But John Selwyn was a fine , handsome young fellow . He boarded at my father 's , and he and me were cronies , though he was ten years older 'n me . We read and walked and talked a heap together . He knew about all the poetry that was ever written , I reckon , and he used to quote it to me along shore in the evenings . Dad thought it an awful waste of time , but he sorter endured it , hoping it 'd put me off the notion of going to sea . Well , nothing could do THAT -- mother come of a race of sea-going folk and it was born in me . But I loved to hear John read and recite . It 's almost sixty years ago , but I could repeat yards of poetry I learned from him . Nearly sixty years ! '' Captain Jim was silent for a space , gazing into the glowing fire in a quest of the bygones . Then , with a sigh , he resumed his story . `` I remember one spring evening I met him on the sand-hills . He looked sorter uplifted -- jest like you did , Dr. Blythe , when you brought Mistress Blythe in tonight . I thought of him the minute I seen you . And he told me that he had a sweetheart back home and that she was coming out to him . I was n't more 'n half pleased , ornery young lump of selfishness that I was ; I thought he would n't be as much my friend after she came . But I 'd enough decency not to let him see it . He told me all about her . Her name was Persis Leigh , and she would have come out with him if it had n't been for her old uncle . He was sick , and he 'd looked after her when her parents died and she would n't leave him .
And now he was dead and she was coming out to marry John XXXXX .
Blythe Jim John Leigh Selwyn evenings fire sand-hills sorter years