But
the ungrateful rascals do not like the "straw house," and use
very bad language about it.
The galling thing about the whole affair is that the "sailors'
home" figures in certain official publications as a charity,
which must be partially supported by outside contributions. It
may be a charitable institution, but it certainly is not so to
the sailor, who pays fully for everything he receives. The
charity is bestowed upon a far different class of people to
merchant Jack. Let it be granted that a man is sober and
provident, always getting a ship before his money is all gone, he
will probably be well content at the home, although very few
seamen like to be reminded ashore of their sea routine, as the
manner of the home is. If the institution does not pay a
handsome dividend, with its clothing shops and refreshment bars,
as well as the boarding-house lousiness on such a large scale,
only one inference can be fairly drawn--there must be something
radically wrong with the management.
After this burst of temper, perhaps I had better get back to the
subject in hand. It was, I suppose, in the usual contrary nature
of things that, while we were all in this nearly helpless
condition, one evening just before sunset, along comes a sperm
whale.
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