The "Merrie Maide."

The "Merrie Maide . "

BY K >; N 11 Y S A I ) L K R . ^ u ^ Sfc gr . UJilNtr a brief sojourn in New York , in the autumn of IS— , 1 r vHrii & PtK became acquainted with Captain J nines Conway , commander and VWVHlwI / r P" 11 ' ° 'V 11 C 1 " ° ^ ^ " ferric Maide , " a full-rigged ship of about seven $ lrsSi ! c £ & . hundredtons . < - ) ul' first meeting was at a Masonic lodge , and , being df ^ SjSk * personally known to some of the brethren , I was able to render him OKjL a little assistance in gaining admission . Although upwards of fifty , " && £ ] 1 C was comparatively a young Mason , and had never attended an W ' American lodge before . 1 afterwards learnt that he had taken his

several Degrees at long intervals , and under somewhat difficult circumstances , having been " made " in Ireland , " passed " in Melbourne , and " raised " in Liverpool . lie was fond of Masonry , and , like many others of his profession whom I have met with , was something of an enthusiast on thc subject , consequently he always made a point of visiting a lodge whenever he had an opportunity , " which , from the nature of his avocation , was not often . lie had , however , attended lodges in various parts of the world , but had never before-found any difficulty in so doing .

" It seems to me , " said he , confidentially , that these Yankees are just a lectle too smart with their Masonry . How can they expect a fellow like myself , always knocking about at sea , to know as much about it as they do ? They ought to make some allowance . 1 must admit that I don ' t know much about it yet , but 1 think I could toll "icw something that might be of some little service to them should they ever visit lodges in other countries . The universality of Masonry in a general sense anil in theory is all very well , but they would find that different nations vary considerably in the practice of details . "

Having passed the portals , we met with a most cordial greeting from our American brethren , and spent in their society a very interesting and instructive eveuiii " . The . Masonic business being over , nothing would suit my new friend but I must accompany him on board his ship , then lying at the jetty , and smoke a nine with him before " turning in . " I accepted his invitation , and , without entering into particulars , I may remark that we did not " smoke a dry pipe . " As Iliad expected , Captain Conway was a most agieeable and amusing companion , and we soon became as friendly and sociable as though wo had known each other

for years . Masonry was naturally the staple of our conversation , but on finding that , instead of thc steward or cabin boy , usual in vessels of the " Merric Maide " class , she had on board a stewardess , 1 remarked " that I had been under thc impression that these female sailors were restricted to passenger ships . "

He said " not always ; some captains prefer them to men , being more handy and homely in some things , and generally more reliable . " He had first engaged his stewardess live or six years ago , when he commenced taking his girl to sea with him , but ho had got used to her and she to him , and as long as she didn't want to chango he didn't want to loso her . The Captain hud been twice married , and was then a widower , having lost his second wife

seven years ago . He had no family by his first marriage , and only a daughter by his second . This young lady—Nellie—named after her mother , generally accompanied him on his short voyages , very much to her own gratification and to thc no small delig ht of her father , but quite the reverse to the elderly maiden aunt who had taken the place of her lost parent , and greatly to the annoyance of tho highly accomplished principal of a certain " Select , Seminary for Young Ladies , " who had undertaken the responsibility of her education .

" It is really too bail of the Captain to be always interrupting Miss Conway ' s studies , just as she is getting on so nicely , by taking her off to sea with him as though she were a great boy . " In the Captain ' s opinion Nellie had had quite enough of school—nearly ten years of it , with the exception of an occasional trip to sea . She was turned fifteen , anil although sho might not be so highly educated as other girls of her class he

was satisfied with her . If sho was not a very good hand at the piano she could play and sing well enough for him , and , moreover , she could swim like a duck , and pull an oar , or even sail a boat as well as any girl of her age , or boy either for that matter . I naturally felt a little curiosity to see this accomplished young lady , but she was then staying on shore with some friends until the ship should be ready for sea .

On limling that 1 was about returning to Europe the Captain warmly invited me to take a passage home with him , assuring me that it would not put him out in the least , as he hurl a spare berth in the cabin , and would be delighted to have

company . l ' ersomiljy , 1 rather like a short passage in a sailing-ship when time will admit , as on this occasion it would . I therefore availed myself of this kindly offer without hesitation , and before we parted hud arranged to have my baggage

The "Merrie Maide."

on board the next day , as the ship had nearly completed her lading , and was expected to sail early on the following morning for Havre . Owing to sonic delay in the arrival of a portion of tho cargo it was evening before wo cast off from the wharf , when a tug-boat came alongside and towed us clear of the river , well out into the bay , where , there being little or no wind , the pilot ordered the anchor to be dropped , in the expectation of a breeze springing

up in the morning . 1 hat he was not deceived was evinced before daylight , when I was aroused from a rather uneasy sleep by the noise of the windlass and other familiar sounds , which plainly intimated that we were getting under weigh . We had passed Sandy Hook when I came on deck , and shortly afterwards a smart , little pilot-boat ranged alongside , ami our pilot , after wishing its a safe and pleasant voyage , bade us farewell .

