AS SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT TO IRELAND
by Margaret Dixon McDougall
A TOUR THROUGH IRELAND
I.
OFF - EXPERIENCES IN A PULLMAN CAR - HOARDING THE "ONTARIO" - THE CAPTAIN -
THE SEA AND SEA-SICKNESS - IMAGININGS IN THE STORM - LANDING AT
BIRKENHEAD.
On January 27th I bade good-bye to my friends and set my face resolutely
towards the land whither I had desired to return. Knowing that sickness
and unrest were before me, I formed an almost cast-iron resolution, as
Samantha would say, to have one good night's rest on that Pulman car
before setting out on the raging seas. Alas! a person would persist in
floating about, coming occasionally to fumble in my belongings in the
upper berth. Prepared to get nervous. Before it came to that, I sat up
and enquired if the individual had lost anything, when he disappeared.
Lay down and passed another resolution. Some who were sitting up began
to smoke, and the fumes of tobacco floated in behind the curtains, clung
there and filled all the space and murdered sleep. Watched the heavy
dark shelf above, stared at the cool white snow outside, wished that all
smokers were exiled to Virginia or Cuba, or that they were compelled to
breathe up their own smoke, until the morning broke cold and foggy.
Emerged from behind the curtains, and blessed the man who invented cold
water. Too much disturbed by the last night's dose of second-hand smoke
for breakfast at Island Pond. The moist-looking colored gentleman who
was porter, turned back to Montreal before we reached Portland. I
strongly suspect that a friend had privately presented him with a fee to
make him attentive to one of the passengers, for he came twice with the
most minute directions for finding the Dominion Line office, at
Portland. Still his conscience was unsatisfied, for finally he came with
the offer of a tumbler full of something he called pure apple juice.
There are some proud Caucasians who would not have found it so difficult
to square a small matter like that with their consciences.
It was pleasant to look at the comfortable homes on the line as we
passed along. Not one squalid looking homestead did we pass; every one
such as a man might be proud to own. All honor to the State of Maine.
The train was three hours late - it was afternoon when we arrived in
Portland. Following the directions of my colored friend, I went up an
extremely dirty stair into a very dirty office, found an innocent young
man smoking a cigar. He did not know anything, you know, so sat grimly
down to wait for the arrival of some one who did. Such a one soon
appeared and took a comprehensive glance of the passenger as he took off
his overshoes.
"Passenger for the 'Ontario,'" explained the innocent young man.
"Take the passenger over to the ship," said the energetic one,
decidedly. "We will send luggage after you. How much have you?"
Explained, handed him the checks, and meekly followed my innocent guide
down the dirty stair, across a wide street, up some dirty-looking steps
on to the wharf where the 'Ontario' lay, taking in her cargo. Large and
strong-looking, dingy white was she, lying far below the wharf.
My guide enquired for the captain, who appeared suddenly from somewhere -
a tall man with a resolute face and keen eye, gray as to hair and
whiskers, every inch a captain. I knew that his face - once a handsome
face, I am sure - had got that look of determination carved into it by
doing his duty by his ship and facing many a storm on God Almighty's
sea. I trusted him at once.
Did not sail through the night as I expected, but were still in Portland
when morning came. We had fish for breakfast; found mine frozen beneath
the crisp brown outside. After breakfast went up on deck. The sky was
blue and bright, the air piercing cold. The town of Portland looked
clean and beautiful in the fair sunlight. It is a place that goes
climbing up hill. The floating ice and the liquid green water ruffled
into white on the crest of the swells, are at play together. The ship
moves out slowly, almost imperceptibly. Portland fades from a house-
crowned hillside into a white line, darkness comes down. We are out at
sea.
The glass has gone down; the storm has come up; the sea tyrant has got
hold of the solitary passenger and dandles her very roughly, singing
"The Wreck of the 'Hesperus'" in a loud bass to some grand deep tune,
alternating with the one hundred and third Psalm in Gaelic. The
passenger holds on for dear life and wonders why the winds sing those
words over and over again.
Sabbath passes, day melts into night, night fades into day, the storm
tosses the ship and sea-sickness tosses the passenger. The captain
enquires, "Is that passenger no better yet?" Comes to see in his
doctoral capacity, looks like a man not to be trifled with, feels the
pulse, orders a mustard blister, brandy and ammonia, and scolds the
patient for starving, like a wise captain and kind man as he is. All the
ship stores are ransacked for something to tempt an appetite that is
above temptation; but the captain is absolute, and we can testify that
eating from a sense of duty is hard work. It was delightful to get rid
of an occasional apple on the sly to one of the ship's boys and be
rewarded with a surprised grin of delight.
It is grand to lie on cushions on the companion-way and watch long
rollers as they heave up and look in at the door-way. They rise rank
upon rank, looking over one another's shoulders, hustling one another in
their boisterous play, like overgrown schoolboys, who will have fun at
whoever's expense.
