Butte record. (Bidwell, Butte County, Cal.) 1853-1858, 1857-03-21
The Scotch Boys Story.

~, by Charles Itckens, the proprietor
Of Household Words published, during
the holidays, narrative entitled The
Wreck of the Golden Mary While a
portion Of the passengers and crew Of
that ill-fated vessel (lost on Ter pas
sage from Liverpool to California, J
were exposed in small boat, YEARLY
awaiting deliverance by some ship
whose track they might chance to cross
they beguiled themselves by narrating
short stories of the most prominent
events in the life of each. In the words
of the mate of the lost vessel, we in
troduce the story of the young Scotch
boy:
While the foregoing story was being
told, l had kept my eye fixed upon lit
tie Willy Lindsey, a young Scotch
boy, Zone of the two apprentlces) who
had been recommended to Captain Ra i
vender's care by friend in Glasgow !;
and very sad it was to see the express
sion of his face All the early part of
the voyage he had been a favorite in
the ship. The ballads he sang, and
the curious old stories he told. made
him a popular visitor in the cabin, no
less than among the people. Though
only entered as apprentice seam IN, Cap
tain Ravender had kept him as much
about him as he coald and | am bold
to say, the lads affection for Captain
Ravender was as sincere as if he had
been one of his own blood. Even be-
fore the wreck, a change had taken
place in his manner. He grew silent
and thoughtful. Mrs Athrrfeld and
Miss Coleshaw, who had been very kind
to him, observed the alteration, and
bantered him on the melancholy nature
of the songs he sang to them, and the
sad air with which he went about the
duties of the vessel. [ asked him if
anything mad occurred TO make him
dull, but he put me off with laugh,
and at last told me that he was tn nk-
ing about his home for, said he, GER
tain anniversary vas coming soon and
may be I'll tell you,' added he '~hy
the expectation OF it makes me SO sor-
rowful'
He was a nice, delicate, almost fe-
minine-loosing boy, of sixteen or sew
enteen. the son of a small farmer in
Ayrshire, as Captain Ravender's Gas-
gov friend friend had told him, and,
as usual with his coun'rymen, a capital
hand at letters and accounts. He had
brought with him few books, chiefly
of The wild and supernatural kind, and
it seemed as If he had given way to his
Imagination more than was quite heal
thy, perhaps, for the other faculties Of
his mind. But we al set down his de-
light and belief in ghost stories ID
such like, to the super eistition Of his
country, where the folks seem to make
up for being the mot mat,er-ot-f,ct
people in Europe in the affairs of this
world, by being the widest and most
visionary inquir,rs into the affairs of
the next. Willy had been useful 10 all
departments on beard The stewart had
employed him at his ledger, Captain
Ravender at his reckonings, and as to
the passengers, they had made quite "A
friend and companion of the youth.
SO l watched his looks, as I've said
before, and | now beckoned Willy to
come to my side, that l might keep
him as warm as | could. At first he
either did not perceive my signal, or
was too apatheIic or too deep sunk in
his own thoughts to act upon it. But
the carpenter who sat next him seeing
my motion, helped him across the boat,
and ] put my arm round his shoulders.
'Bcar up, Willy | said, you're
young and strong, and, with the help
of Heaven, we shall all live to see our
friends again.
The boys eye frightened with hope
for moment; then he shook his head
and sad:
you're very kind to say so sir; but
it Gamma beat least for .ae'
The night was now closing fast in.
but there was still light enough to see
his face. 1t was quite calm, and wore
a sort of smile. Everybody listened to
hear what the poor laddie SAID and |
whispered to him:
you promised to tell me why you
were so depressed by the coming Of an
anniversary Willy. When is ii =
'It's tonight he said with a solemn
voice. And o. how different this is
from what 1T used to be, It's the birth
day of my sister Jane
Come, tell me all about it, l said /;
m y be, speaking it out openly, will
ease your mind. Here, rest on my
shoulder. Now say on
We all tried to catch lis words, and
he began
It's two years ago, this very day,
since we had such merry night of it
in my fathers house at home. He was
farmer in sma' way up among the
hills above the Doom and had the
lands on a good tack, and was thought
richer man than any of his neighbors
There was only Jane and me o. the
family; and I'm thinking nobody was
ever so happy or well cared for as |
was a. the time | was young. For my
mither would let me want for nothing
ana took me on her knee and tauld me
,ong histories O. the Bruce and Wall
sace aud strange adventure with the
@A,iocNs' and sang me a Burns songs
'orpye reading me the grand auld sto