CHRISTMAS AT SEA.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17410, 12 December 1924, Page 7 (Supplement)

CHRISTMAS AT SEA.

The sheets were frozen hard, and they cut the naked hand : The decks were like a slide, where a seaman scarce could stand ; The wind was a. nor’-wester, blowing squally off the sea; and cliffs and spouting breakers were the only things a-lee. They heard the surf a-roaring before the break of day : But twas only with the peep of light we, saw how ill we lay. We tumbled every hand on deck instanter, with a shout, And we gave her the maintops’ 1, and stood by to go about. All day we tacked and tacked between the South Head and the North : All day we hauled the frozen sheets and got no further forth ; All day as cold as charity, in bitter pain and dread. For very life and nature wc tacked from bead to bead. Wo gave the South a wider berth, for there the tide-race roared: But every tack we made we brought the North Head close aboard ; 6o's we saw- the cliffs and bouses, and the breakers running high. And the coastguard in his garden, with his glass against his eye. The frost was on the village roofs as

white as ocean foam : The good red fires were burning bright in every : longshore home; The windows sparkled clear, and the chimneys volleyed out ; And 1 vow we sniffed the victuals as the vessel went about. The. bells upon the church were rung with a jovial cheer ; For it's just tlmt T should tell you how (of all day* in the year) This day of our adversity was bles.-.cd Christmas morn. And the house above the coastguard’s was the house where I was born. O well I saw the pleasant room, the pleasant faces there. My mother's silver spectacles m; father’s silver hair; And well T saw* the firelight, like a flight of homely elves. Go dancing round the china plates that stand upon the shelves. And well T knew the talk thev had, the talk that was of me. Of the. shadow’ on the, household and the son that went to sea ; And O the wicked fool I seemed, in every kind of way, To be here and hauling frozen ropes on blessed Christmas Day. They lit the high sea-light, and the dark began to fall. " All hands to loose topgallant sails,” f heard the captain call. ** By the Cord, she’ll never stand it,” our first- mate Jackson, cried. « . . “It's the one way or the other, Mr Jackson,” he replied. Fhe staggered to her bearings, but the sails were new and good. And the ship smelt up to windward just as though she. understood. As the winter's day wa« ending, in the entry of the night, Me cleared the weary headland, arid passed below the light. And they heaved a mighty breath, every soul on board but me. As they saw her nose again pointing handsome out to sea • But all that. T could think of in the darkness and the colt I .* W as just that T was leaving home ar.d my folks were growing old. Bobert Louis Stevenson.