The Washington times., 1906-06-24

fully. lntS human nature
to grumble. and 7 s'pose
they keep on grumbIing and
sticking to IL. because there amt
much else they can do. There's not
many shore-g going berths that a sail
orman is nit for and those that they
are-such as a night-watchman's. for
instance-wants such a good character
that there's few as are equal it,
Sometimes they get things 10 do
ashore. I knew one man that took
up butchering, and e did very well at
II till the police took him up. Anoth-
er man ! knew gave up the sea TO
marry a washerwoman. and they had
not been married six months afore
she died. and back he 'ad To go to sea
agin. pore chap.
a man who used 10 grumble awful
about the sea was old Sam Small-a
man I've spoke of TO you before. To
hear i'm go on about the sea. arter
he 'ad spent four or rye months
money in a fortnight. was 'artbreak-
ing He used 10 ask us wot was 60
ing 10 happen to i'm in his old age.
and when we pointed out that he
wouldn't be likely to ave any old age
II he wasn't more careful OF Imself
he used to fly into n temper and cali
us everything e could lay his tongue
to
One time when e was ashore with
Peter Russell and Ginger Dick he
seemed TO ave got Il on the brain.
He started being careful OF is money
instead O. spending IL. and three morn
ings running he bought n newspaper
and read the advertisements TO see
whether there was any comfortable
berth for a strong. good-'arted man
wot didn't like work
He actually went arter one situation.
and. II Il hadn't ha' been for seventy
rlne other men. he said he believed
he'd ha' had a good chance of get
ting It, As II was. all e got was a
black eye for showing another man,
and for a day or two he was so down.
'arted that e was no company at all
for the other two.
For three or four days . went out
by 1mself. and then. all OF 4 sudden.
Ginger Dick and Peter began to no.
tice a great change in him. He seem
ed 70 ave got quite cheerful and 'appy.
He answered 'e;n back pleasant when
they spoke to i'm and one night he
lay in Is bed whistling comic songs
until Ginger and Peter Russet 'ad to
a new necktie and smart cap and
washed 'imseIf twice In one day they
fust began to ask each other wot was
up and then they asked him.
Up" ses Sam; 'noJhing"
Hes I'm love" ses Peter Russet.
You're a liar" scs Sam. without
turning round.
Hell ave it bad at is age" ses
Ginger.
sam didn't say nothing. but he kept
hdsetins about as though ed got
tcTething on his mind Fust he look
ed out o. the winGer. then he 'ummed
"Te. and At last. looking at EN-
very fierce. he took a tooth brush
I'd in paper out or is pocket and
hcSon to clean is teeth
He IS in love- SIS Ginger. as soon
- ~ could speak
% else 'e's CORN mad" ses Peter.
watching i'm. Which is it. Sam?"
Sam made believe that ne couldn't
answer i'm because O. the toothbrush.
and arter he'd finished he 'ad such a
raging toOthache that e sat In n cor
ner holding is face and looking the
pictur' O. misery. Thev couldn't get
word out Of him till they asked I'm
TO go ont with them. and then he said
e was going 10 bed Twenty minutes
afterwards. when Ginger Dick stepped
back for Is pipe, he found he 'ad CORN.
lie tried the same game next night,
bnt the other two wouldn't ave Il,
and they stayed in so long that AT last
2 lost is temper. and. arter wonder
Ing wot Ginger-s father and mother
could ha' been a-thinking about. and
saying that he believed Peter Russet
4
sick monkey. e put on is cap and
went out. Both Of 'em follered I'm
sharp but when he led 'em TO a mis-
sion-hall. and actually went inside.
they left i'm and went of on their
own.
They talked II over that night be-
tween themselves. anr. next evening
they went out fust and hid themselves
round the corner. Ten minutes arter-
wards old Sam came ont. walking as
though e was going 20 catch a train,
and smiling 90 think 'ow ne 'ad shak-
en- them on. At the corner Of Com
cerial Road he stopped and bought
'imsclf n huttcn-hole for is coat. and
Ginger was so surprised that g pinch
cd Peter Russet to make sure that he
wasn't dreaming.
Old Sam walked straight on whist
ling and every now and then look
ing down at is button-hole. until by
and-by he turned down a street on the
rIght and went into a little shop. Gin
ger Dick and Peter waited for i'm at
the corner but he was inside for so
long that 1T last they got tired o.
waiting and crept up and peeped
through the v-inder
II was a little tObaccOnist's shop.
with newsnapers and penny toys and
such-like: but as far as Ginger could
see through two rows O. pipes and the
Police News, it was eruptv. They stood
there with their noses pressed against
the glass for some time wondering
wot had 'arpencd 70 sam but by-and-
~ little boy went In and then they
began 10 ave an idea wOt Sans 1T
tie game was
As the shop-belI went the door OF q
little parlor at the back OF the shop
oDened. and a stout and uncommon
EoOd-looking woman Of about forty
came out Her cad pushed the Police
News out O the way and her and came
oring into the wind,r artcr a ton.
Ginger 'ad good look mt 'er out o.
the corner OF one eve while he nre