The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-08-19
ny CHARLES BArrBLL LOOMS.

Il ma Il WIdN NH'N'
He. like myself, had taken passage fer
England on one Of those transports (of joy
that only apprise you OF the fact that you
have been at seq when they warp into the
dock on the other side.
Really, on such a ship II 10 foolish to take
any preventives of nausea; but M~assenger
IL from an inland county In Connecticut,
and he didn't know how much hk gliding
down the Connecticut River In a fiat bot
toned boat with your fianoee at twilight
Of a delicious June day this leisurely oross.
ipp OF the Atlantic is, and so he came aboard
~ the Mariposa at 7 A. M.-she was booked
n sail at ssO-and retired at once to his
cabin. where his NAL de North River was
most agonizing.
Long before the whistle warning visitors
ashore had sounded he was wishing that q
blessed immortality might be ~vouobsafed
him at once. He said he would willingly
exchange his proposed trip to England for
q blessed immortality. Told me so between
his paroxysms.
lust before they cast of he said that
q cursed immortality would do at a pinch.
asked him why he didn't go ashore with
the pilot; but he was game. He knew very
we'll that wishing for a blessed immortality
wouldn't bring 1t and in his heart OF hearts
wanted to see what England was like.
Well. do YOU know. he got through being
click on the way down the bay. and 1t came
about in this way. As VI were passing
Conev Island he said to me-we were a
inc a stateroom and I had gone down to see
how he was
.For Heavens sake, when ore we going
10 start?"
.Why, man alive, we're passing Luna
Park pow!" said l.
He rose from his berth, looked out Of the
porthole, verified my statement and tmme'
diately dressed and went up on deck. That
was the last of his s~easickness.
The other passengers who had not tried
his plan kept wondering when they were
going to be iii, but they were ashamed 70
be, with the sea acting 30 kind and the
ship 30 steady, and II 1t hadn't been for
the tendency Of ~seagoing folk to eat muoh
and exercise little the ships doctor might
have sat playing solitaire from morning
TO night and letting his medical knowledge
20 to waste. As it was, his games were
Interrupted from time to time.
There were two long, lank Kentuckians
aboard the MesopotamiaGnice fellows
both OF them.
One day I was sitting reading In the
shadow Of o boat on the upper deck o
yhey wore playing Switchboard near me
vhen the deck steward came up to them
and said:
Kentucky
Instantly they both dropped their CUES
II that's what they are called; t~erminology
Ia my only weak polnt-to rush forward.
I thought to myself and said aloud to
Messenger;
Probably a steamer. Didn't know there
was a Kentucky aHoat.'
e I went forward to look for 1t, but all I
could see was a sailing vessel at the limits
Of the horizon.
After a while the Kentuckians came
back and drawing the back Of their hand
across their f~aces-which ] thought an
irrelevant gesture-they resumed their
anne
Next day they we're playing ring the
stake--that s what l call it. just because
l neglected to ask what the name Of the
game is and a mar from Maine in passing
them said
Kentucky
Down went the cues and again they went
forward and I rushed to the side to see II
by a curious chance there could be another
MISUNDERSTANDING the other vessel bore
that name. This time I saw no vessel OF
any sort, but in five minutes they came
up the stairs from the main floor and again
irrelevantly rubbing their mouths with the
back Of their hands they resumed their
game.
an not inquisitive, but Messenger Is
and he determined to find out what signil-
canoe the potential word had and waiting
until they were deep in the tremendously
absorbing game of Switchboard he walked
past them and said casually;
Kentucky
Down went the cues and the two went
below, followed by Messenger. They went
to the bar, and so did he, and when he Joined
them-he Joined them"-and learned that
whenever they heard the sacred name OF
Kentucky they stopped whatever they were
doing to drink to the health Of their native
State.
Imagine a Jerseyman doing a sentimental
thing like that. Southerners are full OF fine
feelings. Quite a number Of US joined
their society from time to time, and now
Kentucky ~connotes something more than
blue grass and beautiful women.
There's q sequel to this.
The first day ashore In London I was hav-
ing my boots Ordinary American shoes,
you know, blackened at stand in the Strand
while Messenger stood waiting for me.
Coming up the Strand on one Of the new
motor buses / saw the two Kentuckians,
long and lank as usual and eagerly drinking
in the sights.
on course, steamer acquaintance are
hailed with delight when met on shore. and
wanted TO shout to these two, but as said
before, t~erminology La my weak point, and
couldn't think what to call the things
meaning no d~isrespect) 30 i made a cone
Of ny hands. took a deep breath and yelled
at the top Of my lungs:
'~Kentuokyi'
Oh, II you could have seen the look Of
sweet content that came over their faces at
found Of that loved namel They looked
right and left, motioning to the busmap
to stop the while, and at last they cav us
and just as I handed the bootblack q coin
they Joined us-and we continued together
Tor a space.
After which they wiped their mouths on
The back Of their hands and we parted.
Khan thov 0ak -ha~N Ax.axioon ma ara fa-