Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1901-07-18
YARN
BY II. l.. DAWES.
copyright 1901 by II. l.. Dawes

with fifteen months pay in oul
pockets. We had been more'n hall
way round the world in the shiE
''Hooghly," and. sailor-like, we pro
ceeded ter color the town with red lead
from keel ter truck.
The first day wuz Saturday, an
guess our log book showed that we did
our full duty in the paintin bizness.
Sunday mornin' we spruced up IN
some bran new toys an laid our course
uptown to see the rich folks, the pref
ty gals an the dandies paradin' in
their fine clothes.
At last we fetched up in front of a
big church an stood there spell lis
TENN to the music that was playin'
inside | sez TO Bill. Lets go in an
see what it's like an hear the music.
81 don't think seq Bill, that ere
want the likes OF us in there. This ere
appears 10 be sort of salvation shop,
hut heerd the preacher at the Bethei
say once that salvation WIZ free; we
might hail EN- an p'raps they'll let us
come aboard
A gospel man met MS at the gangway,
shook our hippers as If we WIZ old
shlpmates. an then piloted us to seat
Talk about cats in strange garnet,
'Twant nothin' to us two Johnny
haul-tauts" slowed away in high-ton-
ed New York church, with swell peo-
pie all around rugged up In fine toy
gerry.
Well, | cast my eyes about an finally
spied the music pilot about two p'ints
on the starboard bow. He wuz actin
kinder oneasy-like, as If he want dead
sure how she was headin, but at last he
got his bearins and let her went
First. there wuz some birds twit-
term up aloft somewheres on the
mainsky-s l-yard and there they chased
themselves up an down the r'yal stay
an then they perched on the fore-t'
gan'l crosstrees singin' like bird store
let loose. Then they wuz gone an Bill
SEE to me. "Suthin' skeered them birds
away. Jack" an | whispered back,
Maybe the cook shook the tablecloth
overheard an they're after the crumbs.
They'll be back ag'n all right"
Then the music-pilot kind o cast his
eye aloft, give her a couple of spokes.
an we heard a light breeze a comm
out er the sou west gentle an soft-like.
Sez | to Bill Light breeze an passin'
clouds, an Bill SEE, AYE aye, Jack"
The pilot laid back and took things
easy, turned over his chart, jest takin
a squint at the compass now an then.
'Plain-sailin', seq Bill, an seq.
Aye. he S got all the rags on her now,
r'yals. skysls an moon scrapers IAN
stuns Is added Bill,
Then the music-chap rot frisky as If
he WIZ settin' on II hot galley stove,
an IL began to breeze up a leetle strong
er. He pulled out some nd-jammers
ON the port side an she gave a roll. an
he fetched up agin the lee-rail. |
knOwed a smoky sou 'wester wu2 com
in, fer | heerd the thunder rollin' way
off like it wu2 nigh midtown to the
wind'ard. II kept bree2in' more an
more, the thunder WIZ gettin' louder
an louder, an | could almost hear the
ole man holler, "Ail hands aloft an
take in sail"
She cased up bit when the flynn
kite an light sails wu2 slowed away
an the old gal wuz maxim good wealth
or OF tt under lower-top-s'ls an stay
Sis She wuz Jest bilin' an carried a
bone in her teeth like a Cunarder.
You oughter heerd that music tune,
Even If twas screeChin' hard enuf to
blow yer hair off we could foller that
ere tune all the same an 1t didn't seem
ter make no difrunCe how she wuZ
weather,n the squat er how much
them birds syreeChCd, that music-pilot
held that tune lull-an by through it
all
lie yankcd out some more wlnd-iam-
a. on .. d
rolled an moancd as il all the hell
turies wuz loose an the devil chasin'
EN-; the old packet wuz nigh on her
hemn-ends, an she rolled so / calki-
lated TO see that chap pitch overheard
Nyr-m-byc she cased mp bit an Bil
uudged me with his elbow an SAYS
Jack, they've got her hpye-to under
% conserving maintopsl an she's max.
lu good weather of it, That wuz my
idea. hut | WIZ oNpcctin' ter soc tho
whole outfit bust ar spill an hands.
Tine WN~t Was over fer the wusiv
pilot east ms wcathor-pyo ON the chart
give her the lower topsls an SWUNG
her un her course He begun puuchiu
thrm w'ad Iammors back ariu as g.
he ha1 no more usp fer en-. AN it be
gan to mod rate
We could hear the thunder dyin
away i'm the nojhoast. kinder mutterin
an cusslu as if 10 didn't want tel
leave The birds come back and ",
could hear EN- poapIn agIu up on tn,
yard-arms Then ID died ont "a flat calm
an even the birds begun ter quiet dowr
till there WIZ only one lpptlc cuss lef
a twitterin' ON the end OF tho iibhoom
he give a tiny squeak am WIZ gone.
Then the musir-pj'ot slowed ava,
his charts an Went below an that par
of the show wuz over
Bill an me saw the gospel man wnci
we wuz goin out an lasked him VIVA
that tune wuz an whore 1t hailed from
lie said, Boys. that's one of TN,
grandest tunes man ever listened ia
and il there's any soul i'm him al all
that tune viii find IT, The name of /
is The Lost Chord
Seq Bill, II know hanged sight bot
ter. he fetched her thro' il, an neye
lost a rope yarn
We walked down the street piece
sayin' nothin', but | wuz dom a hi.
thinkin' That music had made quee
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