Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-06-18

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Lincoln. She hadn't time - listen 70
the vet Niger or tho naas. and paSfy
Q man on board could get moro than
yea or nay out Of. mothse. Che
cooked them . supper too good 70 be
eaten and spoilt. then sst the dishes
to rights, got the lamp arshining. apd
axed to be shown roupd the ship.
Tho cap'n and me comes hack a)ong
with the dinghy, makss fast ana
climbs aboard There's old gray moth
er, with the horn specs, calm N her
own kitchen, just tellin' ~ to ~ right
down to supper. Cap'n lives IT. ana ]
belongs up forrard, being ordinary
seaman. and less important aboard
than the old mans pig. Yet somehow
mother knew. feeding u both IN To
galley, and standing BY while ~ fed.
Never Q word. but mother had . hShe
for Captain Smiths cigar. and hen
eyes looking hungry at me- TOR csaE
she'd be sent ashore.
well. ma'am," savs the captain.
sent your baggage aft? Oh. ven
soon get your baggage aboard"
Then heard him on deck seeing
mothers dunnAge into the spare berth
aft, and the nigEers turkey thrown
out on the wharf.
Sort Of strange to me remembering
mother, gaunt, bitter-hafd. always In
the right, with lots to ray. And here
was little mother sobbing her heart
out on the breast Of my jersey. Just
the same mother changed. Said she
was fed up with the Labrador, coming
away to see the world, meet folks. and
have q good time; but would be
ashamed Of having her with me at
seat
shamed? All the ways down to
Joe Beefs clear to Rimoush you'll
hear that yarn today. Of how the old
sea custom Of winning . berth in fair
fight was practiced by . lady. aboard
Of the Pawnticket.
You've heard Of ships husbands,
but we'd the first ships mother. And
the way she crep' in was surely insidi.
Gus. Good word that. She's cot to
be queen. and the schooneTs sea
palace. when We suddanly discovered
she only signed ~ cook
Now we're asleep q eleven knots
on beam wind. and Key West Wide
on the starboard bow, the same beinl
In the second dog-watch whom I'm In
vited AT. There's the old man setting
IN the captains palace. there's motheI
at the head Of the table sewing. and
she asks me to cit In the nate's seaa
al II I was chief olnoer instead Of
matters dog. -
Son." says she-quesr. little. cot
chuckle, "son. You'll never guess"
Twas sort OF sulky ct having riddles
put.
Thsn the old msa gets red to the
sills, giggling. He slaps hisself or
his fat knee and wriggles. Then hi
up and kisses mother With . BIZ
smack right on the lips.
Cant gpees?" says mother.
I'm the old man." he siggles. "she'l
the old woman" Then he reached ou
his paw. Put her there. son!" say
he; what's yer name, boy?"
He'd q hand like . bear trap
SMITH" I squealed. Smith"
Fast" says he. "Fill yourself
goblet Of that ere sherry wine. Will
some sugar. Drink, you cub, to CAP
[ tain and kru. Smith. Now OF will
ye, and pass the bottle forrard."
Next day. or next week. or mayb'
the Monday following. the ships got
headache, with tho sky sitting dow
on the mastheads, the sea like oil. tn
sheets shaping the shadows on tn
deck. where the tar boils. and our tee
IL like overdone toast
The sky's like copper edged Wit
/ sheet lightning, then theres scud Il
4 hurry overhead, the horizon foldin
In, and funnel-shaped cloud to th
southard wrapping up the shy. There
no air, and I noticed the binnacl
siisht, 10 1t must have bscn nigh dar
under that funnel cloud. Just a.
struck. some ono called out ~
aboard" and I heard the mate yell
you mean, all overheard"
] Couldn't go much at first, - va
busy getting mother out Of tn
drowned cabin. When I'd passed
halyard round her and the stump Q
the misSen, I'd Just breathing time
The aea was hattened, white undo
black sky, and what was LEFT Of q
was mostly blowing about.
Dad was just taking command agai
Of what remained. No use shoutin
either. 20 he hung on and beckonet
The masts oversize were batterin
holes in NJ, until We cut adrift. The
to the pumps. but that was sort q
ex oncio Just to keep ~ warm. Worl
Tins warmer than waitiag.
II Being timbsrladen ~ couldn't sinl
, which was convsaient. But, - mothe
said, there wasn't any grub on th
roof. and No couldn't 60 down-stair,
For instance, ~ wanted . drink {
water.
J Well. now, We bean three days :,
J freshing our parched mouths with be-
, stories. whea . nshing vessel come
; along smelling salvage. Happens he
: one Of them felucca-rigged daso swim
I out Of lnvictay Texas. His charge
. was quite moderate. too, for . breake
J Of water and some fancy gTub-unt
! We seen the bin.
I never knew tnl then that our ol
{ man was owner. OF course that's Z
right, only he'd run astern With b