Blow the Man Down - A Romance of the Coast

Captain Candage had owned up frankly to himself that he was not able to

exercise any authority over his daughter when she was ashore.

She was not wilful; she was not obstinate; she gave him affection. But

she had become a young woman while his slow thoughts were classing her

still as a child. She was always ahead of all his calculations. In

his absences she jumped from stage to stage of character--almost of

identity! He had never forgotten how he had brought back to her from New

York, after one voyage, half a gunny sackful of tin toys, and discovered

that in his absence, by advice and sanction of her aunt, who had become

her foster-mother, she had let her dresses down to ankle-length and had

become a young lady whom he called "Miss Candage" twice before he had

managed to get his emotions straightened out. While he was wondering

about the enormity of tin toys in the gunny sack at his feet, as he sat

in the aunt's parlor; his daughter asked him to come as guest of

honor with the Sunday-school class's picnic which she was arranging as

teacher. That gave him his opportunity to lie about the toys and allege

that he had brought them for her scholars.

Captain Candage, on the deck of his ship, found that he was able to

muster a little courage and bluster for a few minutes, but he did not

dare to look at her for long while he was asserting himself.

He looked at her then as she stood in the gloomy companionway, a

radiant and rosy picture of healthy maidenhood. But the expression on

her face was not comfortingly filial.

"Father, I must say it again. I can't help saying it. I am so unhappy.

You are misjudging me so cruelly."

"I done it because I thought it was right to do it. I haven't been

tending and watching the way a father ought to tend and watch. I never

seemed to be able to ketch up with you. Maybe I ain't right. Maybe I be!

At any rate, I'm going to stand on this tack, in your case, for a while

longer."

"You have taken me away from my real home for this? This is no place for

a girl! You are not the same as you are when you are on shore. I didn't

know you could be so rough--and--wicked!"

"Hold on there, daughter! Snub cable right there! I'm an honest,

God-fearing, hard-working man--paying a hundred cents on the dollar, and

you know it."

"But what did you just shout--right out where everybody could hear you?"