Redburn | Page 8

water and stalked off.
Dripping like a seal, I at last grounded arms at the doorway of my
brother's friend, rang the bell and inquired for him.
"What do you want?" said the servant, eying me as if I were a
housebreaker.
"I want to see your lord and master; show me into the parlor."
Upon this my host himself happened to make his appearance, and
seeing who I was, opened his hand and heart to me at once, and drew
me to his fireside; he had received a letter from my brother, and had
expected me that day.
The family were at tea; the fragrant herb filled the room with its aroma;
the brown toast was odoriferous; and everything pleasant and charming.
After a temporary warming, I was shown to a room, where I changed
my wet dress, an returning to the table, found that the interval had been
we improved by my hostess; a meal for a traveler was spread and I laid
into it sturdily. Every mouthful pushed the devil that had been
tormenting me all day farther and farther out of me, till at last I entirely
ejected him with three successive bowls of Bohea.
Magic of kind words, and kind deeds, and good tea! That night I went
to bed thinking the world pretty tolerable, after all; and I could hardly
believe that I had really acted that morning as I had, for I was naturally
of an easy and forbearing disposition; though when such a disposition
is temporarily roused, it is perhaps worse than a cannibal's.
Next day, my brother's friend, whom I choose to call Mr. Jones,
accompanied me down to the docks among the shipping, in order to get
me a place. After a good deal of searching we lighted upon a ship for
Liverpool, and found the captain in the cabin; which was a very

handsome one, lined with mahogany and maple; and the steward, an
elegant looking mulatto in a gorgeous turban, was setting out on a sort
of sideboard some dinner service which looked like silver, but it was
only Britannia ware highly polished.
As soon as I clapped my eye on the captain, I thought myself he was
just the captain to suit me. He was a fine looking man, about forty,
splendidly dressed, with very black whiskers, and very white teeth, and
what I took to be a free, frank look out of a large hazel eye. I liked him
amazingly. He was promenading up and down the cabin, humming
some brisk air to himself when we entered.
"Good morning, sir," said my friend.
"Good morning, good morning, sir," said the captain. "Steward, chairs
for the gentlemen."
"Oh! never mind, sir," said Mr. Jones, rather taken aback by his
extreme civility. "I merely called to see whether you want a fine young
lad to go to sea with you. Here he is; he has long wanted to be a sailor;
and his friends have at last concluded to let him go for one voyage, and
see how he likes it."
"Ah! indeed!" said the captain, blandly, and looking where I stood.
"He's a fine fellow; I like him. So you want to be a sailor, my boy, do
you?" added he, affectionately patting my head. "It's a hard We, though;
a hard life."
But when I looked round at his comfortable, and almost luxurious cabin,
and then at his handsome care-free face, I thought he was only trying to
frighten me, and I answered, "Well, sir, I am ready to try it."
"I hope he's a country lad, sir," said the captain to my friend, "these city
boys are sometimes hard cases."
"Oh! yes, he's from the country," was the reply, "and of a highly
respectable family; his great-uncle died a Senator."
"But his great-uncle don't want to go to sea too?" said the captain,
looking funny.
"Oh! no, oh, no!--Ha! ha!"
"Ha! ha!" echoed the captain.
A fine funny gentleman, thought I, not much fancying, however, his
levity concerning my great-uncle, he'll be cracking his jokes the whole
voyage; and so I afterward said to one of the riggers on board; but he
bade me look out, that he did not crack my head.

"Well, my lad," said the captain, "I suppose you know we haven't any
pastures and cows on board; you can't get any milk at sea, you know."
"Oh! I know all about that, sir; my father has crossed the ocean, if I
haven't."
"Yes," cried my friend, "his father, a gentleman of one of the first
families in America, crossed the Atlantic several times on important
business."
"Embassador extraordinary?" said the captain, looking funny again.
"Oh! no, he was a wealthy merchant."
"Ah! indeed;" said the captain, looking grave and bland again, "then
this