Year: 1865

Salt-WdIeES look passage on DOdFo tne
United Kingdom, at that time the big
gest, best, and every way finest fAed-out
steamer ever sent ahOat on the Canadian
side of Lake Ontario.


In a quarter of an hour after the Unit
ed began padding out of the harbor Of
Kingston we made the discovery that her
commander was Captain Joseph Whit
ney, some time salt water shipmate of
ours, only two years earlier Jack-be-
FORE -the-mast with US in Mediterrane-
an voyage, and one of the jOIliest, hand
soonest chaps that ever hauled out wealth
er-earing.


Joe was Jerseyman, of an oyster and
clam fishing family down about Barnegat,
all as poor as lapfard rats, and we fell to
wondering directly after finding him
there in command of the greet lake lev
latham, how be got that sudden climb up
in the world and about the first ques-
tion that was put to him after he had got
as snug into his state-room and introduce
ed us to his wife, a real clipper, black
eyed beauty, fair as rose, and one hum
dred and seventy pOnnds weight if she
was an ounce-yes, it was natural enough
that the first question we should ask the
captain was:


Joe, what in the name of Neptune put
you into such a berth as this (!


why, Emily here, and a sVhirIig'g-
The latter Mostly Captain Joe replied
promptly, chucking his pretty wife under
the chin and winking wickedly, 'I'll tell
you how it was, gentlemen-'


Now, Joe, my dear, you know Mrs.
Whitney blushed like a whole parterre
of roses, and held up her finger threaten
Iingly.


Yes, my dear Emily, know and so
do you But our shipmates here DO not;
and SO / am going to spin 'em the yarn
of how engineered a whirligig and got
a wife worth having. The thing isn't
patented, you know, an just as likely as
not some one of 'em may catch a wife in
the same way if they cruise round in the
woods out West through the winter


Madam Emily protested, but Captain
Joe promised to steer by The truth, keep
on the weather-side of modesty and
make short splice of the affair altogeth-
er, so finally Eve consented with several
extra bushes, and the captain set his
reel agOing.


You see shipmates, Emily's father
owns the controlling stock in the United
Kingdom, and travels up and down the
lake good deal on board of her. When
| first came on the lake happened to get
wheelman's berth in the Frontenac-
that was the Generals boat, too-and as
he used-to go up and down with US about
every other trip, almost always had Emf
ly along with him. Now, Miss Emily
Mcclure wasn't mite proud, and she
used often to come into the pilot-house
and listen to my salt yarns and chat So
ciabIy with me, and before the end of the
season we'd fallen five fathoms in love
with each other. But then, you see,
General McCluer was the richest man in
the Gore District, Emily was his only
child, and so far to windward of me in
every respect, that there was no hope OF
my ever working up to her latitude, car
~ sail as would Thunder General
Mcclure would as soon thought of giving
HE daughter passage over Niagara
Fill. = = stone canoe and iron paddle as
to have given her % common Jack tar
for wife.


However, the Genercl tOck fancy
to me, and when the steamer laid 20 10
Toronto for the winter, proposed to me
that should stay by her under wages
all the time, and go 10 her again as
wheelsman in the spring; and further
more the General invited me to run on;
to bis place about six miles from town
ana make him a visit as often as l pleas
ed during the winter.


l accepted both propositions, and by
the time the old Frontenac had been a
month in winter quarters had made
three cruises out to Avondale. the Gen.
erals fine country estate, and began to
be almost as much at homs there as |
was on board the steamer.


NV fourth cruise, think it was, was
made on Sunday morning, and on my
way out met the General and his wife
in a sleigh, driving in towards town. He
hove to for a minute or SO and hailed me !:


'Bound for Avondale, Joe 2


Aye, aye, sir


Very well-away you go. Mrs. Nc.