Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-23
HOME IS THE SAILOR OmofmeO

bunk and, lingering corner of linen Sheet
shook his head unbelievingly.
When I reused the kid at eight bells, two
hours later, wind and sea were gone down, and
the ship was riding easy with slow, gentle roll
The night was very dark and light, steady
rain was falling. I took him to the quarter
deck where, by the light of lantern, the
mates we're picking the men into two watches.
That done and the wheel relieved, the second
mate called to Gillian, Get up the poop and
keep the time!'
At midnight we went below to the half deck
together Probably no feather bed ever
seemed so good to him as that narrow little
bunk had now become
didn't see him again till breakfast time.
Then, when I entered the half deck, he was
folding his brass-bound suit and laying it away
in the bottom of his sea chest He didn't ask
any questions.
NAYS and nights passed Night after night
- he huddled on the poop, keeping the time.
Day by day in his watch on deck he worked at
dull jobs polishing brasswork and binnacles
over and over till they shone like mirrors. Hour
after hour, kneeling on the hard deck, he
Clipped rust from the bolts and bolards. AL
ways when his time came to go of duty he
crawled into his bunk to be dead to the world
for the brief three and three-quarter hours Of
a sailing ship sailors watch below. In the
dog watches of an evening busily preparing for
my second mates examination, I had small
time to notice or to talk to him.
Disconsolate and solitary the new chum
was, he began to harden. His blistered hands
healed slowly The skin his palms and
fingers grew tougher.
BY and by the sun came out and the sea
shone blue. Wet clothing was hung to dry.
Men with worn oilskins begged the mate for a
little inseed oil to dress them with Sea boots
were given a dressing of dublin
One of the foremost hands whe had an old
and leaky pair of sea boots saw the new
chums felt-lined boots laid out to dry In the
sun and offered q trade.
"In give you weeks whack o. pork Tor
them boots he said.
Gillian always hungry, made the trade and
thereafter for a week had a double whack OF
pork at dinnertime. When the week was gone
he was hungrier than ever and took to hanging
around the galley door in the dog watch hoping
for scraps from the cook. I warned him that
he'd find himself in trouble If the skipper saw
him sponging on the cook but my warning was
futile So one evening the skipper saw him
eating cabin scraps by the galley door, ana
from then on he found himself kept at work in
the dog watch every evening for week. The
men snickered at sight of the kid chipping
iron rust and polishing brass long after the sun
was gone.
well, warned you, didn't 70" said. He
made no reply, but saw a momentary new
expression come to his face. Hot, angry sparks
awakened in his eyes.
After the dog watch was his own again he
frightened his belt and kept away from the
galley. The pinkness was gone from his cheeks.
His hands were stained and grimy Often there
was a queer, PARKWAY look to him. He spoke
only when spoken to. The shyness that had
been so noticeable when first saw him was
still there. Looking back, remember sort
of dignity in that Shyness.
I worked with the foremost sailors, all Of
whom were busted in the rigging, reeving,
splicing and getting everything in trim for
the Southern ATTITUDES. Ignorant of all sailor
work. the new chum was kept at his chipping
and polishing, working all alone.
Leaving the trade winds astern, we ran into
blowy ATTITUDES again, and, with no sea boots
now GillanS feet were always wet. The fellow
who had traded for his felt-lined boots had
ripped the Innings out and went dry shod.
Where's your sea boots?" the second mate
asked him; and, hearing that he had traded
them for food, told him that he was young
fool and must take his medicine.
THE shippers got sea boots in the slop
chest. He'll sell you pair" told him. Evil
IDENTIFY remembering the time when the skipper
had seen him accepting scraps from the cook.
he Redeemed and made no answer.
0NE evening shortly after a stiff squall
caught her Just after midnight, and all
hands were called to shorten sail In a hurry.
Gillian and climbed to the main royal No
sound reached us but the sound of wind and
sea as we swung up the rolling rigging. He
had never been aloft, never been of the deck
before. The moon beamed over roaring waters.
When I secured my own side of the sail i
went over to help him.
How do you like sailoring?" shouted.
His eyes very bright, he glanced at me from
amid folds of white billowing canvas His cap
had blown away and the wind tossed his black
hair about his pale forehead. He made no
reply, but while passed the gaskets and
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