Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1870-10-28
stlttt Storp.
LED OUT OF DANGER.
BY JEAN INGELow.

Who is this2 A careless little midship-
man. idling about in q great city. with
his pockets full OF money. He is waiting
ior the coach it comes up presently, and
he goes on the top of it, and begins to
look about him.
They soon leave the chimney-tops be-
hind Them his eye wanders with delight
over the harvest fields, he smells the
honeysuckle in the hedge.row, aud he
wishes he was down among the hazel
bushes, that he might strip them OF the
milky nuts; then he sees a great VAIN
piled up with barley, and he wishes he
was on the top of it; then the checkered
shadows of the trees lying across the
white road. and then a squirrel runs up
bough, and he cannot forbear 10 whoop
and halloo, though he cannot chase it u
its nest.
The other passengers were delighted
with his simplicity and childlike glee !;
and they encouraged him TO talk about
the sea and the ships, especially Her
Majesiy's-wherein he has the honor to
sail In the jargon Of the seas, he de
scribes her many projections, and en-
larges upon her peculiar advantages; he
then coniidcs TO them how n certain MILDLY.
having been ordered 10 the mast head as
a punishment, had seen. while sitting on
the topmast cross tree, something un-
commonly like the sea serpent, find.
ing this hint received with incrodulous
smiles. he begins 10 tell them how he
hopes that some day, he shall DO promo
ted to have charge ofthe poop. The pas
sengcrs hope he will have that honor ;
they have no doubt that he deserves It.
His cheeks flush with pleasure to hear
them say so. and he little thinks that
they have no notion in what "that honor
NAV happen to consist.
The coach stops; The midshipman, with
his hands in his pockets, sits rafting his
money and singing. There is poor
woman standing by the door of the village
inn; she looks careworn, and we'll she
may, for in the spring her husband went
up to London to seek for work. He goes
for work, and she was expecting soon TO
join him there, when, alas a fellow work.
man wrote her word how he had met with
an accident, how he was very bad. and
wanted his wife TO come and nurse him.
But she has two children, and is destitute {;
she must walk all the way, and she is sick
at heart when she thinks that perhaps he
may die among strangers before she can
reach him.
She does not think of begging, but see'
ing the boys eyes attracted TO her, she
makes courtesy, and he withdraws his
hand and throws her down sovereign.
She looks at it with incredulous JOY, and
then she looks at him.
ats all right" he says, and the coach
starts again. while, full of gratitude, she
hires a cart TO take her across the country
to the railway, that the next night she
may sit by the bedside of her sick
husband.
The midshipman knows nothing about
that-and he never will know.
The passengers 60 on talking-the
little midshipman has told them who he
is. and where he is going. But there is
one who has never joined in the conver-
sation; he is dark looking and restless
man-he sits apart, he sees the glitter of
the falling coin. and now he watches the
boy more closely than he did before.
He is a strong man. resolute and de-
termined; the boy with his pockets full
of money will be no match for him. He
has told the others thai his fathers house
is the parsonage at y, the coach goes
within five miles of it, and he means to
get out at the nearest point, and walk. or
rather run, over to his home, through tho
great woods.
The man decides to get down. too. and
90 through the woods; he will rob the
little midshipman; perhaps, if ho cries
out and struggles, he will do worse. The