Page:The Ladies' Cabinet of Fashion, Music & Romance 1832.pdf/49

Rh pudding-bags all the night-caps she stowed away so carefully in her dear boy's trunk, to keep its head from the cold ; and that the reefers have docked the tail of the flannel night-gown she made to keep it warm in the West Indies, to make a new suit of rigging for the captain's monkey." " I am in a watch," pouted the youngster ; " I'm in Mr. Brace's watch ; and mother thought it would be cold here, in winter." 66 Then blessings on the dear old lady's geographical acquirements. Come, Quills." " I'll follow in a moment," said the clerk : " where shall I find you?" " On the top-gallant fore-castle, by the fore-mast." So saying, he mounted the ladder, and disappeared on deck. The clerk soon stowed away the book in his locker, and followed the midshipman. The night was indeed a lovely one. The seas were sparkling gloriously in the beams of a tropical moon, whose bright rays, streaming through the rigging and spars, chequered the deck in a thousand fantastic forms of light and shade, and glancing upward from the black and polished guns, made her iron battery appear as if cast in molten silver. The constant and fresh breeze had lulled every sail to sleep, and they towered aloft against the deep blue sky, till they looked scarcely the size of a pocket-handkerchief, and heaved and struggled, like the bosom of some fair girl, as though they would burst the envious bonds that restrained their freer play. A few soft and fleecy clouds, such as are only seen in those bright regions, were chasing each other along the fields of ether, and while they had nothing threatening in their aspect, assumed a thousand ever-varying shapes, which delighted the eye, and rendered the scene less monotonous. Ever and anon, clouds of flying fish, startled by the passing ship, would rise from the bosom of the deep, and flutter away far over the waves, with all the gaiety of land-birds. And at intervals, a dolphin might be marked, tracing his way through the liquid element, with the speed of an arrow, by the long rocket-like train of phosphorescent light which followed in his wake. " You are sentimental to night, Mr. Tackle," said the clerk to the master's mate, who had not perceived his approach, and was leaning against the forward-swifter of the fore-rigging, gazing 66 ahead, apparently wrapped in deep thought. Very little sentiment in me, Mr. Quills ; though my subject was tasty enough for that matter : I was thinking if that