Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-23

the letter toward the OLD seaman, VINO SIood
aghast and took the letter gingerly as if unable
to believe his eyes. Then a few more names
were called off, and again, Hugh Mcdonald!
Why, Hughey, you have two of 'em!'
There was repetition of this several times,
and each letter tipped toward the old seaman
increased his embarrassment and the joy of the
spectators Well, Hughey she's making up
for lost time remarked the postman, o--uck-
ing the tenth letter toward him. Guess you
got it bad this trip"
Mcdonald all bushes and embarrassment,
accepted the chatting of his comrades without
a word; but frown had been gathering on
his brow. He took the batch of letters from
his pocket and inspected them; but he had no
placed them in his pocket and continued to
stare. They soon began to come thick and fast,
small letters and big letters in square envelops
and oblong envelops.
When he had some twenty slowed away IN
bullying pockets, the uproar of the crew was
contagious. The old hypocritet" one would
remark. Hes been saving all his letters
for this port just to make us ashamed OF our
or two."-" Hey! Is this a corner in letters
Of Us are t the s old folks at
home saving, Hughey? Give us the news"
During all this the recipient of the numerous
letters was doing some quiet thinking. The
light of intelligence suddenly dawned in his
eyes. They began to twinkle and glitter, and
finally broad smile broke out on his face. He
understood the game, and the rest knew he
understood.
But the joke had not yet reached climax
not according to the expectations of the per-
petrators. They wanted the unsentimental
fellow to read what they had written to him.
The real point of the joke would then appear.
Some had expressed themselves rather more
forcbly than elegantly.
Come, Hughey, read EN- urged several
when the last letter had been distributed. LET
us know if it's good or bad news from home. !"
For moment the quiet, and then
l. 4: e. ~ 1aI<
shamefacedly, What's the good of 'ems
They aren't anything to me. can't write
and can't read.
There was dead silence.
The old seaman looked slowly around at the
subdued faces and then said, Il guess didn't
get much schooling boys, when was young
ster an I'm too old to learn. But if any OF
you will read these letters to me I'll be obliged"
When the Reaction Came
THE embarrassment that followed was in
tense The joke had suddenly miscarried.
The perpetrators of it wished they had never
tried it on the old fellow.
One young fellow stepped forward and
stretched out hands to receive the batch OF
letters "Hughey, let me have them, he said
quietly. Then, dumping them overheard, he
added, Those letters, Hughey, are not worth
reading You can't read them; l won't; and
And he glared defantly at the group of men.
A cheer followed this action. Then, to make
amends, he continued:
"I'n read any letter to you, Hughey, that
you get from home or anywhere else. and I'll
take my oath nobody else will know what it
contains. Moreover, I'll answer for you any
letter you want answered. Now let us 60 below
and write your first letter home. Your wife
and daughter will be glad to get it"
Something suspiciously like tears sprang to
the old mans eyes. He mumbled something
inarticulate: but he followed the young fellow
below. There, laboriously and with much hard
breathing and heavy thinking, Hugh Mcdonald
composed his first letter, and his young scribe
transmitted it to paper 1t took two hours to
do the work; but when it was finished the
scribe had a different estimate of the old
man.
He's got as much sentiment about letters
any of us. he explained later to his friends
on deck land the way he talked to his wife
and daughter in that letter would make you
weep. Poor fellow! How he must have suffered
these years wondering about them and never
getting word from home I'll bet he'll watch
for the mail now as anxiously as any of u.s."
And SO it proved. At the next port where
mail was received from home Hugh Mcdonald
was so nervous that his hands and face twtched
as though he was suffering from chills and fever.
Name after name called off, and his
not among them great drops of perspira
ton broke out on his forehead. Then came his
call. The man sprang forward and grasped the
letter. He stopped an instant and looked
around at the faces of the crew.
"This-this is not joker" he said patheti-
cally.
s ~