Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1911-01-28

young sailor, ana whenever he cam
home from voyage all the girls mad
dead set for him. Emily was til
only girl in the village who paid n
attention to him. Perhaps he wa
piqued on that account. Emily wa
fairly good looking, though she had
square jaw and the corners OF her lip
were drawn down, denotlng a stronl
will.
On one of his homecomings Jacl
sidled up to Emily either from piqu,
or curiosity or a little of both, ant
they were seen walking together oil
the beach or sitting on the dunes
Their friends observed that Emily
usually had scowl on her face ant
Jack seemed to be trying to get hel
into a good humor
what do you want with that girl
Jack?" one of his messmates who wal
ashore with him said to him one day
"She seems to be continually quarrel
Ing with you. You're the best natured
man in our ship. SO 1 know it's nc
fault OF yours. II you marry hei
you'll get wasp. take my word fol
that"
II know you're right, Billy but
somehow there's fascination In being
treated as IL she didn't care rap for
me and being hammered by her. The
nearest / ever came before to an In
fatuation was by little Mexican girl
at Vera Cruz who tried to stab me
Singular, isn't It, how we men find a
zest in that kind of women~
II can understand that so long as
you're not married to one of 'em. But
you just put your neck in halter and
give Emily Gunter the loose end and
she'll make 1t hot for you all your
married life"
'There was Petruchio, who tanned a
shrew"--
"Petruchio be hanged! All imaginary!
No man ever tanned shrew. You can
tame that kind of man, but not that
kind of woman"
But Jack Stoughton was too intent
upon tampering with gunpowder to
heed his friends advice Shortly be-
fore they sailed he told Billy he had
married Emily, that she seemed very
amiable and that she was so averse to
parting with him that she was bent on
taking the voyage with him.
The Albatross, in which they were
to go to Japan and return, was COM
manded by Captain Larkins. Billy
Anderson was first mate, and Jack
was second mate. Emily went to Cap
tain Larkins and induced him to let
hnr eyo an, hn unx xuith 10
had never seen her before and thought
woman on board would have REIN
ing influence on the crew. He had
given his consent before Anderson
told him what kind of woman Mrs.
Stoughton was; but, having given 1t.
he would not withdraw It..
The lady was very pleasant till the
ship was well on her way-indeed, too
far out to warrant return--then she
began to belabor her husband in no
uncertain tones. What the trouble
was no one knew, but Mrs. Stoughton's
voice could be heard in her stateroom
even in stormy weather above the
whistling of the wind in the rigging.
1t was not long before poor Jack
was an object OF pity ON the part of
the crew, and not a man but con-
demned his wife. The captain finally
went-to Mrs. Stoughton and besought
her to let up on Jack, but got such a
berating himself that he was glad to
beat retreat.
1t Is surprising that Captain Larkins,
who had some twenty men under him,
not one of whom dared to give him the
Ynoa CD no. knlr -. xl..t.x
en- from the after cabin and up on to
the poop deck by woman. The day
this occurred and 1t had been discov-
cred that Mrs Stoughton was virtually
In command of the ship each one of
the crew went about his duties as IL
something momentous had happened
They had most of them been ut sea
for years, they had encountered hurrI-
canes, some had lived for days on Il
raft without food or water, some had
been cast upon desert lands, but none |
Of them had ever passed through an
experience like this. Their captain, |
whom they respected and feared, had |
been downed. They were as much |
aiken aback as II their rudder had |
been put out of commission.
The captain had become a different |
man. He walked the deck with a
look He gave his orders in
/ humble tone, as If he would be much
obliged IL the men should obey them.
Ind the men themselves did their du-
les languidly. as If some misfortune
lung over the ship. Only one man,
lack Stoughton, seemed to have been
by the incident. Before 1t
occurred he Lad the demeanor Of
whipped cur; now he went about as Ii
le felt himself as good man as any
board.
The crew, sympathizing with their
aptain and one another In the pres
nee of strange misfortune. between
watches consulted as to means Of re-
ef.
What's the matter with We, We lub-
ersr said Tom Billings, a married
nan. There's husbands as lives their
7hole lives with squalls 'angin' over
I'M all the time. and yet you buffers