The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1898-01-20
DROVE BACK
BY WILLIAM CLARK RUSSELL.

ward bound from Adelaide. and | was
Eeeping a lookout one black night on
the fok'sle. when there coming vel
ling spit of soaking blast slap into my
face, | hits up my list and brings it
dowa Oh the rail. For more than
twenty years | mad used the sea, and
what was ii come to? An old chest.
two or three shifts % rags, a pair OF
sea boots, and s'help, no more
Through the improvidence Of the sal
lOr2 BY thunder, then, no, What's
Providence got to do with such a
withered life as the ocean? Saving
means getting, and where in niggers
IS the getting to be found where it's
all living hard, faring hard. dying
hard, and going tC hell after all
Beef ye could chisel into snatch
blocks; pork too foul to grease your
boots with; kicks and curses aft: wet
and famine forards is it good enough? {?
With a fok'sl so full of fired Dutch
men why, when they hoist the Eng
lish ensign, the flags the bitterest lie
s.nce Annynius and Sophia.
But how was | to get living on
shore That was the question that
occupied iry attention when [ walked
| them decks in solitude I'd say to
mates, What nd you do if you
knocked Off" and some was for going
to sea again, and the rest was for the
work us. Ia seen so little of life
ashore that | couldn't guess how men
got their livings What was mer-
chant He was covey who traded.
| What was a clerk He was covey
who sat on a stool and wrote in a
book. No use of my laying a course
for the likes OF thai. My taste went
to the country, deep inland | fancied
Id ike to get a Job under a market
! gardener. ia feel pleased when |
thought of reaping wheat and cutting
down grass, of going home at sun
down on top of a wagon load Of hay,
the air sweet as nuts, and sitting down
TO hurstin' blow out of ale and roast
ed apples, and bread and cheese. Go
away, salt water' think then
| WAS about thirty five years old,
and looked forty five; lobscouse"ll
serve you measlier than weather.
They say weak heart paints the nose
blue, which colors the spirits Soup
az bnlly's worse than decayed vital,
and if Yer teeth i'll the messkid, how
many spoonfuls of pease soup do it
| take take 10 raise a wrinkie2
The ship duly arrived, and L. along
with the rest, was paid off. There
was twenty two months wages to take
up, so had scope to ride by. |
took a lodging at 2, Bromley street,
Commercial road, and spent Two
pound III land going rig out Then
was 1T a loss. The name Of the
landiady was Mrs. Bloomer and her
/ husband was waterman. Meeting
her one day III the passage rs was
taElnga turn to look about me:
i should like | SAYS, 'to have a
short yarn with yon, Aii~siss, if you've
! got minute.
"UeltaInly, elr," she answers.
Don't sir me, | beg" says L. I'm
no dog"
| She steps me into bit of parlor,
! close with careful keeping There
was a little looking glass over the
mantel shelf, bound in yaller gauze,
with oyster shells for occasional orna
ments, and glass cage with stuffed
bird III the front window.
Can | sit?" says L.
Nv by, yes" says she, smiling. 1T
can't hprt YER"
put down my cap, and took a char
| and says. Mrs. Bloomer. Eve been
sallorman ali my life, and have come
ashore to find job, meaning to stop
ashore. I've got few pounds, and
can hold ont for some time, and |
want you to tell me how | ought to 60
| to work"
What's your age" says she. look
| ing me over
| | told her.
There's many situations going,
and 4 handy man ought never to want
for job. Why moi turn waterman?'
| says she.
No more water for me-" says l.
Light porter" said she.
thought she meant something to
drink.
Can you drive orse?'
Il don't fancy driving" SAYS |.
Look ere, Mr.. Pooley," says she,
your chancell lie in advertising.
Write ont little piece for the papers.
It'll cost Yer about three or four shil
| l'ngs to put In. Answers II come. and
you can pick and choose"
| allowed this to be up to the
knocker, and in that same room she
| made out tins advertisement:
"A saIiorman wants a job. He is
al Al around hand, useful anywhere
and at any time, being accustomed to
a calling that runs days work into
twenty four hours and pays no over
time wages. Address William PooIey,
Bromley street, Commercial road,
f."
" hen Bloomer came home that
night he recommended me to put the
piece into The paper which says it
has the largest circulation in the
world This | did next day. Forget
the cost. Nauing it IN pints of beer,
call 1t four gallons I'm a slow hand
at reading, ana it took me a smother
ed long time to spell through the ad-
yerusements on the day when the
plece had wrote was to appear At
l'st, down III corner, | spies my
name
~ hos goiI & to see this ?" says |
t. Mrs. Bloomer, putting my finger
upon It.
1t 40 look insignificant, certainly"
said she.
w no the blooming hlazes is a go
ing to see IL" says l, bringing
down my fist.
Yer never can tell" says Mrs.
Bloon.er
! went ont for turn in the after
noon, and sat for a spell with an old
shipmate that had brought up in the
Home, in Well street. He said to
me:
You'll never get rid of 1t, Bill.
Ger and o er I've been a giving of it
! up. Six times have / bee a running,