St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1898-10-08
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES 888s
ON BOhRD THE "NAN6Y HNE. I

BY Charles B. LEWIS
opyriehf. 1893.

1
!. In book as he sat in his rocking chair
when the mate came down into the,
cabin and saids
Jonathan, It's bankin' up in the
! west and looks like o power o. wind.
Better come on deck and take q
/ squint."
"ButI can's, Abner. There has been
nutiny aboard the Nancy Jane. and !
ain't captain any longer
ssBut why did mutiny?" protested
| Abner. "R your wife hadn't talked
about my wife it would hev bin all
right. If she'll take back what she
i said I'll stop the mutiny."
ST couldn't do It. Abner-couldn't =
never do IT," replied Mrs. spriggs. "
! didn't say nuthin' agin Mariar because
| I wanted to tattle or gossip. jest
| said 1t because / felt 1t my duty. And
I didn't say there wasn't sum good
points about her as well as lots OF bad
| ones. Mariar Is allus ready In a case
of sickness, and IL she hadn't but a
| spoonful Of -four In the house she'd
/ lend it to naybur."
"How much will you take back7"
"Wall, lemme see! I've heard that
she laid abed It'll ten O'Clock In the
morntn', and that II she got her nose
in novel the house might burn mp be-
fore she'd move. AS don't know fur
sure, I'll take that much back"
'Then the mutiny IL al an end" said
the mate, and Capt. spriggs went on
deck with him 30 take q sQuin$ 40 the
weather.
For two days all wentwell. Then the
Bkipper's wife said TO hims
"Look here, Jonathan. fest hap
pened to think Of sunthin'. Abner
Jackson's wife told Mrs. Lee that we
was SO stingy that you let your grand
father SO to the poorhouse. What are
we goin' to do about it?n
III she told you anything like that
I'll mutiny agin Abner," replied the
captain, and he went on deck and put
the case to the mate.
'Mebbe she said 1t, but I Dunno"
answered Abner.
"But you'd stick up fur her If she
did?s
"I'd hev to, Of course. A husband
has got to stick TO his wife, hain't he ?'
But how you goin' to do it, A cap
tain can't mnntiy agin his own ship.
can he?"
II guess he kin ifhe wants TO. You
Jest consider that you are prisoner,
and don't you dare give no more or
ders till Isay so!''
The mate sat down for smoke end
good rest, and the men Of his watch
followed his example. The "mutiny"
began about nine o'clock In the morn
ing and lasted till noon. the brig mean
while jogging along over smooth sea
and under easy sail. Capt. spriggs al-
ways asked blessing on every meal,
and on this oeeasioA he added some
thing extra about brotherly love be-
tween all men.
"rt amt brotherly love to be
a-wranglin' and jawin,," said one Of
the Grew, as the shipper finished.
"Mebbe 'tain't," he replied, with
sigh, as he held his knife and fork
aloft. "I kinder wish we was all Jest
IS we USED 10 be-.
III Nancy Jane hadn't talked about
Mariar we wouldn't had any trubble,s =
said the mate.
'Land O. livin', but what did ! say
about Mariar to raise Q fuss7" ex-
claimed Nancy Jane. a. she rolled her
eyes to the ceiling. tits q pity IL one
can't open one's mouth to breathe In
this world. I've lived alongside o.
Mariar jackson fur goin on eight
years, and I'm free TO say never had
n better naybur. The time had lung
fever know should died but fur
her nussin'. She was up day and night
with mo fur two weeks. Talk about
Mariar! Why. she's the last person on
airth I'd talk aboutl"
"But you said she borrowed things
and didn't pay back," !" protested Abner.
"And You said she stood out IN the
road barefoot, and read novels, and
didn't comb her hair, and"
mercy on me, but hear him talk!"
interrupted the woman. "What Il ]
did say ali that? Was that any thing
agin her2 And the reason said 1t was
because I'm threatened with jandice.
She's talked agin me, too, but 1t went
In one ear and outer the other. No
body ever means anything by sich talk.
It's jest woman's way
81 was goin' to mutiny agin to-mor-
.rer," said the mate, but if you didn'&
mean nuthin' then ! won't. ain'b no
hand to mutdny unless I'm driv 70 IL.
,Jonathan, you mutinied, too.
y. g Yaas replied the captain. "When
Nancy told me that MaEiar was telHn'
around how gtingy ] was, I felt that
I'd got to mutfny and seize the brig
agin ye. Marian houldn't hey said
that. Abner."
'Mebbe She didn't say t."
'It she did say II. will 70 make her
take II back ~
II will II Nancy win take back what
she said.a
I "Why, what q mani" exclaimed
Nancy. an the fust place, didn't
say nuthin' tall, 'cept that Mar1ar Was
the best woman in. colport, and In the
next place, II hurt yer feehn's. I'm
sorry fur it. As I said, I'm threat
ened with jandice. and jandice people
,sllus talk kindar lght-headed."
I "Wan, I .shan't mutiny no MORE"
said Abner, as his face cleared up.
"And ] shan't. neither = added Capt.
Spriggs, as he held ont his hand Tor
o. shake.
"And sumbody pass them 1assesi"
spoke up the sailor at the foot of the