Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1869-08-20
Poetry,
" The Little Hero"

Now. lads, short yarn I'll Just spin you.
! AS happd on our very last run,
Bout boy as mans soul had in him,
vi else I'm son of gunl
From Liverpool port out three days, lads,
The good ship floating over the deep.
The skies bright with sunshine above u.s.
The waters beneath us asleep.
Not bad-temper'd d lubber among us,
"A jollier crew never saild.
| Cept the first mate a bit of a savage,
But good seaman as ever was hail'd.
Regulation, good order, his motto,
Strong as iron, and steady as quick,
with couple of bushy black eyebrows,
And eyes fierce as those of old Nick
One day he comes up from below deck.
| A graspin' lad by the arm,
| poor little ragged young urchin.
AS ought TO be home with his marmi
An the mate asks the boy pretty roughly.
How he dar'd for to be stowd awayF
a chsating the owners and captain.
/ Sailin, eatin, and all without pay?"
The lad had face bright and sunny.
An pair o. blue eyes, like girls.
An looks up at the scowling first mate, boys,
An shakes back his long shining ourls!
An says he, in voice clear and pretty,
Ny stepfather brought me aboard
And hid me away down the stairs there,
FOR TO Keep me he couldn't afford.
And he told me the big ship would take me
To Halifax town, oh, so far
| And nd he said, Now the Lord is your Father.
Who lives where the good angels are! >"
It's lie!" says the mate-"not your father.
But some o. the big skulkers here;
Some milk hearted soft headed sailori
Speak ap tell the truth dye hear
Twarn't us" growed the tars as stood round EN-
And your name ? says another old salt6sh.
Says the small chap. I'm Frank-just turned nine
"oh. my eyes +" says another bronzed seaman
To themate, who seemed staggered hisself
Let him go free to old Novy Sehshy,
An IL work out his passage myself"
"Rsay H1 ss ,s9 say; the mate shut mouth man
An III fit the lie on to ye somehow,
AS square as fork fits a knife! f"
Then knitting his black brows with anger.
HI tumbles the poor slip below,
An sayshe, '' P haps to- morrow IL change you;
Ii 1t DON'T back to England you goi"
took him some dinner. be sure mates;
just think-only nine years of ageI
An next day, Just as soon as six bells tolPd,
The mate brings him out of his cage.
An he plants him afore us amidshps,
His eyes like two Goals all alight,
An he says, thro, his teeth-mad with passion.
An his hand lifted ready to smite.
Tell the trnth, lad, and then I'll forgive you.
But the truth toiN haye--speak it out.
1t wasn't your father as brought you.
But some of these men here about!"
Clear and steady with innocent youth,
Looks up at the mates bushy eyebrows,
An says he, Sir, I've told you the TRUTH"
Twarn't no 1.-The mate didn't believe him.
Though every man else did aboard:
With rough hand by the collar he seized him.
And cried, " lou shall hang, by the Lord" I"
An he snatched his watch out of his pocket
just as if he'd bin DRAWN knife
II in ten minutes more you don't speak. lad.
| There's the rope and good-by to dear life"
There l--you never see such sight. mates.
As that boy with his pale pretty face;
! Never thinking Vf asking for grace
Eight minutes went by all in silence
u Says the mate mate then then Speak lad say your say!"
He; faltering says May pray?"
! I'm rough and hard cid tarpaulin
| As any blue jacket afoat
But the salt water springs to my eyes, lads,
| And | felt my heart rise in my throat!
| The mate kind o. trembled and shiver'd,
And nodded his head in reply,
| And his cheek went all white of sudden.
| And the hot light was quenched in his eye.
| An he stood like figure of marble,
| With his watch tightly grasped in his hand,
An the passengers all still around him
Ne'er the like was on sea or on landl
| An the little chap kneels on the deck there,
An ms hands ne clasps over his breast
At nighttime when goin' to rest.
And soft comes the first words Our Father"
| Low and soft from that dear baby-lip,
But low as they was heard like trumpet
| By each true man aboard o that ship.
Egry bit o that prayer. mates he goes through.
| 10 Forever and ever. Amen!"
And for all the bright gold of the Indies
wouldn't ha' heard him agent
An says he when he finished. uprising,
| An lifting his blue eyes above
Dear Lord Jesus oh, take me to heaven,
Back again to my own mothers love!'
For minute or two, like to magic.
| w stood every man like the dead
Then back to the mates face comes running
The life-blood again, warm and red.
Off his feet was that lad sudden lifted
| An elasp'd to the mates rugged breast.
And his husky voice mutter'd, God bless you q"
As his lips TO his forehead he press'd.
If the ship hadn't been good sailor,
An gone by herself right along,
All had gone TO old Davy, for all. lads,
| was gatherd around in that throng.
Like man, says the mate, God forgive me,
That ever l used you so hard;
| Its myself as had ought to be strung up
Taut and sure to that ugly old yardl"
You believe me now ?" then said the youngster,
Believe you'll" he kiss'd him once more;
You'd have laid down your life for the truth. lad
Believe you'll From now evermore!
An p'raps, mates, he wasn't thought much on
All that day, and the rest of the trip;
Praps he paid, after all for his PASSAGE!
Praps he wasn't the pet of the shipl
And if that little chap amt a model
| For all, young or old, short or tall.
| And if that amt the stuff to make men of
Old Ben he knows aught after all