of all.
Yet these men were all of them brim full of fire, even those made most stupid by sea and tropical air. You might see it in their quick jerky movements when molested ; in the firm step, the flashing eye, the com- pressed lip. Each felt himself to be in the path of duty, felt that he was doing the fashionable thing, the right thing. They were sacrificially ordained, and were elevated by the call ; they had given up all for gold, and their thoughts and dreams and even their breath of life, were golden.
Steamship life is not so dull as it is disgusting ; not so much monotony as morbidity. On board clipper ships, which carry few passengers, there is much more dullness, but there is less social gangrene, less morose- ness and chronic distemper. There is a difference between sameness and dullness. Every day of a sea- voyage must be necessarily much the same, every day may be even disagreeable, but no day need be necessarily dull, and no person need necessarily be overcome of ennui. There is much to observe, much to learn. Aside from books, every man has a biogra- phy worthy the knowledge of every other man, could its essence be extracted. Some study Spanish, some read, some play euchre, whist, or solitaire, chess or back-gannnon, some write letters or keep a journal, and not a few flirt. A sea voyage is love's opportunity ; she whose temper can pass triumphantly the oceanic ordeal is worthy Amadis of Gaul. Many a play at love has ended with the voyage in marriage. Some of those who left the fair one behind felt their love to some extent evaporate with sea air and sea-sickness; others still studied the chronometer for the precise moment which should bring their angel to the ap- pointed star-gazing. Here and there a newly married couple may be seen lost in each other, her head upon his shoulder, his arm around her waist, indifferent to remark and oblivious to derisive smiles ; but for one such pair you may see a dozen who no less publicly display
