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Owen Hartley; or, Ups and Downs A Tale of Land and Sea By: William Henry Giles Kingston (1814-1880) |
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Owen is a teenager who had been quite well educated, but who had just
been orphaned. There is a family relation who has a shipping business
in Wapping, London. A kind friend escorts the boy there, and he is
granted an interview with the head of the firm, his relation. He is
able to prove to the old man that he is indeed his relation, and is
given a job as an assistant clerk. He does his work very well, and it
is decided that he ought to be sent on a round trip away by sea, so that
he shall understand more of the business. Unfortunately the kind and helpful captain is taken ill, and his place
is taken by the mate, who is a very nasty piece of work. Owen is
supposed to be an honoured passenger, but is ordered to give up his
cabin, and take a berth among the ship's boys. One of the boys, Nat, is
an especial target for the general nastiness of the mate, now the
captain. Owen had previously rescued Nat when he had fallen overboard,
and they had become great friends. The stupid and drunken mate, now acting as the captain, insists one day
that his sunsight is correct, while everybody else's is wrong, and
insists on the ship holding her course, which the other officers knew
would lead her into danger. Of course there is a wreck. But maybe we
have now told you enough, so you can read it for yourselves, or listen
to it. OWEN HARTLEY; OR, UPS AND DOWNS, A TALE OF LAND AND SEA, BY WILLIAM H G
KINGSTON. CHAPTER ONE. "Well, boy, what do you want?" These words were uttered in a no pleasant tone by an old gentleman with
a brownish complexion, a yellowish brown scratch wig, somewhat awry, a
decidedly brown coat, breeches, and waistcoat, a neckcloth, once white,
but now partaking of the sombre hue of his other garments; brown
stockings and brownish shoes, ornamented by a pair of silver buckles,
the last mentioned articles being the only part of his costume on which
the eye could rest with satisfaction. On his lap was placed a pocket handkerchief, of a nondescript tint,
brown, predominating, in consequence of its frequent application to a
longish nose, made the recipient of huge quantities of snuff.
Altogether there was a dry, withered leaf like look about the old man
which was not prepossessing. His little grey eyes were sunk deeply in
his head, his sight being aided by a large pair of tortoiseshell
spectacles, which he had now shoved up over his forehead. He was seated on a high stool at a desk in a little back dingy office,
powerfully redolent of odours nautical and unsavoury, emanating from
coils of rope, casks of salt butter, herrings, Dutch cheese, whale oil,
and similar unaromatic articles of commerce. It was in that region made
classical by Dibdin Wapping. The back office in which the old
gentleman sat opened out of one of much larger proportions, though
equally dull and dingy, full of clerks, old and young, on high stools,
busily moving their pens, or rapidly casting up accounts evidence that
no idleness was allowed in the establishment. On one side was a
warehouse, in which large quantities of the above named and similar
ship's stores were collected. In front was a shop, the ceiling hung
with tallow candles, brushes, mats, iron pots, and other things more
useful than ornamental. From one end to the other of it ran a long,
dark coloured counter, behind which stood a man in a brown apron, and
sleeves tucked up, ready to serve out, in small quantities, tea, sugar,
coffee, tallow candles, brushes, twine, tin kettles, and the pots which
hung over his head, within reach of a long stick, placed ready for
detaching them from the hooks on which they were suspended. In the
windows, and on the walls outside, were large placards in red and black
letters, announcing the sailing of various ships of wonderful sea
qualities, and admirable accommodation for passengers, with a statement
that further information would be afforded within... Continue reading book >>
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Genres for this book |
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Adventure |
Fiction |
Sea stories |
Teen/Young adult |
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Wikipedia – William Henry Giles Kingston |
Wikipedia – Owen Hartley; or, Ups and Downs A Tale of Land and Sea |
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