CHAPTER XXXIV.
A Trip to California—Jumping Overboard—-The Grand Supper and what Came of it—The Captain's Little Daughter.
s the most agreeable method of conveying to the reader a correct account of Little Wolf's adventures, and personal feelings during her journeying, we will quote largely from letters addressed from time to time to her friend, Mrs. Tinknor.
"From the first we take the following:
"While I write, the Captain's little daughter sits beside me. We have met several times on the hurricane deck—Flora and I—and are on quite intimate terms, considering the shortness of our acquaintance. The first twenty four hours she was seasick, 'wery, wery sick,' she informed me, and her pale face bore traces of the ordeal through which she had passed; and, indeed, the countenances of most of the passengers are suggestive of Tompsonian doctors. To such, our three days at sea must have been uncommonly disagreeable, the weather having been rough the entire period. Yesterday, we were favored with a storm. The commencement was most sublime, but all having been unwillingly ordered below I was borne resisting into the cabin and the splendid exhibition of nature shut from my view, of course I could not keep on my feet, but I managed to climb upon a stand, and holding on with all my might, I could see the waves through the port hole run mountains high, and what silly thing do you think I did? I actually cried with vexation, shut up in that miserable place.
"It was as if Black Hawk had been bearing me exultant on a wild gallop in the face of winds that shook the very foundations of the earth, and, the loftiest enthusiasm having been enkindled, I was suddenly plunged into a sickening, stifling, dismal cavern, and shut out from light and liberty.
"I made frantic assaults upon the porthole, and the remonstrances of the ship carpenter, who chanced to spy me, would have availed him nothing had he not forcibly lifted me down, and seated me upon the floor of my state-room.
"The miserable creature imagined me frightened out of my senses. 'No immediate danger Miss,' said he, 'compose yourself; the ship will right up directly—throwing all the light trash overboard—chicken coops just gone over.'
"'Man,' moaned a woman on whose face was blended an expression of benevolence and nausea, 'did you open those coops, and let out those fowls, that they may not drift about and starve?'
"'The sea, madam,' said the builder of ships, grandly, 'the sea has swallowed them coops and all.'
"Miss Flora has just asked me if my letter is not most finished, 'for,' said the cunning little elf 'you might put in that papa called you a stubborn little wretch yesterday, when you wouldn't go down to the cabin.'
"I wonder if he dared to say it, I suppose I looked incredulous, for the little mischief continues to reiterate the assertion, but she consolingly adds, 'He was wery, wery angry then, and he knew you wouldn't hear him. You don't care, do you?'
"I have almost told a fib, and said, 'no indeed.'
Two days later.
"I have had my revenge on the captain by jumping overboard.
"Yesterday Flora and myself were lounging upon the stationary seat, attached to the railing of the hurricane deck. Both of us had been silent for some time. I had been gazing dreamily down into the deep, blue waters thinking of, I hardly know what, but, I remember that a strange impulse occasionally seized me to plunge beneath those snow-capped waves and rest my poor head upon the ocean's bed, for it is not as easy to hold it up now as it once was, when mammy lived, and took me in her arms and bade the 'Honey hold up her blessed little head, and never let that droop whatever might come.' Precious old creature, she too bore a life long sorrow, and bravely bore it. Daddy never suspected, that his bustling, little grey wife had a tender secret burried beneath the tumult of activity, which continually bubbled up within her generous breast.
"But I am digressing from the subject of my sea bath, of which Miss Flora was the immediate occasion. She had incautiously leaned too far over the railing, and, losing her balance, fell. I was startled from my reverie by a slight scream, and in an instant more, she was beneath the waves. I knew that I could swim, and had I not, I would have plunged after her all the same.
"I discovered, however, that the waves in a quiet cove of the Mississippi, were but ripples compared with the surging waters of the ocean, and my childhood paddle in the former but a poor preparation for battle. I sank deep and rose breathless, and almost helpless, but fortunately, Flora was dashed within my reach, and I clutched her dress, and we were both saved.
"The captain had witnessed the accident from the deck and was the first to come to our rescue. Spars were thrown out, and several hardy sailors leaped in and helped to bear us up until the life boat was lowered, and we were all once more transported on board of our staunch ship.
"I have been flattered and feted ever since. A grand supper was given in my honor last evening, and, as I was in such high favor, I made bold to accept my invitation on condition that the table should be innocent of wine. The Captain cordially complied with the condition, although Flora had previously volunteered the information, that 'papa was wery fond of wine, but mamma did not like him to drink it.'
"The dear child has much to say about her mama, who, 'died, a wery, wery long time ago.' One little year has she been motherless, and what sweet graphic pictures does she draw of the lost one. 'Mama had wery soft curls, papa called 'em golden; mama had wery blue eyes, papa called 'em wiolet, and she had wery pink cheeks, and papa called 'em sea shells, and he called her wery little mouth, a rose bud and her wery soft hands, welvet, and what do you think he named her wery, wery, cunning little feets?—mices.—He read all about 'em in a book one evening, how they stoled in and out like little mices,—now wasn't that wery, wery nice?'
"She is more devoted to me than ever, since her narrow escape from the sea, and she is sure that I will not be sent into the cabin when the next storm comes on. Indeed I exacted a promise from the Captain, while at the feast to that effect. He said I might be lashed to the rigging and blown to pieces if I wished, and I do wish—O how I long for another storm,"
Three days later.
"The sky is clear, the sea smooth, and the passengers are mostly upon deck, enjoying the fine weather.
