George Meredith - "A Reading of Life, and Other Poems"

Sir Edwin Arnold - "The Light of Asia"

Homer Eon Flint - "The Emancipatrix"

Mary Roberts Rinehart - "K"

New Philadelphia Book Publisher Highlights Local Talent
Book and Publishing News from Publishers Newswire(tm)

Looking for Child to be on Cover of a New Book, 'The Model Child'
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The Philadelphia literary world will celebrate the launch of two new players today, April 10th: Kay Square Press, a new publishing company focused on Philadelphia-area artists, their stories, and their art; and Kay Square's first release, 'With the Rich and Mighty: Emlen Etting of Philadelphia' (ISBN: 978-0-9815129-0-7), a critical biography by Kenneth C. Kaleta.

FlatSigned Press Alleges Don Imus Remarks Damage Legacy of President Gerald R. Ford
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Nathan Yungerberg, an accomplished model scout and professional child photographer is launching a nation-wide casting call to find the cover model for his highly anticipated book release, 'The Model Child: A Parents Guide to the Child Modeling Industry' (ISBN: 978-0-9817018-0-6).

Books: Many Cargoes

W >> W.W. Jacobs >> Many Cargoes




"Look there!" he shouted.

The captain looked. Fifty or sixty yards away, a small shamefaced-
looking schooner, so it appeared to his excited imagination, was slowly
approaching them. A minute later a shout went up from the other craft as
she took in sail and bore slowly down upon them. Then a small boat put
off to the buoy, and the Mary Ann was slowly warped into the place she
had left ten hours before.

But while all this was going on, she was boarded by her captain and
mate. They were met by Captain Bing, supported by his mate, who had
hastily pushed off from the Smiling Jane to the assistance of his chief.
In the two leading features before mentioned he was not unlike the mate
of the Mary Ann, and much stress was laid upon this fact by the
unfortunate Bing in his explanation. So much so, in fact, that both the
mates got restless; the skipper, who was a plain man, and given to
calling a spade a spade, using the word "pimply" with what seemed to
them unnecessary iteration.

It is possible that the interview might have lasted for hours had not
Bing suddenly changed his tactics and begun to throw out dark hints
about standing a dinner ashore, and settling it over a friendly glass.
The face of the Mary Ann's captain began to clear, and, as Bing
proceeded from generalities to details, a soft smile played over his
expressive features. It was reflected in the faces of the mates, who by
these means showed clearly that they understood the table was to be laid
for four.

At this happy turn of affairs Bing himself smiled, and a little while
later a ship's boat containing four boon companions put off from the
Mary Ann and made for the shore. Of what afterwards ensued there is no
distinct record, beyond what may be gleaned from the fact that the
quartette turned up at midnight arm-in-arm, and affectionately refused
to be separated--even to enter the ship's boat, which was waiting for
them. The sailors were at first rather nonplussed, but by dint of much
coaxing and argument broke up the party, and rowing them to their
respective vessels, put them carefully to bed.




CONTRABAND OF WAR


A small but strong lamp was burning in the fo'c'sle of the schooner
Greyhound, by the light of which a middle-aged seaman of sedate
appearance sat crocheting an antimacassar. Two other men were snoring
with deep content in their bunks, while a small, bright-eyed boy sat up
in his, reading adventurous fiction.

"Here comes old Dan," said the man with the anti-macassar warningly, as
a pair of sea boots appeared at the top of the companion-ladder; "better
not let him see you with that paper, Billee."

The boy thrust it beneath his blankets, and, lying down, closed his eyes
as the new comer stepped on to the floor.

"All asleep?" inquired the latter.

The other man nodded, and Dan, without any further parley, crossed over
to the sleepers and shook them roughly.

"Eh! wha's matter?" inquired the sleepers plaintively.

"Git up," said Dan impressively, "I want to speak to you. Something
important."

With sundry growls the men complied, and, thrusting their legs out of
their bunks, rolled on to the locker, and sat crossly waiting for
information.

