The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-08-05
INDEPENDENCE on A BOAT.
A Story Of How 10 Live On NJ Cents for
Two Weeks and to he Happy.

INDEPENDENCE ON A BOAT.
A Story Of How TO Lave On 2s Cents for
Two Weeks and to he Happy.
IF you'll sit there on the top Of the cabin
q minute while I wash off the deck,' said
the man who lives in q boat through the
summer. 'Ill show you my little home"
Az he dipped the mop into the water
again and again and mopped the deck
clean he explained why.
'If ! don't do this about four dozen times
a day" no said, the boards cape wide
open and let the waves In. It's O lot Of
trouble, o boat, but"-here he looked away
from the mop with q sunburned smile
sits about the greatest pleasure in the world,
IL seems to me. Now. II you'll get down
carefully-don't fall, give me your hand
III show you through my little home"
Inside there were two rows Of leather
pouches, q table In between with the leaves
lot down, some portfolios and two largo
white stone jugs.
jugs for water" the man hastily ex-
planned. water is very necessary m
times on a boat for coffee and tea. See
this place for my clothes unlocking a
little press at the side, -and this press on
the other side for my kitchen utensils,
Could anything be cosier1
And here Is the little kerosene stove I
cook my breakfast on. All you need for
breakfast 10 some fish and a bite OF bread.
When we 20 outside again I'll tell you how
I lived on Is cents for " weeks on q boat.
-Not this boat. The fret one I ever
owned. l hated to give that boat up, !
tell you. Il taught ne Independence and
Of tRfiss table you can seat eight people.
There's no place like q boat for econo-
MIXING room and being comfortable toe.
Come cit IN the cabin again and let me
tell you how I started out in life on a little
viii bring some pillows. Now we own
the earth and the sea and the sky. They
are ours.
quarrelled with me about loving the sea
and a boat. They. thought 1t was foolish
things you love best are always the things
that your people think are f~oolishness.
We'll, the very first money I got Of my
own I bou ght me that boat. It was just
It was a nice boat. Plenty large enough
for me by myself. and that was how / went
In it.,
You can count pretty we'll IN a boat u
you get to know 1t, but you can't always
count IN the tide. One Sunday l went out
in my little boat and STAYED overnight.
/ ought to have got backEin time for my
work on Mo nday morning; would have, II
1t hadn't been for the tide that took me out
and out and out 80 far that ] didn't get
time Monday was over with and # was
we'll into Tuesday by the way they counted
time there at home on the land.
my folks were furious. They. swore at
the boat, my father did, and called it the
in the world, he said, so long as / let the
love OF a boat carry me away with 1t. A
boat was all right for a few hours Of pas
time, but to stay out two days and two
nights and lose my job For that was
what the tide and the boat had done for
me. lost me my job.
@You know, I couldn't help loving that
little boat, in spite of the harm 1t had done
me. / couldn't bear to hear it abused.
s So hen mn my yo1 father ms g got So mHrs ha ana tn m ts,s
YOU where he told me to 60 to with my
boat, / said, All right. I'll CO. and with
that got in my boat hoisted the sails and
went.
know. all you've got to have to get along
in a boat is plenty Of lard. something to
cook the fish in-there are always plenty
Of fish in the. sea-a little stove, and some
bread. | had these and the quarter.
sIlived a week on the boat on that quarter
Then I had to spend it for more lard and
bread. / lived a few more days on that
and then I had nothing.
well, I was sailing along the Sound
by that time, and when ! got entirely out
OF money I put In a little harbor where some
men were wheeling wheelbarrows full OF
sand into a big boat to g IL to the city.
Il went up TO the man in charge and
asked him for q Job. To my surprise he
paid % q day for wheeling that sand. I
TT wasn't Easy work. I can remember
even now how hard and hot II was, but all
day long / wheeled ~wheelbarrow after
w~heelbarrow of that heavy eand along
the planls and dumped them into the
boat. :.
SAT the end Of the day I was tired as /
could be and pinned for my own little boat
and my freedom. ! went up TO the head
man and asked him II he would pay me OF
and let me 70. I explained to hin how
I had left home and wanted just enough
money to buy some more lard and bread
and start of again 70 that place my father
had told me to 90. wherever that was.
He gave me my % and his blessing and or
two dollarl I was rioh. You .remem-
Der I was only about 10 at that time, but
I have never felt 80 rich as ] felt when !
went about laying UP supplies for my boat
and getting ready to sail away again "a
wherever The. tide wanted 10 take me, I
II lived for two weeks on that %. Then
I put In shore and worked for more, and 90
spent the sufnmer.
81 have had money. since. ! have had
other boats, but ! shall never lose my love
for that little first boat Of mine that taught
ms tho beauty Of the SEA, the independence
and tine happiness OF IT,