"Mr. and Miss Marsden have appeared for the first time, and we have had a general rejoicing. The Captain is an old friend of theirs and we were invited into his room and treated to wine on the occasion. All drank socially except myself and Flora, who, when she saw that I had taken none, set her glass down untasted.
'The influence of good example,' said the Captain smiling approvingly on Flora.
"Do you really think the example good?" I asked eagerly.
"'Most certainly, my dear Miss DeWolf, my wife would have acted precisely the same. She did not approve social drinking, but one in my position acquires the habit almost from necessity. My associations are mostly with a class that expect it of me. I do not care for it myself, but I do not like to appear unsocial.'
"'Nor do I,' chimed in Miss Marsden, sipping her glass.
"'We tempt and are tempted on every hand,' said Mr. Marsden thoughtfully. 'Society demands the social glass and we yield to its demands, and why? Because we have not the moral courage to do otherwise.'
"We have! I exclaimed, we have! you have, your sister has, the Captain has. You have never tried. You have never fully realized whither it tended—I have. Shall I tell you?
"At any ordinary time I would not have drawn the heart rending picture of the consequences of social drinking which I was then inspired to do. It was as if a frightful panorama of ruined fortunes, and ruined families was passing before me and I described all I saw and when the view became too painful, too revolting for words, I bowed my head and wept.
"'For heavens sake, say no more,' cried out the Captain.
"Flora flung her arms around my neck, and mingled her tears with mine. 'What shall we do?' she asked plaintively.
"'We might draw up a total abstinence pledge and all put our names to it,' said Sir. Marsden quite cheerfully.
"After some pleasent discussion, his suggestion obtained favor, and was carried out without delay, and in half an hour's time we were all pledged to total abstinence from intoxicating drinks. The matter was duly explained to Flora, and she added her mark with an air of consequence quite amusing.
"Nor was that all; the enthusiastic little missionary stated that she knew of several wery nice sailors who would like to put their names on the paper, for she had seen them drink something out of bottles. She was accordingly permitted to present this pledge to her particular friends, who, it transpired, included the whole crew.
"I was much affected by a little scene which I witnessed in connection with her labors. A weather-beaten old sailor, whose only fault was his uncontrollable appetite for rum, read the pledge carefully, and, shaking his head quite hopelessly, handed it back. 'I can't agree to that, little pet,' said he, 'I can't abstain, I'd give the world if I could, but I can't. I lay in bed the morning we set sail and thought it all over. I thought of my little boy and gal sleeping in their trundle bed. I thought of the pleadings of my patient wife, and I resolved to let liquor alone, but I can't do it—I was the worse for it yesterday. No, I can't abstain,' and his voice quivered.
"'May be, if you'd try again, wery, wery hard,' persisted Flora, who did not comprehend how uncontrollable the appetite becomes.
"'No, my little pet—no—none but God Almighty can save me now—I'm in the breakers.'
"His look of despair moved me to step forward and interpose. Would not Flora have perished in the deep water, had there been no effort made to save her? I questioned.
"'You're a brave gal,' said he. 'I saw you go after her; you would have saved her if you could, and you would save me but you can't.'
"That's true, I replied, but God can. Jesus Christ will bring you safely out of the breakers, if you will cling to him. You are in great peril but it is not too late. Never give up the ship.
"Thus I talked until hope began to reanimate him, and he said 'when I get back to New York I'll try again to give up my dram and be a Christian.'
"Now—now, there's no time like now, I persisted, and finally he yielded, and said, 'Now it shall be. I'll put my name to the paper, and may God Almighty help me.'
"His name, John Hopkins, stands in full upon the pledge; the large crooked letters bearing traces of the struggle by which he was shaken.
"I am so glad that I ever read the Bible to dear old Mrs. Peters, for it was there that I learned the lesson, which I so lately taught the despairing seamen, and nothing can now wrest the sweet knowledge of a Saviour's love from me. My heart has found refuge in it.
"Do you remember the day that Tom dressed in your blue apron, with a bunch of keys at his belt and pretended to personate me at the head of an orphan asylum, how we all laughed? Well, I secretly wished myself capable of doing good in that way, and you may tell Tom that if I should ever attempt anything of the kind, I will give him a lucrative situation as general overseer of the establishment."
Two days later.
"Last evening we arrived at Aspinwall having made the trip from New York in ten days. This morning we bade adieu to our kind friends of the steamship, 'Northern Star' and crossed the Isthmus of Panama, a distance of about twenty miles, by railroad. A fine large steamer lay upon the waters of the Pacific awaiting our arrival.
"Having embarked, I found a little vacant nook, under the awning, where I am now writing, while the scenes of to-day are still fresh in my mind.
"I was enchanted as we passed swiftly over the narrow neck of land dividing the two oceans. The dense, vine-clad forests, alive with birds of every brilliant hue, and bordered with gorgeous flowers; the low thatched huts of the natives, and the natives themselves in holiday dress of thin white, all conspired to awaken the most pleasing emotions.
"The villages at both ends of the route were swarming with natives, the women with baskets of cake and fruit and beautiful birds for sale, the men eager to carry our luggage for 'two bits.'
"A small proportion of the women were bright and pretty; one really beautiful, with liquid eyes and smooth jet braids, upon which were fantastically perched a pair of green, trained birds, was very popular with the passengers, and soon emptied her basket.
"I purchased her pet paroquets and sent them to console Flora, whom I left sobbing quite piteously in the Captain's arms. We promised her papa to make our arrangements to return on his steamer and his promise to lash me to the rigging in the event of a storm still holds good."