"I want to do a pore chap a good turn," said Dan, watching them narrowly
out of his little black eyes, "an' I want you to help me; an' the boy
too. It's never too young to do good to your fellow-creatures, Billy."

"I know it ain't," said Billy, taking this as permission to join the
group; "I helped a drunken man home once when I was only ten years old,
an' when I was only--"

The speaker stopped, not because he had come to the end of his remarks,
but because one of the seamen had passed his arm around his neck and was
choking him.

"Go on," said the man calmly; "I've got him. Spit it out, Dan, and none
of your sermonising."

"Well, it's like this, Joe," said the old man; "here's a pore chap, a
young sojer from the depot here, an' he's cut an' run. He's been in
hiding in a cottage up the road two days, and he wants to git to London,
and git honest work and employment, not shooting, an' stabbing, an'
bayoneting--"

"Stow it," said Joe impatiently.

"He daren't go to the railway station, and he dursen't go outside in his
uniform," continued Dan. "My 'art bled for the pore young feller, an'
I've promised to give 'im a little trip to London with us. The people
he's staying with won't have him no longer. They've only got one bed,
and directly he sees any sojers coming he goes an' gits into it, whether
he's got his boots on or not."

"Have you told the skipper?" inquired Joe sardonically.

"I won't deceive you, Joe, I 'ave not," replied the old man. "He'll have
to stay down here of a daytime, an' only come on deck of a night when
it's our watch. I told 'im what a lot of good-'arted chaps you was, and
how--"

"How much is he going to give you?" inquired Joe impatiently.

"It's only fit and proper he should pay a little for the passage," said
Dan.

"How MUCH?" demanded Joe, banging the little triangular table with his
fist, and thereby causing the man with the antimacassar to drop a couple
of stitches.

"Twenty-five shillings," said old Dan reluctantly; "an' I'll spend the
odd five shillings on you chaps when we git to Limehouse."

"I don't want your money," said Joe; "there's a empty bunk he can have;
and mind, you take all the responsibility--I won't have nothing to do
with it."

"Thanks, Joe," said the old man, with a sigh of relief; "he's a nice
young chap, you're sure to take to him. I'll go and give him the tip to
come aboard at once."

He ran up on deck again and whistled softly, and a figure, which had
been hiding behind a pile of empties, came out, and, after looking
cautiously around, dropped noiselessly on to the schooner's deck, and
followed its protector below.

"Good evening, mates," said the linesman, gazing curiously and anxiously
round him as he deposited a bundle on the table, and laid his swagger
cane beside it.

"What's your height?" inquired Joe abruptly. "Seven foot?"

"No, only six foot four," said the new arrival, modestly. "I'm not proud
of it. It's much easier for a small man to slip off than a big one."

"It licks me," said Joe thoughtfully, "what they want 'em back for--I
should think they'd be glad to git rid o' such"--he paused a moment
while politeness struggled with feeling, and added, "skunks."

"P'raps I've a reason for being a skunk, p'raps I haven't," retorted
Private Smith, as his face fell.

"This'll be your bunk," interposed Dan hastily; "put your things in
there, and when you are in yourself you'll be as comfortable as a oyster
in its shell."

The visitor complied, and, first extracting from the bundle some tins of
meat and a bottle of whiskey, which he placed upon the table, nervously
requested the honour of the present company to supper. With the
exception of Joe, who churlishly climbed back into his bunk, the men
complied, all agreeing that boys of Billy's age should be reared on
strong teetotal principles.

Supper over, Private Smith and his protectors retired to their couches,
where the former lay in much anxiety until two in the morning, when they
got under way.

"It's all right, my lad," said Dan, after the watch had been set, as he
came and stood by the deserter's bunk; "I 've saved you--I've saved you
for twenty-five shillings."

"I wish it was more," said Private Smith politely.

The old man sighed--and waited.

"I'm quite cleaned out, though," continued the deserter, "except
fi'pence ha'penny. I shall have to risk going home in my uniform as it
is."

