The San Francisco call., 1898-12-26
How the Talk of the Sea Finds
 Place in a Naval Officers House.

In the delightful home of a we'll known officer of the United States navy, now stationed here, the daily household and table talk has been reduced 10 the purest and most unvarnished man-'o- warese. The naval officer Is a deep water and heavy weather man of so many years standing that his talk is naturally salty, and all Of the members of his famiIy-wife, grown daughters and lads-haye unconsciousIy picked up the dialect from him.
 How l do dread the task of break ing out my fall and winter clothes agatn!" said one Of the young women of the family to a young woman caller the other day, and 1t took her quite five minutes to explain that in the navy breaking out" means unpacking, re- moving, overhauling gear from a store room.
 When one of the naval officers young sons wants the boy from the next house to make his appearance out in front for playing purposes, he gives a shriII whistle, like unto the blast of a bo'S'nS pipe, and then, in voice pitched in as deep key as his treble i3 capable of handlin9 he sings out. All ha-a-ands to quarters" The same boy has been often reprimanded, when there is com pany in the house for evening tea, fer walking through the hall, when the meal is about to be served, and singing out, All hands lay aft for grog." When, as occasionally happens, the naval officer and his wife are engaged in haviny trifiing tiff downstairs over some minor matter or other, one of the young women Of the house has been known to walk mischievously through the upper hall, singing out, All hands bury the deadI"
 stand by!" is the ordinary phrase in . r.<-31 terer Of that ship command wants to gain attention for some remark When one Of the young women of the house Is ready to start downtown on shop ping expedition and wants to know if there are any commissions that she can execute for her mother or sisters, she takes up her station in the front hall and sings out:
 "AI O youse men that's got mail for the United States wants to know that the mail orderly is about to go over the side with the maili" When the mother and daughters are about starting out for an afternoon drive, the boy afore- said generally pipes them away by singing out bos'n n'smatewise: "All hands abandon shipl" When g couple of his sisters get at momentary logger heads over some little matter or other the same boy yells: Collision uu5r- ters.'' and bolts for It. There are no such words as front" and back" fin this house. IL is "for'ard'' and aft" Willie, run up for'ard and see if left my gloves there" one of the younger women will say to her little brother T saw 'em aft on the mizZenrail awhile ago." the boy will reply, meaning that he saw them on one of the windowsills in the back parlor. When one of the young women wishes to hold up her father for a bit of shopping money, she puts the proposition to him something ike this: Papa, suppose you play pay master, and we lay aft to the pay office and you serve out monthly money. I need some small stotres-"
 When the younger son of the h3usa has been derelict and his mother wishes to threaten him with an interview with his father, she says: Willie, I've a great mind to take you up to the mast" When the boy Is kept Tn the house for from the window Of his room that he's doing a trick in the brig" When his father wants his carriage orderei for a ride somewhere on business, the lad whistles the proper ships call and gives the coachman the word, Grew of the captains gig lay aft" When the boy himself is bound for morning school. he signaliZes his departure by the ships word, up anchor"
 There is no such thing as floor in this naval officers house. All or the floors are decks" The basement Is the berth deck. the main floor Is the spar deck, and so on. Nothing is washed. it Is "svabbed" 4 cuspidor Is a spit kit" The water cooler is the .'scuttle> butt" And so on. A retired old man o'-war's-uan who would take a job as servant in this naval officers establish ment would never become lonesoua- Washington Post