"But a wife and children," I insisted. " A home
of your own, and all that. Think of it, back from
a voyage, little children climbing on your knee, and
the wife happy and smiling, and a kiss for you
when she lays the table, and a kiss all around from
the babies when they go to bed, and the kettle
singing and the long talk afterward of where you ve
been and what you ve seen, and of her and all the
little happenings at home while you ve been away,
and " J

"Garn ! " he cried, with a playful shove of his fist
on m shoulder. " Wot s yer game, eh ? A missus
kissin', an kids clim in', an kettle singin', all on
four poini ten a month w en you ave a ship, an'
four nothin w en you aven t. I ll tell you wot
I d get on four poun ten a missus rowin',
kids squallin', no coal t make the kettle sing,
an the kettle up the spout, that s wot I d get.
Enough t make a bloke bloomin well glad to
be back t sea. A missus ! Wot for ? T make
you mis rable ? Kids ? Jest take my counsel,
matey, an don t ave em. Look at me ! I can
ave my beer w en I like, an no blessed missus
an kids a-cryin for bread. I m appy, I am, with
my beer an mates like you, an a good ship comin',
an another trip to sea. So I say, let s ave another
pint. Arf an arf s good enough fer me."

Without going further with the speech of this

[[37]]

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v?