"Ah, you'll get there all right," said Dan cheerfully; "and when you
get home no doubt you 've got friends, and if it seems to you as you 'd
like to give a little more to them as assisted you in the hour of need,
you won't be ungrateful, my lad, I know. You ain't the sort."

With these words old Dan, patting him affectionately, retired, and the
soldier lay trying to sleep in his narrow quarters until he was aroused
by a grip on his arm.

"If you want a mouthful of fresh air you 'd better come on deck now,"
said the voice of Joe; "it's my watch. You can get all the sleep you
want in the daytime."

Glad to escape from such stuffy quarters, Private Smith clambered out of
his bunk and followed the other on deck. It was a fine clear night, and
the schooner was going along under a light breeze; the seaman took the
wheel, and, turning to his companion, abruptly inquired what he meant by
deserting and worrying them with six foot four of underdone lobster.

"It's all through my girl," said Private Smith meekly; "first she jilted
me, and made me join the army; now she's chucked the other fellow, and
wrote to me to go back."

"An' now I s'pose the other chap'll take your place in the army," said
Joe. "Why, a gal like that could fill a regiment, if she liked. Pah!
They'll nab you too, in that uniform, and you'll get six months, and
have to finish your time as well."

"It's more than likely," said the soldier gloomily. "I've got to tramp
to Manchester in these clothes, as far as I can see."

"What did you give old Dan all your money for?" inquired Joe.

"I was only thinking of getting away at first," said Smith, "and I had
to take what was offered."

"Well, I'll do what I can for you," said the seaman. "If you're in love,
you ain't responsible for your actions. I remember the first time I got
the chuck. I went into a public-house bar, and smashed all the glass and
bottles I could get at. I felt as though I must do something. If you
were only shorter, I'd lend you some clothes."

"You're a brick," said the soldier gratefully.

"I haven't got any money I could lend you either," said Joe. "I never do
have any, somehow. But clothes you must have."

He fell into deep thought, and cocked his eye aloft as though
contemplating a cutting-out expedition on the sails, while the soldier,
sitting on the side of the ship, waited hopefully for a miracle.

"You'd better get below again," said Joe presently.

"There seems to be somebody moving below; and if the skipper sees you,
you're done. He's a regular Tartar, and he's got a brother what's a
sergeant-major in the army. He'd give you up d'rectly if he spotted
you."

"I'm off," said Smith; and with long, cat-like strides he disappeared
swiftly below.

For two days all went well, and Dan was beginning to congratulate
himself upon his little venture, when his peace of mind was rudely
disturbed. The crew were down below, having their tea, when Billy, who
had been to the galley for hot water, came down, white and scared.

"Look here," he said nervously, "I've not had anything to do with this
chap being aboard, have I?"

"What's the matter?" inquired Dan quickly.

"It's all found out," said Billy.

"WHAT!" cried the crew simultaneously.

"Leastways, it will be," said the youth, correcting himself. "You'd
better chuck him overboard while you've got time. I heard the cap'n tell
the mate as he was coming down in the fo'c'sle to-morrow morning to look
round. He's going to have it painted."

"This," said Dan, in the midst of a painful pause, "this is what comes
of helping a fellow-creature. What's to be done?"

"Tell the skipper the fo'c'sle don't want painting," suggested Billy.

The agonised old seaman, carefully putting down his saucer of tea,
cuffed his head spitefully.

"It's a smooth sea," said he, looking at the perturbed countenance of
Private Smith, "'an there's a lot of shipping about. If I was a
deserter, sooner than be caught, I would slip overboard to-night with a
lifebelt and take my chance."

"I wouldn't," said Mr. Smith, with much decision.

"You wouldn't? Not if you was quite near another ship?" cooed Dan.

"Not if I was near fifty blooming ships, all trying to see which could
pick me up first," replied Mr. Smith, with some heat.

"Then we shall have to leave you to your fate," said Dan solemnly. "If a
man's unreasonable, his best friends can do nothing for him."

"Chuck all his clothes overboard, anyway," said Billy.

