Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-12-18
THE LAST NIGHT AT SEA.
Sentiment in the Breaking up of a Cosmopoli-
 tan Group of Ocean voyagers.
Contributed By 0. P. H.)

The crowd picked up the swing of the words and the cabin Is soon ring ing with the air. Bye and bye there l Is a concert for some branch of the Seamen's union and the last night at sea in that part of the ship is start ed. It is different in the other parts. There life is rampant and in full swing. The intervening bridge is Icrowded with spectators. Groups of men and women dot the decks. Some are dancing. some are singing. All the languages of Europe are heard and all are merry.
 One group forms intc column of twos. and begins to move slowly about the deck. Somehow, everybody falls in line until there is scarcely room to move. And meanwhile one fellow has come along with coIl- ,certina another with cornet, anoth- CT with. an accordion, and eventually there is a band consisting of the above and two small drums, picco- To, n tin whistle, Jewsharp and a trombone. Some fellow who has con- stituted himself leader sees that all is ready, and Poles, Germans. Ital- ians, Swedes. Irish. English Scotch and Dutch step to the stirring strains of "The Wearing of the. Green" Which eventually changes into "Pad- dy Carey" and "Let Erin Remem- ber," and up the leeward side of the deck the procession moves and down the windward, and what matters 1t about the music Has not the whole world heard the Wearing of the Green' People are enjoying them- selves as they will not again for some time. Now it is where the nerve wrecked financier returning from a health seeking trip finds amusement. How he wishes he could throw aside the cares of the world, like those in that laughing, rollieking procession. composed of many nationalities, but all Americans.
 This was his theater during the voyage and the intervening bridge his procession. box. And tonight is the last night on board and the same moon sheds her glorious light with impartial favor upon all, royalty apd religion and politics, in the cabins and the cosmopolitan mass aft" All are upon one common deck tonight. By tomorrow night the four winds of heaven can hardly gather them to- gether again.
 . The line of march of the procession is short. even though the column be long and the laws of the ship must be obeyed. and the time for saying Good night" is nigh. The process sion breaks up, each nationality re- solves into group by itself and soon from all parts there rises sounds of songs. sincere and hearty. One group tells where it's heart fingers in these words:
 70 we ba'e wandered far an wide.
 Der Scotias land O firth an fell, An many single flower we culled,
 An 'twined them wi the heather bell.
 w VI Nt iahkVu tuC uuu tuc uCil,
 The hamlet an the baron's ha'. Now let us take a kin farewell
 Good night an joy he wi .ye' a!
 The ships bell tolls off the passing of time and the moon looks down on the trembling pennant" at the mast head and the breeze signs through the rigging an accompaniment to the feel ings and the songs of the cosmopoli- tan minstrels. In group of young men and women tears are flowing freely. ard one young fellow at the instigation of his companions pulls together and bursts out: I'm bidding you long farewell,
 Oh. Ireland dear and true. But I'll not forget you darlin':
 In the land I'm goin' to; Where they say there's bread and
 work for all.
 And the sun shines always there. Oh. I'll not forget you Ireland,
 Were it fifty times as fair
 The sounds of the bell ie heard again, another hour has gone into The decks are vacated and the sailors prepare for the landing in the morning. But the clamor they | make is soon over. Scarcely a sound | Is heard save the creaking of the rig | ging and the swish ot the waves. The | ship Is asleep and dawn has broken on our last night at sea.