similar to that which
befell his family that it sobers him.
Penn spoke; they could hear that il was 10
strangers. "I have prayed" said he. sour
people believe in prayer. 1 have prayed for
the life OF this mans son. Mine were drowned
before my eyes-she aud my eldest and-the
others. Shall man be more wise than his
Maker? l prayed never for their lives, but I
have prayed Tor this mans son, and he will
surely be sent to him"
salters looked pleadingly at Penn to see if
he remembered.
"How long have been mad?" Penn asked
suddenly. His mouth was twitching.
"Pshaw, Penn. You weren't never mad"
Salters began, "only d little distracted like"
81 saw The houses strike the bridge before
the fires broke out. I do not remember any
more. How long ago is that?"
81 can't stand it." cried Dan, and Harvey
whimpered in sympathy.
about five years." said Disko. in shaking
! voice.
"Then have been a charge on some one for
| every day of that time. Who was the man?"
Disko pointed TO Salters.
"Ye hain't-ye hain't,'' cried the sea-farmer,
! twisting his hands together. We've more n
earned your keep twice told, an there's money
/ OWN you, Penn. be ides ha'df o my quarter
share in the boat, which is yours fer value re-
/ ceived."