"That's a good idea o' the boy's. You leave his ears alone," said Joe,
stopping the ready hand of the exasperated Dan. "He's got more sense
than any of us. Can you think of anything else, Billy? What shall we do
then?"

The eyes of all were turned upon their youthful deliverer, those of Mr.
Smith being painfully prominent. It was a proud moment for Billy, and he
sat silent for some time, with a look of ineffable wisdom and thought
upon his face. At length he spoke.

"Let somebody else have a turn," he said generously.

The voice of the antimacassar worker broke the silence.

"Paint him all over with stripes of different-coloured paint, and let
him pretend he's mad, and didn't know how he got here," he said, with an
uncontrollable ring of pride at the idea, which was very coldly
received, Private Smith being noticeably hard on it.

"I know," said Billy shrilly, clapping his hands. "I've got it, I 've
got it. After he's chucked his clothes overboard to-night, let him go
overboard too, with a line."

"And tow him the rest o' the way, and chuck biscuits to him, I suppose,"
snarled Dan.

"No," said the youthful genius scornfully; "pretend he's been upset from
a boat, and has been swimming about, and we heard him cry out for help
and rescued him."

"It's about the best way out of it," said Joe, after some deliberation;
"it's warm weather, and you won't take no harm, mate. Do it in my watch,
and I'll pull you out directly."

"Wouldn't it do if you just chucked a bucket of water over me and SAID
you'd pulled me out," suggested the victim. "The other thing seems a
downright LIE."

"No," said Billy authoritatively, "you've got to look half-drowned, and
swallow a lot of water, and your eyes be all bloodshot."

Everybody being eager for the adventure, except Private Smith, the
arrangements were at once concluded, and the approach of night
impatiently awaited. It was just before midnight when Smith, who had
forgotten for the time his troubles in sleep, was shaken into
wakefulness.

"Cold water, sir?" said Billy gleefully.

In no mood for frivolity, Private Smith rose and followed the youth on
deck. The air struck him as chill as he stood there; but, for all that,
it was with a sense of relief that he saw Her Majesty's uniform go over
the side and sink into the dark water.

"He don't look much with his padding off, does he?" said Billy, who had
been eyeing him critically.

"You go below," said Dan sharply.

"Garn," said Billy indignantly; "I want to see the fun as well as you
do. I thought of it."

"Fun?" said the old man severely. "Fun? To see a feller creature
suffering, and perhaps drowned--"

"I don't think I had better go," said the victim; "it seems rather
underhand."

"Yes, you will," said Joe. "Wind this line round an' round your arm, and
just swim about gently till I pull you in."

Sorely against his inclination Private Smith took hold of the line, and,
hanging over the side of the schooner, felt the temperature with his
foot, and, slowly and tenderly, with many little gasps, committed his
body to the deep. Joe paid out the line and waited, letting out more
line, when the man in the water, who was getting anxious, started to
come in hand over hand.

"That'll do," said Dan at length.

"I think it will," said Joe, and, putting his hand to his mouth, gave a
mighty shout. It was answered almost directly by startled roars from the
cabin, and the skipper and mate came rushing hastily upon deck, to see
the crew, in their sleeping gear, forming an excited group round Joe,
and peering eagerly over the side.

"What's the matter?" demanded the skipper.

"Somebody in the water, sir," said Joe, relinquishing the wheel to one
of the other seamen, and hauling in the line. "I heard a cry from the
water and threw a line, and, by gum, I've hooked it!"

He hauled in, lustily aided by the skipper, until the long white body of
Private Smith, blanched with the cold, came bumping against the
schooner's side.

"It's a mermaid," said the mate, who was inclined to be superstitious,
as he peered doubtfully down at it. "Let it go, Joe."

"Haul it in, boys," said the skipper impatiently; and two of the men
clambered over the side and, stooping down, raised it from the water.

In the midst of a puddle, which he brought with him, Private Smith was
laid on the deck, and, waving his arms about, fought wildly for his
breath.

"Fetch one of them empties," said the skipper quickly, as he pointed to
some barrels ranged along the side.

