Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1854-06-21
by SAMUEL d. HARRIS, Jr.
MISCELLANY.
THE ICE VOYAGE.
A SAILOR BOYS FORTUNE.
BY GEO. s. REYMoND.

BY GEO. s. REYMoND. I
"Joy, joy! Hurrah, mother! You shall have |
fire, aud good things to eat, besides nice,warm
dress and stout shoes now!" shouted chubby
blue-cyed boy Of, It may be, twelve years, clad
Ia the humble garb Of poverty, fiinging wide the
door and bounding into a small comfortless apart
ment on the third floor of dingy looking wooden
building near the canal in the village of Cleve-
land, Ohio.
"Come, hurrah, mother, put away that slave
work and 60 and get you nice warm dinner
right off, continued the little fellow approaching
pale, delicate woman, scantly clad in thin
dress, her face pincied with hunger and her hands
even then blue with cold ... .... ..,. 4
"What what do you mean, my child" said
the woman looking wonderingly up from her
work. "Do you know have no money to buy
anything to cut, and must finish this vest, be-
fore can get even stick Of woud for our fire,
which is almost out," ay s.. IS. ~. : .a II
Nonsense motlter-let the vest 60 to some.
poor woman that has no stout boy like me to earn
money for her. You shan't work this way any
low flung down on the table his two handsful of
halfdollars, while rogush smile lit up his hand
some face as he bcheld his mothers look of won
der. lsr9 AH .gs25.f" tat p "f",.
"Why, Frank! Frank, my son, where have,
where did you--es I. aHa = =.s at, r.. t....'.
"All right mother" interrupted the boy, and
down went another handful Of bright silver
coin. "I.lstcll YOU all about it, mother. You
see went to get my pay. of Mr.. Dennson to-day
for two mouths cooking on,thc Aurora. Well,
he paid me my $50 all in these pieces, and then
he asked me II would go fol. a month in his new
schooner for fifteen dollars. r - .'as ,......@
II told. him | would, and then when he heard
M. tell how hard YOU had to work and how poor
and sIrk you were hcagavc me. ten doilars more
ad said you must get better room, stop work
ing so hard, besides he says il Eli stay all the
ynter in the schooner and take care OF her, L
shall have twelve dollars every nfsiith, to be paid
weckly to YOU. So hurtuh, mother, We have a
bi,, fire and nice dinner, und---weII, Mr.. Denisoh
is good man after all, If he is 4 rich old bache-
lor, as the crab-apple, old mad aunt lletty John
son, calls tit." s@r fsSa s.str r,~
Heavens bless you my noble boy!!%% sobbcd out
the widow, as si4c claspcd her. arms about hel
childs neck, bowed her li'ad upon his shoulders
and wept like cldior joy; not 80 much for the
,,s,ely aid her son had brought her-a although
er heart was full Of thankfulness for that-1s for
the noble qualities displayed by the brave little
I,l,ow in remembering her and bringing home
cyery shilling of his hard-carned wages, instea'
of orspending it foolishIy as too many boys OF "
aoc would have done. o. a-. .a..f. ,.t
A month passed away, and again the handsom
saer boy--Frank Merrill, stood beside bis moth
or in comfortable furnished room in more re
spectacle part of town, while the widow as sh
eazed proudly upon her boy, looked full ten year
Younger and much happier than she had done Oh
" four short weeks previous.
A cheerful blaze was in the CRATE, every thin
about the room was neat and eloquent OF comor
and the widow Merrill was really beautiful in he
brown merino dress, and black gaters, with he
dark brown hair, SO like thai Of Carlo Dolce
St, Cecilia, parted on her cnssic brow and lal
inc in wayy masses upon her shoulders.
Frank thought his mother very beautiful, az
so did another persons present. That person w
Mr.. Joseph Dennson, the boy 'Acmploycr, bit
q cood-natured money making bachelor OF fort
five. who, at the boys request accompanied hi
home. %b -
"Mrs Merrill" said Mr.. Dennison, "your S!
has been in my employ for the past three mont
md am so we'll pleased with his prudence a
General qualities, that with your permission,
would be pleased to keep him all winter on boa
of one OF my vessels, which sails Tomorrow
Buffalo. .g.s. ,t,a,ff
ltis a, 1ate in the season that she may not
ob,e TO return this winter in which case you c
have Franks wages monthly or weekly in
vance. for such l.; his wish, and should you ne
ANYTHING further, your order ON me will be III
ored. E Z, .rgs!5 .rs ss}H, a4f.; !, tc
The widow could only murnur herthanks''
invoke Gods blessing,on the kind hearted str
GER whom she never had seen before, ana y
bidding her good night, left her, alone with
On the following day the schooner, West
Trader, left Cleveland with full cargo OF
and corn bound for Buffalo, as f1,ta .Aa ,
That very night there came u cold north'
III snow storm, which finally closed the navlga
Of Lake Erie for the winter. IN, ~ .s4
whole month passed without any news t
the schooner, and then, when every body had
en- her up for lost, her Captain and crew. c
to Cleveland with the report that she was fir
fast in the ice, some thirty miles to the eastv
and full half that distance from the land.
had left her and escaped to the shore on the
but all they could say to induce the boy, F
Merrill, to abandon her was of no availL
"No Twill never leave her." said he, "Iprt
ed Mr. Dennison to,say by and take care Q
through the winter" !, VI 9-sY @AE