LIFE AND LETTERS OF JOSEPH HARDY NEESIMA
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62 SCHOOL AND COLLEGE DAYS. saying she would call out Mr. C--pretty soon, and she asked me my name. I told her my name very plainly, but she could not get hold of my last name hardly, and went away understanding only that my name is Joseph. After a while Mr. C--came to the parlor and shook my hand. Then I told him: "I am a stranger. My name is Joseph N eesima. I left Boston this afternoon at four o'clock to go to Chatham, but I took the wrong train, not knowing the cars changed at the station of Tremont, and I arrived in this city unexpectedly. Be so kind as to direct me to a house where I may pass the night with the least expense." He asked me: "Have you money enough to pay for your lodging?" I answered him: "Yes, Sir, I have, but I hope to pass the night with the least expense, because I did not expect at all to come to this city to-night." He thought I was a poor traveler and gave half of a dollar saying: "This may help you to a half of your lodging." I did not take it from him, saying: "No, thank you, Sir, I do not wish to take this from you, but I hope you will direct me to a safe place." It was quite dark inside of his house, because it was a cloudy evening and it was after seven o'clock. He took me out of his house and told me he would take me to a Seaman's Home, because he thought I was a poor Spanish fishman, seeing my dark complexion and knowing that many Spanish people are coming in the city for the whale business. When I was in his house I could not distinguish his appearance hardly, but I saw him very well out of the door. He is about fifty-six or seven years of age, and his stature is about middle size. He has dark hairs, and some of them are turned to gray. His manner is very
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