The men rolled one over, and then aided the skipper in placing the long
fair form of their visitor across it, and to trundle it lustily up and
down the deck, his legs forming convenient handles for the energetic
operators.

"He's coming round," said the mate, checking them; "he's speaking. How
do you feel, my poor fellow?"

He put his ear down, but the action was unnecessary. Private Smith felt
bad, and, in the plainest English he could think of at the moment, said
so distinctly.

"He's swearing," said the mate. "He ought to be ashamed of himself."

"Yes," said the skipper austerely; "and him so near death too. How did
you get in the water?"

"Went for a--swim," panted Smith surlily.

"SWIM?" echoed the skipper. "Why, we're ten miles from land!"

"His mind's wandering, pore feller," interrupted Joe hurriedly. "What
boat did you fall out of, matey?"

"A row-boat," said Smith, trying to roll out of reach of the skipper,
who was down on his knees flaying him alive with a roller-towel. "I had
to undress in the water to keep afloat. I've lost all my clothes."

"Pore feller," said Dan.

"A gold watch and chain, my purse, and three of the nicest fellers that
ever breathed," continued Smith, who was now entering into the spirit of
the thing.

"Poor chaps," said the skipper solemnly. "Any of 'em leave any family?"

"Four," said Smith sadly.

"Children?" queried the mate.

"Families," said Smith.

"Look here," said the mate, but the watchful Joe interrupted him.

"His mind's wandering," said he hastily. "He can't count, pore chap. We
'd better git him to bed."

"Ah, do," said the skipper, and, assisted by his friends, the rescued
man was half led, half carried below and put between the blankets, where
he lay luxuriously sipping a glass of brandy and water, sent from the
cabin.

"How'd I do it?" he inquired, with a satisfied air.

"There was no need to tell all them lies about it," said Dan sharply;
"instead of one little lie you told half-a-dozen. I don't want nothing
more to do with you. You start afresh now, like a new-born babe."

"All right," said Smith shortly; and, being very much fatigued with his
exertions, and much refreshed by the brandy, fell into a deep and
peaceful sleep.

The morning was well advanced when he awoke, and the fo'c'sle empty
except for the faithful Joe, who was standing by his side, with a heap
of clothing under his arm.

"Try these on," said he, as Smith stared at him half awake; "they'll be
better than nothing, at any rate."

The soldier leaped from his bunk and gratefully proceeded to dress
himself, Joe eyeing him critically as the trousers climbed up his long
legs, and the sleeves of the jacket did their best to conceal his
elbows.

"What do I look like?" he inquired anxiously, as he finished.

"Six foot an' a half o' misery," piped the shrill voice of Billy
promptly, as he thrust his head in at the fo'c'sle. "You can't go to
church in those clothes."

"Well, they'll do for the ship, but you can't go ashore in 'em," said
Joe, as he edged towards the ladder, and suddenly sprang up a step or
two to let fly at the boy, "The old man wants to see you; be careful
what you say to him."

With a very unsuccessful attempt to appear unconscious of the figure he
cut, Smith went up on deck for the interview.

"We can't do anything until we get to London," said the skipper, as he
made copious notes of Smith's adventures. "As soon as we get there, I'll
lend you the money to telegraph to your friends to tell 'em you're safe
and to send you some clothes, and of course you'll have free board and
lodging till it comes, and I'll write out an account of it for the
newspapers."

"You're very good," said Smith blankly.

"And I don't know what you are," said the skipper, interrogatively; "but
you ought to go in for swimming as a profession--six hours' swimming
about like that is wonderful."

"You don't know what you can do till you have to," said Smith modestly,
as he backed slowly away; "but I never want to see the water again as
long as I live."

The two remaining days of their passage passed all too quickly for the
men, who were casting about for some way out of the difficulty which
they foresaw would arise when they reached London.

"If you'd only got decent clothes," said Joe, as they passed Gravesend,
"you could go off and send a telegram, and not come back; but you
couldn't go five yards in them things without having a crowd after you."

