Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-07-12
~VERY sailor man grumbles about
the sea, said the night watch
a man thoughtfully. It's human

n man tnOugnLIully. IL 3 uuuaA
nature to grumble, and l
s'pose they keep on grumbling and
sticking to 1t because there amt much
else they can do. There's not many
shore going berths that sailor man is
fit 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 to equal it.
Sometimes they get things to do
ashore 1 knew one man that took
up butchering, and he did very we'll at
1t till the police took him up. Another
man knew gave UP the sea to marry
a washerwoman. and they hadn't been
married six months afore she died,
and back he lad to go to sea agin,
pore chap.
A man who used to grumble awful
about the sea was old Sam Small-a
man I've spoke Of to you before.
To hear I'm 60 on about the sea. arter
he 'ad spent four or Eve months
money in fortnight, was 'artbreaking.
He used to ask us wot was going to
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 temper and call us everything
he could lay his tongue to.
One time when g was ashore with
Peter Russet and Ginger Dick he
seemed to ave got,it on the brain. He
started being careful OF Is money
instead O. spending It, and three morn
ings running he bought newspaper
and read the advertisements to see
whether there was any comfortable
berth for strong. good 'arted man
wot didn't like work.
He actually went arter one situation,
and, ii it hadn't ha' been for seventy
nine other men, he said he believed
he'd ha' had good chance of getting
II. As It was, all he got was black
eye for showing another man, and for
a day or two he was SO down'arted
that he was no company at all for the
other two.
For three or four days g went out
by 'imself. and then. all of sudden,
Ginger Dick and Peter began to notice
a great change in him. He seemed to
ave got quite cheerful and 'appy. He
answered 'em back pleasant when they
spoke to 'em, and one night he lay in
is bed whlstling comic songs until
Ginger and Peter Russet 'ad to get out
o. bed to him. When he bought new
necktie and smart cap and washed
'imself twice in one day they fust be-
gan to ask each other wot was up,
and then they asked him.
+ "UpT' ses Sam; nothing"
Hes in love-" SEES Peter Russell.
you're a liar" SEES Sam, without
turning round.
Hell ave it bad at is age" ses
Ginger.
Sam didn't say nothing. but he kept
fidgeting about as though ed got
something on his mind Fust he looked
out O. the winder, then he 'ummed a
tune, and at last, looking at 'em very
fierce, he took toothbrush wrapped In
paper out Of is pocket and began to
clean Is teeth.
HE Is in love-" SEES Ginger, as soon
as he could speak.
'Or else 'e's gone mad" ses Peter,
watching I'm. (Which is 1t, sam?"
Sam made believe that he couldn't
answer i'm because o. the toothbrush,
and arter he'd finished he 'ad such
raging toothache that e sat in q cor
ner holding lis face and looking the
pictur' o. misery They couldn't get a
word out O. i'm till they asked I'm to
20 out with them, and then he said he
was going to bed. Twenty minutes
afterwards, when Ginger Dick stepped
back for Is pipe, he found he lad CORN.
He tried the same game next night,
but the other two wouldn't ave 1t, and
they stayed in SO long that at last he
lost 'is temper, and, arter, wondering
wot Ginger's father and mother could
ha' been a-thinking about, and saying
that he believed Peter Russet 'ad been
changed at birth for seasick monkey,
he put on 'is cap and went out. Both
of 'em follered i'm sharp, but when he
led 'em to a mission hall and actually
went inside, they left i'm and went of
on their own.
They talked 1t over that night be-
tween themselves, and next evening
they went out fust and hid themselves
round the corner. Ten minutes arter-
ward old Sam came out. walking as
though he was going to catch train
and smiling to think 'ow he lad shaken
them off. At the corner Of CONNER
cial road he stopped and bought 'imself
buttonhole for lis coat, and Ginger
was SO surprised that he pinched Peter
Russell to make sure that he wasn't
dreaming.
Old Sam walked straight on whis-
ting. and every now and then looking
down at is buttonhole, until by and
by he turned down street on the
right and went into little shop. Gin
ger Dick and Peter waited for i'm at
The corner, but he was inside for SO
long that at last they got tired O wait
ing and crept up and peeped through
the winder
It was a little tobacconist's shop,
with newspapers and penny toys and
such like; but, as far as Ginger could
see through two rows O. pipes and the
Police News, 1t was empty. They
stood there with their noses pressed
against the glass for some time, Won