Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1867-07-19

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Of age. and had sweet. wistful face. such
NJ uny painter would have been eager to
transicr to canvass. lie was q quiet
thoughtful child. and. though warm-htart
ed. was undc,nonstratiye. At the first
glance you would have thought him cfiem-
mate, but on q closer examination Of his
features, you could not but think that the
grave, firm lips, which were strongly
marked in one 40 yOung. were true indiccs
OF determination and courage Of the high
est order.
Little Hans loved to listen to the stories
which his father would tell Of the dangers
of iishcrmam's life but the best Of all to
| those which related to the terrible in, Dads
of the sea upon his native land. He pon.
dered over them grayrly, aud often spoke
10 his parents Of them. Sometimes his
lather, smiling ut his wise remarks. would
say:-
MY little Hans. when you are big man
like the, you will be u fisherman, aud sail
my boat
But Hans would reply, gravely:-
No when am a man shall ask the
king to let nc watch the dykes. and will
keep back the sen, and save my country
fron, suffering and eer,ow.'
Young ~ he was, Hans watched his dy xes
Every day. and every night before lc said
his prayers aud vent to bed, he would gu
out to the dyke In fnsnt Of his fathers hut
and examine it carefully and Ms soon "
he was up in the m"rninE he would repeat
| the sessch. lis mother watched him wist.
fully. Tut said noshiag; yet she never cess.
I'd " fear that the SEA would take hllu
! from her.
The winter that brough. little Hans
tenth birthday Wits wild and stormy sea-
SON. Such CONSTANT and unbrokcn sue
crssion OF gales had not been known in the
German Ocean for IL century. The king
seat orders To the low cou. tries to watch
tbs ut,lIs with eeaseiess care and all III
creased iurcc VAS stationed along tic coast
wlth orders 10 nc lii readiness to repair any
s:uicc at II moments y notice Night and
Il y il watch Was kept all along tine coast.
but the hest watcn.nan there. Was little
| Hans Dauuekcr. He went his rounds reg
aiaiiy. and his eyes never passed over Il
quaie lucuoi tlc e.ih.Hnucnt without as
ec,talninS thoroughly It's condition.
Que night. anOdt iiild water. Il Wild storm
Mas passing aIolS tiite" 1t VAS lear
id, s.ur.n, and had teen raging with una
Datcu vIUirlGc tii.ec DAYS.
LIS IL bad time. s"ij Dick Daunekey,
slunnny. IL the u, kcs Can stana thls, We
need lear nn.ninS cise.'
| Iue uutner louhed a., little Hans, but
ne said nothing and sat WITH his eyes fixed
Il. .eainlly on the fire. Present., he arose,
aud went inlu the outer ruU.I. There lie
wrapped himself Ill his warn coat, and lit
ms Iataer's lantern. lie Was leaving the
nuu-c. when his mother, vino had iulloMed
silently, LAID her hand on his shoulder.
w nerv yun going clnld!' she said.
10 look at NY dyke, mother he replied.
On such u uiyht us thls!'
i could not sleep, mother. unless did
CO. / must do my little work, fur home
aud ralhsr!and.'
The another could not refuse him; so she
laid hcr hand Oh his head, and said, tender
ly, MAY heaven bless thee and keep thee,
child
Then little Hans went ont into the storm.
lie su0n reached what he called his post
aud found everything safe and secure
Something, he knew not what urged HIM
10 go be, oud his usual walk. and he kept
on towards the north, flashing his lantern
aou. tile side Of the dyke. and examining
the eartlIen walt with ANXIOUS eyes. H..
was very coul bu. he could not turu hack
Something kept urging hun Onwafd-on-
ward.
lie had been walki z on for more than
an hour VIII, n he suddenly paused, and
bent down towards Tie ground With Is cry
ut alarm. lne water Was flowing III
tuiougu II small opening, SCARCE hall all
inch III uiaiuetcr, but as Liie Guild watched
he could sec that it WAS gradually growing
larger.
hls first impulse was to return home,
anu give the alarm but he reflected that
the OpeuiuS in the dyke would grow lars-
cr every moment, ana that it would be- too
latc to check the water when his father ar
rived. Something must be done at onee,
and he must do it.
lie put down his lantern, and with his
little hands tried to scrape together earth
enough to stop the leak. 4 lie cold was 50
intense, and the ground " hard, that he
made little or no progress aud tho terrible
opening in the ayke grew larger every nlo-
llent. Llttle hans shaddercd. and shen
paused in perplexity and distress. Then,
without hesitating longer, he tore oil his
warm coat. AMI rolling itup like wAd,
pressed il against the crew ice. The water
forced it away however. and the boy found
tilat in order to stop the current he must
hold it there with an his strength.
lie Ia. 1t II brave heart, but II sank when
he s;lW this ior lc knew that IL would cOdn-
pei lll, to re.naiu all night. unless assis-
lance ca,iic To him, and he Was afraid that
n. would freeze To dtatn III the storth. tie
hep,d. however, that hts no,hcr woald
,ti.s him and search for him. Yet lie
knew that # aid did not come soon his
strength would not be equal To the task of
SUSTAINING his lite thiousn the night. Suli
he WAS determined to MAKE the effort, Tor
II. knew that ii the sca bioke through, his
PARENTS and brothers a.id sisters wulld he
drowned. and all the country round about
destroyed
So the child seated himself on the ground
and pressed with all his mis sht against the
opcninc with his thick coat. Soon he felt
that the water ceased to flow through
Yet it tnuk all his strength of will and body.
all his courage to sustain him, tor he was
growing nunlb with the cold, and suffering
greatly. His pain increased every moment
and then it ceased, and he felt dreamy
pleasant languor steal over him.
lie seemed to hear strains of sweet mu-.
sic, and voices crying. Blessed child. God
has blessed the little Hansn 1t was very
sweet, and he wondered what had become
of the cold and storm, but he never relax
cd his grasp OF the opening.