J he Captain then took charge of the ship , and the wind being steady and fair he soon had every stitch of canvas on her that could be of service , and sent her Hying over the smooth water with her bowsprit pointing homeward . We had remarkably line weather during the first portion of our journey , the wind , though light , being generally in our favour ; meanwhile I had become better acquainted with several of my fellow voyagers . The idol of the whole ship ' s company was Nellie Conway—well formed and rather tall for her

yearsbright brown eyes , and hair to match , with a fresh complexion and a smiling face , slightly tinged with bronze—a perfect picture , in fact , of health and merriment . From an artist ' s point of view she would probably not have been deemed a beauty , although had her mouth been a trifle smaller , and her nose just a shade less retrousse , she might fairly have laid claim to that distinction . As it was , however , she seemed well content with herself , and was just a merry ,

goodhearted , and sensible girl , quite at home on board , and evincing an much interest in the ship and its belongings as did her father , to whom she was warmly attached . We soon became great friends . The ship , I may remark , had for a figure-head a nicely carved representation of Miss Nellie at the age of eight , at which early period of her life she had , under her father ' s guidance , assisted in naming and launching the good ship " Merrie Maide" br breaking the customary bottle over her bows and wishing her " God-speed . "

Hannah Webb , the stewardess , was a hardy , active little woman , a native of Plymouth , whoso age might have been somewhere between 30 and 40 , but I never ventured to question her on the subject . She had a very decided manner and rather a sharp tongue . Naturally of a dark complexion , the sun ami sea air hart made her a veritable gipsy in appearance . Hannah and Miss Conway were evidently on the most friendly terms , and I soon found she was the abettor of her

young charge in many a harmless prank which that lively damsel played upon the officers of tho ship , and quite as often upon her own father . The stout old Chief Mate , who always laughed the loudest , notwithstanding that he was generally the victim , used to say " She ' s a bonuio lass , and if it amuses her it don't hurt me ; she must hare some fun on hand , or she'd be moping for the shore . "

" Your stewardess appears to he a capital sailor , " I remarked to tho Captain one day , having noticed the comparative ease with which she made her way about the deck while the ship was rolling heavily . " Aye , she is that , " ho responded ; " as good a sailor as any man aboard , and a much better one than some who call themselves sailors . Been at sea all her life --born at sea , in fact . She ' s a jewel , sir , that ' s what she is . Why that girl as good as saved my life a couple of years ago ! " "How was that ? " I asked .

Well , it was this way . My ship was in dock , and ns I had nothing to do , the owners asked nie to take a barque , which they had just purchased at Plymouth , round to Swansea . The captain hadn ' t been appointed , but she had her two mates aboard , one a thorough seaman , the other a youngster . She was in ballast , and was going to relit and load at Swansea . No proper hands—only half-a-dozen ' runners , ' fellows who loaf about thc docks , and sometimes get a job to work a ship from one port to another at so much for tho run . Some of them are old

sailors , and good ones too , others are mere duffers . Tho regular crow would be shipped when the vessel was ready for sea , for the voyage to Aden and back . " We got outside in the channel all right , and although I had noticed that some of the men were not quite sober , nnd that others were not much of sailors—still 1 didn ' t mind as it was only a short run . Thc wind was from the south ' ard , and rather squally , so I hauled well away from the land coming down channel . 1 soon saw that tho vessel was over-sparred and rather crank , and 1 intended taking the top-gallant sails off her before dark .

"It came on hazy towards evening nnd I couldn't see the coast , but I reckoned that we were about 15 miles off the Lands End at six o ' clock . " It was a dirty night , showery , anil a heavy sen on . Leaving the second mate in charge , the mate anil I went below to get something to eat , and we hadn't been down above 20 minutes when there wus a tremendous uproar overhead ; wo felt the vessel hoe ! over , unci , by tho time we had managed to scramble on deck , she was on her beam ends . I could seo at once what had happened . A

sharp squall had struck her , and , before the halliards could be let go over she went . The man at the wheel had cither tumbled , or been knocked , overboard , the second mate was injured , and there we lay , like a log in the trough of the sea with the waves breaking over us and the Cornish rocks under our lee . We all set to work , you may be sure , lo try and get the sails off her while the daylight lasted , but it was of no use ; the yards wouldn't come down , and there was nothing for it but to cut away the masts . We concluded to trv the foremast first

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