Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1920-12-17

beat a dog the better 1t is. So with sailors.
Grind 'em down, rule EN- with an iron hand, and
they'll not only do their work at the run but
they'll come crawling along and ask you for
more. That's my experience, and 30 years at sea,
man and boy, hasn't inclined me to dispute facts
as they stand"
Il call 1T cruelty" said his wife without heat,
for she WIS a woman of sadness.
! sAhe knew the cause of that sadness, as did her
FhusDand, but 1t was never mentioned between
= them by a tacit agreement. Twenty-Five years Of
rmarried life had resulted in a fine endurance of
martial affection-the shippers long absences
from home might have accounted for that in some
measure. The two were good friends, and bick-
ering between them was a thing unknown. There
had been one child-very many years ago, but it
only raised its voice once in the great world
and before the mothers heart had ~quickened in
response the voice was stilled forever. The Lord
had given; He had also taken away, and Mrs.
~Kfapshott endeavored to say BLESSED be the name
Of the Lord" with a good grace, though at times
the saying was hard.
To hide his emotion the captain threw gruff-
ness into his voice. I'm thinking ] made a mis-
take in bringing you to sea. lass" he said. ut
isn't a place for women. least of all soft-hearted
women such as you are. But you begged and
prayed, and the owners seemed willing
cit got to be lonely waiting there ashore, HI
ram" she said simply. ut was at nights, when
when the wind howled and the snow fell every
CAV a w liz OAhNh dRD hhu mp
fonable, with their men about them; and tit
was more than l could stand. 1t would have been
easier tiff thered-if Amos had lived" He I'M
derstood, and his rough gnarled hand crept out
along the rail until it rested on hers with the
pressure of sympathy.
~Hiram, / want to ask you a favor.
Its Christmas day in two days time. Are
you going TO give the men a Christmas-a proper
ChristmasT"
Hapshott opened his mouth and laughed. a
Iaugh that was pregnant with cynicism.
Give them a Christmas-a proper Christmas!
BY which / suppose you mean a holiday and
Christmas fare? Why, lass, they wouldn't know
what to do with 1t If they had 1t. Besides, we
aren't fitted for Christmas meals. There's a
brace of chickens in the coop that'l make our
dinner that day-Tve been saving them up on
purpose; but beyond the pig forard2"
Give them a proper Christmas, Hiram plead
ed Mrs. Hapshott earnestly. ITS a wonderful
day ashore, though a sad one. That is, for me"
she amended. Il always get thinking Of the Child
and of how happy His mother must have been,
though she lost Him. too; she lost Him."
She thought the wound was fairly healed, but
the hot tears gushed to her faded, pathetic eyes.
Hapshott himself turned away, for he knew the
ache at her heart it companioned the void at his
own
FAN hands muster aft" cried Captain Hapshott.
The men souched along to the afterdeck and
grouped themselves under the poop break. The
moon sprang up from the blackening sea. and
shone redly upon them: a full round ball. 1t
showed sullen, Respondent faces, faces without a
hope. Mrs. Hapshott drew near to the pinrail
and looked down, her heart welled full of pity.
She had done something-she had given these
overworked beasts of burden one days rest at
aeast.
sits stand by till midnight tomorrow" said
the skipper in a voice that he fondly hoped be-
trayed no shame. There's a holiday from now
N. You'll take your wheels and lookouts as
1eua1: beyond that-nothing. Understand5~