The National tribune., 1902-09-25
OLD ISAAC.
Two SailOrmen Take Their First
Lesson in TeetOtalism.

Sailormen are not good 'ands at saw
ing money as a rule, said the night
watchman as he wistfully tOyed with q
bad shilling on his watch-chain, though
to 'ear 'em talk of saving when they're
at sea and there isn't pub within a
thousand miles of 'eE, you might think
diftSgsnt.
men I've spoke of to you afore-trled to
save their money once. They'd got SO
sick and tired of spending it all in p'r'aps
q week or 10 days arter coming ashore,
and 'aving to go to sea agin sooner than
they 'ad intended, that they determined
some way or other to ave things differ
ent.
They was homeward bound on steam
er from Melbourne when they made their
minds UP; and Isaac Lunn, the Oldest fire
man aboard-a very steady old teetotaler
gave them lot of good advice about
it. They all wanted to rejoin the ship
when she sailed agin, and e offered to
take a room ashore with them and mind
their money, giving 'em what e called Il
moderate amount each day.
They would ha' laughed at any other
man, but they knew that old Isaac was
as honest as could be and that their
money would be safe with i'm, and at
for i'm to ave their money and give it to
'em, bit by bit, till they went to sea agin.
Anybody but Ginger Dick and Peter
Russet or a fool would ha' known better
than to do such a thing, but old Isaac
lad got such oily tongue and seemed so
fair-minded about wot e called moderate
drinking that they never thought wot they
was letting themselves in for, and when
they took their pay-clOse on 16 pounds
oo.h-fhov nut fha odd chanya in their
pockets and landed the rest over to him.
The first day they was as pleased as
Punch. Old Isaac got a nice, respectable
bedroom for them all, and arter they'd 'ad
a few drinks they humored i'm by 'avinS
a nice 'ot cup O. tea, and then goin' off
with i'm to see magic-lantern perform
ance.
1t was called ''The Drunkard's Down
fall" and it begun with a young man 60
ing into nice-looking pub and being
served by a nice-looking barmaid with
glass of ale. Then it got on to art pints
and pints in the next picture, and arter
Ginger 'ad seen the lost young man put
away six pints in about 'arf a minute, e
got such a raging thirst on i'm that e
couldn't sit still, and e whispered to Peter
Russet to go out with i'm.
you'll lose the best of it if you go
now," sed old Isaac, in a whisper: Sin
devils sitting on the edge of the pot as e
goes to drink"
Ginger Dick got up and nodded to Pc
ter.
..Arter that e kills is mother with
razor" ses old Isaac, pleading with i'm
and 'olding on to is coat.
Ginger Dick sat down agin, and when
the murder was over e said it made i'm
feel faint, and i'm and Peter Russet went
Co. .ff nd
three at the first place, and then they
moved on to another and forgot all about
Isaac and the dissOlving views until l0
o'clock, when Ginger, who 'ad been very
liberal to some friends ed made in
pub, found ed spent is last penny.
This comes O. listening to parcel O.
teetotalers,' e ses, very cross, when 'e
found that Peter 'ad spent all is money
toe. Here we are just beginning the
evening and not farthing in our pock-
ets''
They went off 'ome in a very bad tenn
per. Old Isaac was asleep in is bed, and
when they woke i'm up and said that
they was going to take charge of their
money themselves e kept dropping off to
sleep agin and snoring that ard they could
scarcely hear themselves speak. Then
Peter tipped Ginger a wink and pointed
to Isaac's trousers, which were 'anging
over the foot of the bed.
Ginger Dick smiled and took 'em up
softly, and Peter Russet smiled too; but
e wasn't best pleased to see old Isaac
a-smiling in is sleep, as though e was
'aving amusing dreams. All Ginger found
was ha'penny. bunch Of keys and
cough lOZenge. In the coat and waistcGat
'e found a few tracks folded up, a broken
pen-knife, ball of string, and some other
rubbish. Then e set down on the foot
o. their bed and made eyes overat Peter.
Wake i'm up agin," ses Peter, in
temper.
Ginger Dick got up and, leaning over
the bed, took old Isaac by the shoulders
and shook i'm as if ED been a bottle O.
medicine.
''Time to get up, lads?' ses old Isaac,
putting one leg out O. bed.
mo. it amt" ses Ginger, very rough;
"we amt been to bed yet. We want our
money back"
Isaac drew lis leg back into bed agin.
"Goo' night" he ses, and fell fast asleep.
Hes shamming, that's wot e is" ses
Peter Russet. Lets look for it. 1t must
be in the room somewhere"
They turned the room upside down pret-
ty near, and then Ginger Dick struck a
match and looked up the chimney, but all
'e found was that it 'adn't been swept
for about 20 years, and wot with temper
and SCOT e looked SO frlghtful that Peter
was arr afraid of i'm.
1--WE 'ad enough of this" ses Ginger,
running up to the bed and 'olding his
sooty fist under old Isaacs nose "Now,
then. where's that money? If you don't
give Us our money, our 'ard-earned money,
inside O. two minutes, I'll break every
bone in your body"
81 his is wot comes O. trying to do you
. favor. Ginger" ses the old man, re-
proachfully.
Don't talk to me-" ses Ginger, "cos /
won't have it. Come on; where is it ?'
Old Isaac looked at i'm, and then e
gave a sigh and got up and put on is
boots and lis trousers.
81 thought should ave a little trouble
with you," he ses, slowly, "but was pre-
pared for that"
you'll ave more IL you don't hurry
up," ses Ginger. glaring at i'm.
I'VE don't want to 'urt you, Isaac" ses
Peter Russet, 1--WE oD'y want our money"
81 know that" ses Isaac; "you keep
still, Peter, and see fair play, and III
knock you silly afterwards"
corner and then e spat on lis 'ands, and
lis 'ead about and it the air in q way
that surprised 'em.
u amt 1T man for FIVE years." 'e
ees, still dancing up and down-"fght-
ing's sinful except in a good cause-but
afore l got a new art, Ginger, I'd lick
three men like you afore breakfast, just
10 git up a appetite"
"Look ERE" ses Ginger; you're an old
man and don't want to 'urt you; tell us
where our money is, our 'ard-earned
money, and l won't lay finger on you"