The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-12-24

ing. But Mrs. Hapshott was no cow-
ard, and she boldly went toward
Jones.
Mr.. Jones'" she said, "I've been
talking it over with Captain Hap
shott, asking him to give the men
Christmas Day for a holiday. Would
you have n serious objections TO
his doing 500"
Jones, perplexed, slid his cap owe
his Y and scratched the back of
his bullet head. Theh he looked to
the skipper for d lead. but found
Hapshott sternly regarding the mo
tionless compass card.
"A holiday" he said. What the
what do they want a holiday for?
Lazy scum: Holidays-I like that,
ma'an. Why-why-" words failed
him.
a holiday would do them a lot
Of good; besides, it's Christmas Day,
and it's shameful that they shouldn't
have q rest then" Mrs. HapshOtt
was a woman who could assert her
self when necessary; and now she
talked for the good Of Jones's soul.
He realized that it was n thing to
haze a rev of foreign sailOrmen
and another thing to beat down a de-
termined woman's
We'll ma'am," he said lan1ely at
the end. 4 shan't interfere if they
do lie off for an hour or two Mrs.
Uapshott had carried her point. She
knew that she had convinced her hus-
band; now that she a the mats
on her side nothing could prevent the
carrying out OF her scheme. Perhaps
she thought, as a reward for inter.
esting herself on the sailors behalf
she might gain q little intermissioI
from the constant gnaWing sore thai
caused her souls unrest. And great
~ did she desire cessation, for now
with Christmas drawing SO near, the
ache was growing still more pro.
nounced. God was very good, she
knew. and lie might look down or
the work of her heart and say tina
it was good. Then-WaS it not com.
mon justice that ease hOuld be hel
portion? Yes, undoubtedly it was
the balance WOuld be struck fairly
and this Christmas might indeed be {
happy one, lacking the pain Of tht
past.
1t was falling dark on Christina:
Eve as Mr.. ones "a the orders t
clew up n haul down. The crew
spranS To work swiftly, albeit the,
were unable To credit the evidence O.
their senses. 1t was practically a deae
calm; the set, apart from a few rip
pies, showed like q floor. The star:
were pecping out Of the purplins
blue overhead. burning clearly ant
standing out in serried ranks; TIL
sails lifted lightly to the faint airs.
When you've got to the bottom
o a only study to improve" sait
Mr.. Jones, and he did his work Will
artistic thOrOughnesS. The course
We're bTailed up and snugged alon:
their yards: the upper canvas ligh
stuff, eminently troublesome in ligh
winds. was slowed away. The ~e.
had no notion Of what was afoot, blu
they had witnessed the pig that wa
housed under the long-boat FORWARD
endure its martyrdom at the hand
of the cook. They had seer the scald
ed carcass suspended under the fore
castle, and, remembering weeks O
lard salt beet and pork
they a licked their lips. The Trial
b. Caster had an unsavory name 70
hardship; not q man aboard her be
lieved in his heart hat the sacrifc
had any bearing on his own case
he fresh NictuaiS would be for tn
cabin, Of course, they said poor fore
castle hands, shellbacks, law, good
fOr-nothings such as they would re
ceive no hare.
MAKE fast everythinS," said tn
mate when the last rag Of canyas wa
slowed. They Obeyed and stood ex
p~ectantly, wondering what new frea
would ome This, the" thought, wa
merely a piece Of gratuitous slave
driving; in a moment or two the
would be ordered to a everytllin
F adrift and set every inch Of sail. The
had not the spirit to grumble; Ion
years Of hardship had made thel
moving automatons, nothing more.
Swing the main yards" pealed tn
mate from the poop, where he Ia
. been holding a conference with til
7 captain. The main yards swun
, aback. the topsails f1attened to TT
mast; the ship lost what little wa
h had and lay lightly bowling
the i~nlperceptible swell. An atnlO!
; Dhere of peace seemed gradually
grow up about her: beyond the O