The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-08-28
Last Cruise of 80
s% the Mary Ann.
; &&&

CAPT. ELISHA HOPEWELL OF tn,
brig Mary Ann of Salem had beer
repairing and %repainting and makins
MS craft ready for a voyage to Lon.
don and return. The year was 1886
and boy and man he had been sailins
for over so years.
Although he had owned and com
manded the Mary Ann for ten years
she was by no means a new craft when
he go her. In making repairs he had
found many signs of weakness, acd
as he finished his days work and
started for home his knees were stiff
end his back ached.
He reached his house TO find his wife
Nancy, and supper waiting for him,
and as he o his seat at the table
he looked at her critically and for the
hrst time noticed that there were gray
hairs among the brown on her head.
Elisha, have you lost your jack
knife or heard that your brother was
Gead9' quietly asked Nancy after
awhile,
NO" he answered, and followed the
word with a sigh.
"Mebbe We are comm down with
measles. Your mother says We never
had EN- as a boy
"Mebbe am he gloomily replied.
Nancy waited three minutes to see
II he had an explanation, but as none
came she briskly said:
Nov look here, Elisha, I know all
about it, and I've been sort O. spectin'
fhJG thing would Ior~o, r.
You've been overhaulin' the Mary Ann,
and you've found she's growing old,
You've found out the same thing OF
yourself, and you've suddenly seen it
IN me. It has struck you all in a
heap, and you feel glum over it.,
Then, by Josh, you've hit it," ex-
claimed the captain, glad to have an
opportunity to talk it over.
Wall, there amt nc call to cry over
It" b continued. Ever since you
got this charter, I've made up my mind
that it would be our last voyage"
But how can it be, Nancy"
1T won't be so hard. We are purity
well off fur common folks, Elisha. That
is. we've got enough money to start
you in ship chandlery, and we w our
own house and lot. No fear but what
We'll come out all right. We must give
up the sea to younger folks"
1t got to be known over Salem that
Capt. Hopewell was making his last
voyage, and when the Mary Ann cast
off from the wharf there was a big
crowd at hand to cheer her departure
and wish her a safe return. She headed
cut into the Atlantic on a summers
afternoon, and as the Massachusetts
shores faded behind them, Capt. Elisha
said to Nancy:
BY Josh, then. Nancy, but it seems
as If a piece of that beef we had fur
breakfast had got stuck in my throat"
It's a sort o. weakness of our feel
ms Elisha" she replied as she turned
to wipe her eyes, .'but guess
we've decided for the best"
For a thousand miles, headed toward
the rising sun, the Mary Ann was
driven as she had never been driven
There was a piping breeze, and
scarcely varied a point, and a third
OF Inc run had been marked off when
there fell a fiat calm.
II was noon when the wind died out.
and the man sent aIoft reported the
ocean clear of sail. AS shutdown came
the sea was like glass. and it was the
same state of affairs at midnight when
the watch was changed.
The mate Went off and the captain
came on and he had been only on deck
half an hour when Nancy appeared.
She declared it to be too hot below to
sleep.
In 2 calm midocean at night there
are strange and uncanny sounds from
the hold OF q ship as she lazily heaves
Up on the ground swell. Boxes and
barrels down In the hold rub each
other, bulkheads creak and timbers
groan, and now and then there are
shrill saueaks from the fighting rats.
Men who sleep during calm breathe
stentoriously and sigh and groan now
then. and the walSefuI ones rnoFe
= INCREASINGLY cast appre-
hensiye chances over the sea.
Nancy walked aimlessly about FOR
a while and then rested her arms ons
the rail and gazed off into The darkness
and let her thoughts wander back
home She had tieen silent for
anAI1er#p aHegave a
ssssaasaas stairtt n bent her earlto listen
Capt Elisha happeEed to note her
attatude and he crossed owe II har
side and asked