Desk and Debit; or, The Catastrophes of a Clerk

?" asked Mr. Whippleton, one Saturday af

oughly repaired, painted, and rigged, and lay off the lumber-yard. She was a beau

boat," I replied; "but I used to han

sed to boa

to row

h me; and I intend to take a little turn out in the lake,

should like to go v

ling Ex

ge

ho bore that interesting name, though, for reasons which will appear in the sequel, he never married her. I was delighted with the boat when I went on board of her, and glanced int

her sorry, as I looked at her, that I was not a rich man, able to own just such a craft, for I could conceive of nothing more pleasant than coasting up and down the lake, exploring the rivers, bays, and i

ff those st

to

th which the mainsail i

ail nearest to me, and I untied the "stops,

by the jib halyards,

doomsday, if you will on

artner, as he went forward and cast off the ropes indicated, which were fastened to a

do anything. Fortunately there are so few ropes on an ordinary sloop that my weak head could carry the names and uses of all without confusion. There was not much wind u

inter," continue

ho

pai

t him off here, where the water is so dirty; I would r

fastened to the wharf is calle

tening the rope at the shore

s salt as a boiled lobste

be, though I had not the least idea what a lobster was

heet, Phil," sa

e I had seen two beds very n

are you

here's some on the

ed, laughing at my blunder, and handing me

of the boat from the knowledge I have since obtained, for I am an "old salt" now. I watched the operations of the skipper with keen attention, for I was taking my first lesson in handling a boat, and I was deeply interested. Skilfull

, grown tender in my clerkly occupation, exhibited two or three blisters when we reached the mouth of the river. It was a nice thing for a ge

as he headed the boat down the lake. "We are out of the river,

oom; and, as soon as I had made fast the halyard, the skipper luffed up and fastened down the jib. The boat heeled over, and began to cut through the water at a very exciting rate. It was a

it, Phil?" aske

much

andled comfortably by one man, and two make it a pleasant thing for both of them. Sit do

about, which was to let go the jib-sheet on the lee side, when the sail shook, and haul in on the weather side. To illustrate the point, he

expected you would," said Mr. Whippleton, when he had tacked a

d it very attentively. My father, who served his tim

your f

but now he is the agent of

s Mr. Collingsby said anything t

e I have been in the counting-room; never

s well pleased with your work, and spoke o

ed with this testimony; for I felt that it was the first po

nd very plainly; that your footings

neat," I answered, delighted beyon

nued Mr. Whippleton. "I have a great deal of out-door business to do, and the entire charge of the books is to

do the posting and keep the cash book; or rather, that I should assist him in doing these things. He wished me to look into the system of book-keeping the firm had a

ailing," he added. "If we can get away at three or four in the afternoon, we shall have so

sked, as I glanced at the broad expans

es. You can go to the head of Lake Superior, o

n this

y n

e isn't lar

in; and there is a cook-stove forward, where you can ge

ent storms on the l

ad weather, and you can make a harbor. With a boat of this size you can run into any creek or river, anchor, and eat and sleep till it is fair weather again. I always keep within a

to go with yo

culating in lands, keeps a boat just like the Florina

h men. A poor boy, like me, had no right to think of them. Mr. Whippleton had come about, and at dark we were at the mouth of Chicago River ag

ll be Sunday,

sails just as well on Sun

Sunday. I want to go to ch

per, contemptuously. "I always sail Sundays, a

xcuse me, sir; I w

is point. I went home, feeling that I had offended my employe