The San Francisco call., 1910-12-25
KIND Old NGPT1JNE LENDS A EG1LPgNG HAND


tainment the saint gave the old man
Of the sea a list of the people at sea
for whom he had gifts. AS there are
still many ships to visit. Neptune can
not linger long and if the good people
viii please show the way to the Sa-
loon he viii leave his gifts there.
He goes to the saloon alone. He
returns on deck later and orders every
body below. as ne does not wish the
gentleman passengers to fiirt with his
lpermaids when they bring his sea
chariot alongside to take him to the
next ship That is the last they see
of Neptune
When they reach the saloon the
passengers find another transforru@-
tion. On the center table is a big. real
Christmas tree with the scent OF the
woods still on it, 1t is bright with
electric lights and besides the glitter
Ing ornaments with which 1T is decked
are gifts bearing the names OF those
Tor whom they are intended Tifin.
which follows the distribution OF the
gifts, is usually a light and rather dis
orderly meal for the reason that good
VIII is just about as disturbing. when
born unexpectedly. as grief
The afternoon is devoted a. discus
sion Of the events of the morning and
at night the passengers sit down to
an old fashioned Christmas dinner with
NNt NCls plum plU0lUS ana TlIUCe DiH-
The day is usually concluded with a
dance and il is between the numbers
that the travellers who in the morning
deplored their inability to be at home
Tor Christmas express regret that the
folks at home couldn't be with them
TO enjoy the novel celebration.
The child ashore even n born with
silver spoon in his mouth. can have
but one Christmas in the year. The
youngster at sea. IL the ship he Is on
happens to be crossing the one hundred
and efghtieth meridian on Christmas
day, has two Chrfstmases. as the day
after is also Christmas for the purpose
of keeping the calendar straight. This.
however, is only in the case Of ships
coming this way. II a ship bound in
the other direction happens in this
part OF the world on Christmas day,
the youngster misses It altogether,
for here is where a day IS dropped.
Christmas is always welcome day
on sailing ships. There Is no Santa
Claus and no Christmas tree. except on
some of the German and Norwegian
ships, and IL the sailors hang up their
stockings IT is merely to dry them and
not that they expect anybody to FIJI
them with nuts and apples and oranges
during their watch below.
Some shippers would make more OF
an occasion of Christmas II sailors
were not very peculiar people. On
sailing ship the work on Christmas
day is reduced to a minimum. and a
big plum pudding is served in the fore
castle / asked skipper once if he
didn't think they should do more than
this, and he told me this story:
My wife. as you know, always ac-
companies me on all my voyages. The
first voyage she made with me we
spent Christmas at sea- A few days
before Christmas had turkey killed
For our Christmas dinner I ex-
planned to her when took the dressed
bird in to show her. and I want you
to cook IT.
"Tll cook IT. she said. but what
are you going TO give the men?'
Plum duff.' said.
:" No turkey? she inquired.
Not much,' I said
"She looked disappointed and told
her that they wouldn't eat 1t anyway.
That's just an excuse for not Civ
ing them any, 1 think it shame and
want TO say right now that II the
men don't get a turkey won't eat
any OF this
"'All right I said. have 1t your
way. I'll have another bird killed and
you can cook that. too. and send It
forward with merry Christmas
The bird was killed and on Christ
mas day my wife superintendent the
cooking of both birds. She was a Won
uCA do q COOh ana luey came OQL OF
the oven Drowned and juicy and fit
for the finest table in the land. Ours
was served in the cabin. The cook
was sent forward with the other.
We had been eating only a few
minutes when my steward came in
and told me that the men were out
side and wanted to speak to me-
Tell them to so to
That's as far as I got. Nv wife
reached across the table and put her
hand over my mouth.
:" Remember she said, its Christ
mas The men probably want to thank
you for the turkey and If you don't go
out right away Ill go myself
II went and my wife came with me.
There on the deck all hands were mus
tered. Two men were standing to the
front. One of them was spokesman
The other carried the turkey on it's
platter. 1t had not been touched
Well, men, said /. what is it2
We want to know. sir said the
spokesman. pointing to the turkey.
what it died Of.
With my wifes hand on my arm
1 restrained my impulse to swipe that
orator over the head with the turkey
and L explained that the bird had been
specially killed and cooked for their
Christmas dinner. My explanation was
received with respectful incredulity
The spokesman was silent for min
ute and then inquired:
What was the matter with it, sir2
Again I held myself in while 1 ex-
planned the circumstances under which
the bird had been prepared for them.
/ told them the whole stery. They
listened. and when 1 had finished with
drew for a discussion. They returned
in a minute with the turkey.
Were much obliged kaid the
spokesman, but If you please, sir, we
don't care about turkey. sir, and would
like TO have our regular whack. as
provided by law. sir. and the shipping
articles
I'm not going to tell you what hap
pened after that. but you can bet your
life my wife never said turkey for
the crew at Christmas again. and we've
spent 20 Christmases on the old ship
since then