The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-08-28
Last Cruise OF
~ the Mary Ann.
&1&11&
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

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HAPT. ELISHA HOPEWELL of the
" brig Mary Ann of Salem had been
repairing and repainting and making
his craft ready for a voyage to Lon
don and return. The year was 1856,
and boy and man he had been sailing
forever 30 years.
Although he had owned and COM
manded the Mary Ann for ten years,
she was by no means a new craft when
he got her. In making repairs he had
found many signs of weakness, and
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 took his seat at the table
DE looked at her critically and for the
hrststime 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
dead?" quietly asked Nancy after
awhile.
mo-" he answered, and followed the
word with a sigh.
"Mebbe We are comm down with
measles. Your mother says We never
had 'em as a boy"
"Mebbe l am" he gloomily replied.
Nancy waited three minutes to see
IT he had an explanation, but as none
came she briskly said:
"Now look here, Elisha, I know all
about it, and I've been sort o. spectin'
this thing would happen any time.
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. 1t 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 no call to cry over
It," she 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"
ut 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 own our
own house and lot. No fear but what
we'll come out all right. We must give
sup the sea to younger folks"
It got to be known over Salem that
Capt. Hopewell was making his last
voyage, and when the Mary Ann cast
sof 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
az if a piece of that beef we had fur
breakfast had got stuck in my throat
cts a sort o. weakness of our feel
ms, Elisha" she. replied as she turned
away to wipe her eyes, .'but I 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
before. There was q piping breeze, and
it scarcely varied a point, and a third
of the run had been marked off when
there fell a fiat calm.
1t vas noon when the wind died out,
and the man sent aloft 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 of 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 3 calm midocean at night there
are strange and uncanny sounds from
the hold of a 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 squeaks from the fighting rats.
Men who sleep during a calm breathe
stentoriously and sigh and groan now
and then, and the wakeful ones move
about increasingly and east appre-
hensive glances over the sea
Nancy walked aimlessIy about for
ii while and then rested her arms on
the rail and gazed3 on into the darkness
and let herS thoughts wander back
home. She had been silent for q
quarter Of an hour when snesgaye =
sudden start and bent hbr ear TO listen.
1900 aMyfShc ~ nofn hoe