Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-05-24
STRANGE ADVENTURES OF A POET.


Narcissus Brown was most esti-
mable young man of studious hab
it's His father, tradesman, had
taken pride in giving him liberal
education. At the age of 10 years.
therefore, Narcissus had finished his
education and had become philos-
opher.
But youth is tickle. An ardent i'm
agination and restless instincts work ed
their way, and three months later
Narcissus became poet.
Father" said he, one day, 81 feel
within me the poetic instinct. I am q
poet!"
Every well, my son." said the pa
ternal Brown, "be poet if you will.
So much the better, too," he added.
with proud fondness, "because it will
vex Green, the grocer. His son is a
writer, but he only writes prose-.
So Narcissus became a poet. Every
day he wandered off to the little vii
lagos near his native city, and there
communed with nature. The dusty
trees which lined the roadside moved
him to poetry, and even the windmills
stirred his soul.
"Ah," he would sentimentally say,
show romantic they look! See the
white sails glinting in the sun like
those of fair galleon gliding over
the waves to some far-of shore"
The sea! He had never thought of
the sea before. The idea suddenly
flashed across his brain.
''Ah," be mused, ''the sea! The
bright, blue, boundless ocean! That is
the place for poet. What is there
poetic in this humdrum life ashore?
On the ocean man struggles with ma
ture; he combats the elements; he de-
fies the storm. I shall go to sea-
He returned to the paternal shop
and declared his intention. But his
father only yielded after much per-
suasion. At last he consented and
made up package of fancy dry goods
which he thought would sell we'll at
the colonies. To this he added
purse, some tears and his blessing,
and Narcissus started for the nearest
seaport.
There he repaired to the house of n
cousin, n resident of the place; he
stated his intention and asked for adj
vice. The cousin was we'll acquainted
with the captain of brig which was
about to sail for Martinique, and Sc
cured him passage aboard of her.
Narcissus experienced slight
shock when he heard the name of the
vessel.
'If it were only little more poet
ical!'' he thought. The Undine, or
the Mermaid, or something like that
But the Sarah Annr' And he asked
the captains name. When told it was
Smith, he almost tainted He was to
sail aboard of the brig Sarah Ann,
Smith, master. He would have will
lingly given larger sum if the cap
tain had had nautical name.
However, there was no help for it
Ais passage money was paid. SO the
next day, accompanied by his cousin,
he took boat and went on board the
Sarah Ann, to see what she looked
like. On the way out the water was
very rough, the boat was small, and
Narcissus ut once hoped aud feared
some Notwithstanding romantic.
But he only got seasick.
When he reached the deck he cast
an eager glance around upon the hardy
sons of the sea. Most of them were
swabbing the deck after getting in
cargo, and there were several engaged
in washing and hanging out shirts
upon the rigging to dry. With an ex-
clamation of disgust, Narcissus turned
away.
''They only need fatirons to be
washerwomen, said he.
no Ii IL.
tain's cabin. That individual was talk
ing to a stout, thick set man, and
signed to Narcissus and his cousin to
seat themselves. They did so, and
Narcissus Immediately began to in
spect the cabin. To his disgust he
found it was prosaic little room, with
carpet, chairs, table and pictures on
the walls-exactly like room on
shore. Narcissus sighed and turned
his eyes upon the captain. His ideal
OF the man who was to brave the ele-
ments and command turbulent crew
was as follows: A mariner of giant
frame-at least six feet; massive
head; fierce eyes; voice of awe-in-
spring qualities. He looked at Cap.
tain Smith and saw that he was
short, thin man about 40 years of
age; he was extremely polite in his
manners; he wore wig, and he took
snuff. 1t is impossible to describe the
revulsion of feeling that swept over
Narcissus when he beheld this insig-
nificant parsonage.
The individual who was talking to
the captain was, as we have said,
stoutly built; he was a iolly-looking
fellow, and was deeply interested in
trying to beat down the rate of pas
sage.
"Come now, captain" said he,
''can't you put it a little lower?"
II have only one price" replied the
captain.
Narcissus thought OF the paternal
shop and shuddered.