Year: 1867

al q SOCIAL supper Ahd after Abe e41ih
vas removed We went in for our yarn
spinning. Among our number was
Capt. Richard Nutier, and finer man
or better sailor. never trod deck At
length IL came his turn 10 tell q story,
or what wo preferTed--or what the rest
Of us had done relate some incident
ot experience in his own life,


"Well, boys" said he, as be rejected
the wine. which WAS al that moment
passed 10 him for the first time, i will
give you bit Of the early part Of my
ocean life, and il is a very important
bit, too, for upon it | have built the
whole Of my subsequent manhood"


We prepared to listen to Capt. Nut
ter with the most profound attention,
for he was not only an old seaman. but
one OF the most successful commanders
in our mercantile marine. We listened
and his story was as follows:


Il was very young when entered on
ship-board, and at the age Of fourteen l
considered myself quite sailor. There
were six OF us on board of about the
same age, and we had about the same
duties to perform. The ship-the old
Lady Dunlap--was large one, and our
crew was large in proportion, there be-
ing fifty-twc, in all We boys, as we
were called, messed together, and in all
other respects were separate from the
rest Of the crew just as much as the Of
icers were. Our captain was noble
hearted, honorable man, kind and gen.
erous. but yet very strict. OF course
we youngsters found plenty OF occasion
10 find fault With him, and very often
were his decisions arraigned before our
mess and condemned. In fact, we
should have reversed many Of his de-
risions had We the power; but as he
was tho commander, and we only fore
mast hands--and boys at that-he had
his own way, and the luminous decis-
ions we came TO, were consequently OF
no avail, and lost to the world


Now we boys, in the course of our
travels, to drink our grog as well as any
sailors. We could toss off glass OF
rum and water with as much grace as
any one, and we claimed the right SO to
do, not only as privilege but as an
honor to which life ON the ocean en-
titled us. When we could get on shore,
we would invariably indulge in our
cups, and not unfrequently would we
come off, or be brought of, in a state
anything but sober. / say we, but
there was one of our number who could
not be induced to touch anything in
toxicating, His name was John Small,
and he belonged in one Of the back
towns Of New Jersey.


Now Jack Small not only refrained
entirely from drinking himself, but he
used sometimes to ask us TO let it alone.
He gave that job up, however, for we
made such sport OF him that he was
glad to let us alone. But our captain
had sharp eyes. and it was not long be-
fore he began to show Jack small favors
which he did not show to US. He would
often take Jack ON shore with him to
spend the night, and such things as
that, while we were kept on board the
ship. OF course this created sort oi
envy on our part, and it ended in a de
cided i'll will towards poor Jack.


Now in truth, Jack was one of the
best fellows in the world. He was kind
obliging, honest, always willing to LEND
a helping hand in case of distress, anc
as true friend as ever lved---only ht
wouldn't drink with us, that was ALL
No--that wasn't all. He learned fast
or than we did he was better sailol
and learned more of navigation. Blu
this We tried to lay to the captains pay
ing him the most attention, though vi
knew better at the time, for we had the
privilege Of learning just as much a
we had mind to. The truth Of th,
matter was, we five liked the idea of be
ing old salts, better than we did any
thing else, and we spent more time il
watching for an opportunity to hav'
a spree than we did in learning to per
feet ourselves in the profession we haC
chosen.


1t even got so at length that Jacl
Small was called upon TO take the decl
sometimes, when the officers were busy
and he used to work out the reckoning
at noon as regularly as did the captain
! Yet Jack was in our mess, and he wa'
constant eye-sore. We saw that b
was reaching rapidly ahead Of US in ey
cry useful particular, and vet we woul'
not open our eyes. We we're enviou