The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1858-11-11
The Youthful VOyagers. A Thrilling
Story.


"Come Annie, come Jennie-sisters
come on board my ship and we'll have
a jolly sail this afternoon. I'll be a
Sea Captain like my father, and show
you how he sails that great Packet
Ship across the Ocean. Come, girls,
get in-Annie, you shall be my mate,
and little Jennie shall be our cook and
steward.
The speaker was a handsome, fair
haired, rosy-cheeked boy, with bright,
laughing blue eyes, about ten years
old, who during his address, was busily
engaged in rigging the mast and sail
to a ship launch which was made fast
to the beach in one of those secluded,
picturesque little coves or inlets with
which the south shore of Long Island,
between Faulkner Island and Rock
away, is SO plentifnlly indented.
The boys companions were two little
girls of six and eight years, beautiful
as angels, and SO exactly like their
brother, in every feature, that they
seemed as perfect copies-all but the
sunny ringlets-of his exquisite face.
Annie, the elder girl, bounded light
ly into the boat at her brothers first
invitation, and began assisting him
about the sail. But little Jennie, who
was tugging along a great basket filed
with pies sweet cakes and fruits, which
they had brought from little cottage
not far off, for little picnic dinner,
hesitated in silence, till her brother
urged her again to get into the boat,
when she began to argue with him
thus:
s.Oh, Willie don't let us get into the
boat to day! there is so much wind,
and we might be-
You are a little coward, Jennie, to
be afraid, " interrupted the young cap
tain Immediately. /" 1t is the pleasant
est day we have had for month, and
it is so late in the Fall, that if we don't
60 to-day am sure we will not get
another chance this year. Come, don't
be fredericksburg in"
go, am not at all afraid brother; )"
and, child as she was, little Jennie's
cheek glowed for few moments with
deeper tinge of vermillion at the i'm
piled question eff courage by her broth
er.
"I'm not the least afraid, Willie, but
you know mother has often told us we
must not go in the boat when it blows
hard, and all 1 am afraid of is disobey-
ing her."
"Then you may come in the boat
without fear, sister, for mother told me
that we might sail this afternoon not
more than an hour before we left the
house."
eyes, 1 know that, Willie, but that
was two hours ago, when it was calm.
1t is blowing great deal harder now,
and I'm sure mother would not like to
have us go away from the shore in the
boat when there is such high wind.''
Oh, nonsense, Jenny, / have been
all around the cove when it blew a
great deal harder than this. Mother,
you know, says / am the best sailor
along the coast, and just as well able
to judge when to go on cruise as she
is. Come, sister, we can't be drowned
for the water is so shallow at ebb tide,
and with this west wind, we could
wade anywhere about the cove. :"
Thus persuaded, Jennie passed her
basket to her brother, and then clam
bering into the boat herself, she took
her seat beside Annie in the stern
sheets, and soon thelaunch was under
way. s.
She was great, heavy clumsy boat
las all of her class usually are, with a
single Ing sail of heavy canvass, alto
gether lily calculated for a pleasure
craft.
But little Willie Walton managed
with consumate skill for so young a
commander, and they had made a
number of stretches across the cove,