"I shall have to be taken I s'pose," said Smith moodily.

"An' poor old Dan'll get six months hard for helping you off," said Joe
sympathetically, as a bright idea occurred to him.

"Rubbish!" said Dan uneasily. "He can stick to his tale of being upset;
anyway, the skipper saw him pulled out of the water. He's too honest a
chap to get an old man into trouble for trying to help him."

"He must have a new rig out, Dan," said Joe softly. "You an' me'll go
an' buy 'em. I'll do the choosing, and you'll do the paying. Why, it'll
be a reg'lar treat for you to lay out a little money, Dan. We'll have
quite an evening's shopping, everything of the best."

The infuriated Dan gasped for breath, and looked helplessly at the
grinning crew.

"I'll see him--overboard first," he said furiously.

"Please yourself," said Joe shortly, "If he's caught you'll get six
months. As it is, you've got a chance of doing a nice, kind little
Christian act, becos, o' course, that twenty-five bob you got out of him
won't anything like pay for his toggery."

Almost beside himself with indignation, the old man moved off, and said
not another word until they were made fast to the wharf at Limehouse. He
did not even break silence when Joe, taking him affectionately by the
arm, led him aft to the skipper.

"Me an' Dan, sir," said Joe very respectfully, "would like to go ashore
for a little shopping. Dan has very kindly offered to lend that pore
chap the money for some clothes, and he wants me to go with him to help
carry them."

"Ay, ay," said the skipper, with a benevolent smile at the aged
philanthropist. "You'd better go at once, afore the shops shut."

"We'll run, sir," said Joe, and taking Dan by the arm, dragged him into
the street at a trot.

Nearly a couple of hours passed before they returned, and no child
watched with greater eagerness the opening of a birthday present than
Smith watched the undoing of the numerous parcels with which they were
laden.

"He's a reg'lar fairy godmother, ain't he?" said Joe, as Smith joyously
dressed himself in a very presentable tweed suit, serviceable boots, and
a bowler hat. "We had a dreadful job to get a suit big enough, an' the
only one we could get was rather more money than we wanted to give,
wasn't it, Dan?"

The fairy godmother strove manfully with his feelings.

"You'll do now," said Joe. "I ain't got much, but what I have you're
welcome to." He put his hand into his pocket and pulled out some loose
coin. "What have you got, mates?"

With decent good will the other men turned out their pockets, and,
adding to the store, heartily pressed it upon the reluctant Smith, who,
after shaking hands gratefully, followed Joe on deck.

"You've got enough to pay your fare," said the latter; "an' I've told
the skipper you are going ashore to send off telegrams. If you send the
money back to Dan, I'll never forgive you."

"I won't, then," said Smith firmly; "but I'll send theirs back to the
other chaps. Good-bye."

Joe shook him by the hand again, and bade him go while the coast was
clear, advice which Smith hastened to follow, though he turned and
looked back to wave his hand to the crew, who had come up on deck
silently to see him off; all but the philanthropist, who was down below
with a stump of lead-pencil and a piece of paper doing sums.




A BLACK AFFAIR


"I didn't want to bring it," said Captain Gubson, regarding somewhat
unfavourably a grey parrot whose cage was hanging against the mainmast,
"but my old uncle was so set on it I had to. He said a sea-voyage would
set its 'elth up."

"It seems to be all right at present," said the mate, who was tenderly
sucking his forefinger; "best of spirits, I should say."

"It's playful," assented the skipper. "The old man thinks a rare lot of
it. I think I shall have a little bit in that quarter, so keep your eye
on the beggar."

"Scratch Poll!" said the parrot, giving its bill a preliminary strop on
its perch. "Scratch poor Polly!"

It bent its head against the bars, and waited patiently to play off what
it had always regarded as the most consummate practical joke in
existence. The first doubt it had ever had about it occurred when the
mate came forward and obligingly scratched it with the stem of his pipe.
It was a wholly unforeseen development, and the parrot, ruffling its
feathers, edged along its perch and brooded darkly at the other end of
it.