Tough yarns, vol. 1 (of 2) : $b A series of naval tales and sketches to please all hands, from the swabs on the shoulders down to the swabs in the headBarker, M. H. (Matthew Henry)
General
Tough yarns, vol. 1 (of 2) : $b A series of naval tales and sketches to please all hands, from the swabs on the shoulders down to the swabs in the head
Barker, M. H. (Matthew Henry)
Sea stories, English; Seafaring life -- Fiction
“Mich was a perfect original,--neither sailor nor sodger,--but a
strict disciplinarian, as all the boys in the ship could testify. He
was, in fact, the very squint-essence of an Irishman. On nine hairs of
his head was stuck a little trencher-like hat, with a roof not much
bigger than half-a-crown. Behind projected a tail-piece that would
have puzzled Hogarth. It was about nine inches long, and stretched out
from the neck in a horrorzontal direction, like a tiller shipped the
wrong way. His jacket, was of a sandy-gray-russet, embellished with
ornamental designs of all colours and shapes. Huge pockets, well filled
with rolls of paper, were prominent features, his trousers, (barring
the breaches) well patched with corderoy, and his legs were sometimes
cased in leather, that had formerly been a pair of military boots;
but now, by continual cobbling, had lost their prime-itive shape and
looked like a couple of fire-buckets. His countenance was open; for he
had a marvellous mouth, that stretched as wide as a turnpike-gate; and
his nose hung dangling down, as if to see that nothing passed through
without paying toll. But for his eyes, he had a pair of odd ones, that
gave you the most agreeable squint in the world, and made him see two
ways at once. Many a poor boy has got thrashed for quizzing him,
thinking he was looking another way.
“Well there old Mich stood, adjusting his cravat with the utmost
gravity, when Mrs. R---- came over the side. Of course every body
expected she would have walked aft to the captain; but her delight was
so great, that she no sooner got upon the deck than she caught old
Mich (being nearest) round the neck, and began kissing him like fury.
Mich, equally pleased, returned her embrace with interest, to the great
amusement of every soul, fore-and-aft. ‘Oh, my boys,--my boys,’ says
she, as soon as Mich let her get breath; ‘joy to the hour that I see
you again! Arrah! R---- dear, sure, and I’m so happy!’--So catching the
captain in her arms, she gave full evidence of the fact.
“The officers wiped their mouths and smacked their lips, expecting it
would go round, and were anticipating the salute of her sweet kiss, for
she was really a beautiful woman; but they were disappointed; for the
first moment of exquisite feeling having subsided, she became sensible
of what had passed. Howsomever, the captain laughed heartily, and
old Mich looked as if he was ready for a second edition. Mrs. R----
called him and apologized for her conduct, blushing all the time most
glowingly. ‘Och!’ says she, ‘my joy was so great that I couldn’t help
it!’
“‘Be aisey, my lady, be aisey,’ says Mich: ‘I’d do the same for your
ladyship any day, and every day. Sure didn’t I have the best of it,
then? Faith, and I did, any how; for I gave you two for one. Oh, don’t
mention it, my lady.’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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