Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-08-12

- NATlNS.3@z is outward bound
M,G2YSG71Ax with distin-
VHs- guished company
go OF military Off
GERS, Indian and
Colonial Government officials and
Eastern commercial powers on board.
Among the passengers there are
two governors, en- route to their re-
spective provinces, q general COM
manding q district, and brigadier
general, with their aids-d camp and
other attaches. There is bishop,
with his wife, daughter and chaplain.
Also al English peer on his way to
the Far East.
Then there are merchants, profess
sional men, and aggravating globe
trotters; until, Us ono looks over the
after rail OF the promenade deck down
into the second class. one sees there
another little world, about which the
average saloon passenger knows and
cares ABSOLUTELY nothing.
True, the English peer, under the
guidance OF the captain, did once pen
citrate those regions and returned, not
only expressing his high qualification
ut all that he beheld there, but amazed
that there appeared to he so many re-
spectacle people among the passen-
gers. His inspection, however, was
of too cursory nature to form any
correct opinion of the real social
status existing in that division of the
ship.
In tho second class it is the noisy
people who are most in evidence; for
there is no general commanding. no
governor nor bishop to snub them
down to proper level. TO use q
slangism of their own, the members
of theatrical troop "run things gen.
orally" and the quieter people, there
fore, are obliged to seek the corners.
Thus it comes about that q young
American physician ofquiet demeauor
is perhaps the person Of least conse-
quence in the ship. Indeed, he has
been voted rather fool by the mem
bers of the theatrical troop, because
he does not evince the least DISPOSE.
ton to run counter to the regulations
"a pastime that on more than one oc-
casion has brought them to serious
loggerheads with the officer on duty.
But, as o matter of fact, while he
takes their Jokes in good humor, he
has other things to think of; for he
has only lately completed his course
at o university, and is possessed of
little more than sufficient means to
take him to the new colonies in the
Far East, where he hopes to find q
better professional outlook.
Six bells of the afternoon watch
have just struck OH board the Pearl
OF the Orient. The placid surface OF
the sea glimmers with heat. The red
sandy hills of Arabia in the distance
appear as if they might roast some of
that coffee for which the land is ia.
nous. The young man of no conse-
auence looks across from the forecas-
tie and notices slight commotion on
the bridge. The officer of the watch
is gazing intently through his coloretl
glasses ut dark object advancing
toward them. 1t is q two-masted
steamer with white band around the
funnel.
The officer at once orders the quar-
termastcr on duty to bend on the
flags, thereby drawing the attention
Of the passengers to the strange YES
sci also.
"a ship in sight, aye!" drawls the
id-de-camp of the general officer to
the same general officers fascinating
daughter-to whom, for public and
other reasons, he is unremitting in
his attentions. "a ship" he exclaims.
rising lazily from his chair, and cross
ing over to the rail, where he sweeps
the horizon with his glasses, until he
bring them to bear upon the advanc-
ing steamer.
"Ah, ha! 1t looks as if there was
something wrong on board. She is
making straight for us. and-Hullo!
Yes, by Jove. Her ensign is at half
mast, and upside down. Come and
take look at her"
At this news. delivered in loud
voice, the passengers are quickly on
their feet. Books ore flung aside,
Airtations interrupted. There is gen.
eral coll for binoculars. All crowd the
bulwaEks and watch with increasing
interest the approach of the stranger;
when, suddenly. signal is run up to
her masthead that at once causes a
commotion on the bridge Of the Pearl
of the Orient.
Bells are run in the engine room,
and quartermasters dispatched upon
important errands. The officer gives
directions to hoist the answering pen
nant, for the message has read
"Steamer Alta Mahomed Khan, from
Bombay to Piddah, with pilgrims.
We are in distress and need assist
ance. Cholera"
The great ship Pearl of the Orient
is ut once slowed down, for she is
under the most perfect control, and
finally sits there upon the glistening
SEQ like some trim bird OF the ocean,
in contrast to the other dark, ILL.,.
omened hull, also stopped, to leewar1
about mile distant.
All are at once wide awake on board
the Pearl Of the Orient. The captain
hurries up onto the bridge, and i'm
mediately summons the doctor from
the preparation OF q nice little tea
which he purposes giving to a select
party of friends in his cabin. The
chief engineer is automatically awak-
ened from q deep slumber by the
stopping OF his beloved engines, and
the purser reluctantly leaves a round
of good stories in the smoking room,
as, among other things, the regula-
tons depute to him the duty Of paciiy.