The Measure of a Man | Page 4

love with him as she did. _Why-a_! The thought of that hour
brings a pain to my heart yet--and it is thirty years ago."
"You are a true sailor, Captain."
"To be sure I am. As the Fife men say, 'I was born with the sea in my
mouth.' I thank God for it! Often I have met Him on the great deep, for
'His path is on the waters.' I don't believe I would have found Him as
easy and as often, in a cotton-spinning factory--no, I don't!"

"A good man like you, Captain, ought to have a wife and a home."
"I'm not sure of that, Mr. Hatton. On my ship at sea I am lord and
master, and my word is law as long as I stop at sea. If any man does not
like my word and way, he can leave my ship at the first land we touch,
and I see that he does so. But it is different with a wife. She is in your
house to stay, whether you like it or not. All you have is hers if you
stick to the marriage vow. Yes, sir, she even takes your name for her
own, and if she does not behave well with it, you have to take the
blame and the shame, whether you deserve it or not. It is a one-sided
bargain, sir."
"Not always as bad as that, Captain."
"Why, sir, your honored father, who lorded it over every man he met
and contradicted everything he didn't like, said, 'Yes, my dear,' to
whatever Mrs. Hatton desired or declared. I hed to do the same thing in
my way, and Mrs. Hatton on board this yacht was really her captain.
I'm not saying but what she was a satisfactory substitute, for she hed
the sense to always ask my advice."
"Then she acted under orders, Captain."
"To be sure. But I am Captain Lance Cook, of Whitby, a master
navigator, a fourth in direct line from Captain James Cook, who sailed
three times round the world, when that was a most uncommon thing to
do. And every time he went, he made England a present of a few
islands. Captain James Cook made his name famous among
Englishmen of the sea, and I hevn't come across the woman yet I
considered worthy to share it."
"You may meet her soon now, Captain. There is a 'new woman' very
much the fashion these days. Perhaps you have not seen her yet."
"I have seen her, sir. I have seen all I want to see of her. She appears to
hev got the idea into her head that she ought to hev been a man, and
some of them have got so far in that direction that you are forced to say
that in their dress and looks there isn't much difference. However, I hev

heard very knowing men declare they always found the old woman in
all her glory under the new one, and I wouldn't wonder if that was the
case. What do you think, Mr. Hatton?"
"It may be, Captain, that it is the 'new man' that is wanted, and not the
'new woman.' I think most men are satisfied with the old woman. I am
sure I am," and his eyes filled with light, and he silently blessed the fair
woman who came into his memory ere he added, "but then, I have not a
great ancestor's name to consider. The Hattons never gave anything in
the way of land to England."
"They hev done a deal for Yorkshire, sir."
"That was their duty, and their pleasure and profit. Yorkshire men are
kinsmen everywhere. If I met one in Singapore, or Timbuctoo, I would
say '_Yorkshire_?' and hold out my hand to him."
"Well, sir, I've seen Yorkshire men I wouldn't offer my hand to; I hev
that, and sorry I am to say it! I never was in Singapore harbor, and I
must acknowledge I never saw or heard tell of Timbuctoo harbor."
John laughed pleasantly. "Timbuctoo is in Central Africa. It was just an
illustration."
"Illustration! You might have illustrated with a true harbor, sir--for
instance, New York."
"You are right. I ought to have done so."
"Well, sir, it's hard to illustrate and stick to truth. There is the
boatswain's whistle! I must go and see what's up. Pentland Firth is ever
restless and nobody minds that, but she gets into sudden passions which
need close watching, and I wouldn't wonder if there was not now signs
of a Pentland tantrum."
The Captain's supposition was correct. In a few minutes the ship was
enveloped in a livid creeping mist, and he heard the Captain shout,
"_All hands stand by to reef!_" Reef they did, but Pentland's temper

was