'
"'Oh, you are a runaway foremast hand are you? Then you know
something about work on board ship.' He then put questions to me
about the work of a seaman, making sail, and reefing, about masts,
yards, and rigging, and finished by telling me to box a compass. I
passed my examination pretty well, and he told me to send in the
other fellow. He put Jonathan through his sea-catechism in the same
way, and then said we could have supper and a shake-down for the
night.
"After supper the young lady sat near the kitchen fire sewing, and
Jonathan took a chair near her and began a conversation. He said:
"I must beg pardon for having ventured to address you as 'my dear,'
on so short an acquaintance, but I hope you will forgive my boldness.
Fact is, I felt quite attached to you at first sight.' And so on.
If there was one thing that Jonathan could do better than another it
was talking. The lady was at first very prim and reserved; but she
soon began to listen, smiled, and even tittered. A little boy about
two years old came in and stood near the fire. Having nothing else
to do, I took him on my knee, and set him prattling until we were
very good friends. Then an idea came into my head. I said:
"'I guess, Jonathan, this little kid is about the same age as your
youngest boy in Boston, ain't he?'
"Of course, Jonathan had no boy and was not married, but the sudden
change that came over that young lady was remarkable.
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