The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1871-08-10
LED OUT OF DANGER.
BY JEAN INGELow.

BY JEAN INGELoW.
Who Is this9 A careless little midshipman,
,aling about in great city, with his pockets
full Of money. He was waiting for the coach (;
e comes ND presently and he gets on the top OF
II. and begins to look about him.
They soon leave the chimney tops behind
them his eve wanders with delight over the
harvest fields, he smells the honey-suckle In
the hedgerow, and he wishes ne was down
among the hazel bushes, that ne might strip
them of the milky nuts then ne sees great
vain piled up with barley, and ne wishes ne
was on the top of it; then the checkered snad-
ows of the trees lying across the white road,
and then the squirrel runs up bough, and he
cannot forbear to whoop and halo, though he
cannot chase it to its nest .,
The other passengers were delighted with
his simplicity and childlike glee; and they en-
courage him to talk about the sea and the SHIPS,
especially Her Majesty's-wherein he had the
honor to sail. In the jargons of the seas, he
describes the many perfections, and enlarges
mon her peculiar advantages, he then conhdes
to them how certain MILDLY, having been or,
dared to the masthead as punishment, mad
seen. while sitting on the top-mast cross.tree,
something uncommonly like the sea serpent,
but finding this hint received with lncredulous
smiles, he begins to tell them how ne hopes
that. some day, he shall be promoted to have
charge of the poop. The passengers hope that
he will have that honor; they have no doubt
that he deserves it. His cheeks flush with
pleasure to hear them say so, and they have no
notion in what :'that honor" may 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 care
worn, and well she may, for in the spring her
husband went up to London to seek tor work.
BE goes for work, and she was expecting soon
to Join him there, when, alas q fellow WORK
man wrote her word how he had met with an
accident, how he was very bad and wanted MS
wife to come and nurse him.
She does not think of begging, but seeing the
bows ewes attracted to her, she makes courte-
sy. and he withdrew his hand and throws her a
Sozen sovereigns. She looks at it with lncred-
ulous ioy. and then she looks at him.
otis all right" he says, and then the coach
starts I'D again, while full of gratitude, she
hires q cart to take her across the country to
the railway, and the next night she may sit by
the bedside of her sick husband.
The midshipman knows nothing about that
and he never will. ,.,, :,
The passengers 90 on talking-the little mid
shipman has told thera who he is, and where
he is going. But there is one who has never
Joined in the conversation; he is dark LOOK
ing and restless man, he sits apart, ne sees the
glitter of the falling coin, and now ne watches
the boy more closely than he did before
He is strong man, resolute and determined |;
the boy with his pockets full OF money Will De
no match for him.
he hes told the others that his fathers house
Is the parsonage at Y, the coach goes with
in 1--WE miles of it, and he means to get out at
the nearest point, and walk, or rather run over
to his home through the great wood.
The man decides to get down, too, and 60
through the woods; he will rob the little mid
shipman: perhaps, if he cries out aud strug-
giles, he will do worse. The boy, he thinks,
will have no chances against him i; it Is quite
impossible that he can escape; the way Is lone
", and the sun will be down.
No. There seemed indeed little chances of
escape. The half-fedged bird just futtering
down from his nest had no more chance against
the keen-eyed hawk, than the little ight-heart-
ed sailor boy will have against him.
And now they reach the village where the
boy is to alight He wishes the passengers
good evening, and runs lightly down between
the scattered houses. The man has also got
down and is following.
ward: there is evening service, and the door Is
vide open, for it's warm. The little midship-
man steals up the porch, looks in and listens.
The clergyman has just risen from his knees IN
the pulpit, and is giving out his text.
Thirteen months have passed since the boy
was in 8 house of prayer; and feeling OF
pleasure induced him to stand and listen.
he hears the opening sentences of the ser,
mon; and then he remembers his home and
comes softly out of the porch, full OF calm and
serious pleasure. The clergyman has reminded
him of his father, and his careless heart is
filed with the echoes of his voice and OF his
PRAYERS. He thinks on what the clergyman
said of the care of our Heavenly Father for us;
he remembers how, when he left home, his
father prayed that he might be preserved
through every danger he does not remember
any danger that he has been exposed to, ex-
cepting in the great storm, but he Is grateful
he is come home il safety, and he hopes when
ever he shall be in danger, which ne supposes
he shall be some day, he hopes that then the
providence of God will watch over him and
protect him. And he presses onward to the
entrance of the wood.
"Are not two sparrows," he hears, "sold tor
farthing? and not one shall fall to the ground
without your Fathers notice. But the hairs
of your head are all numbered. Fear not,
therefore, ye are of more value than many
sparrows."
into the thicket, and cut heavy stake; ne
suffers the boy to go on before; and then ne
comes out, falls into the path and follows him.
It is too light at present for his deed of dark
ness and too near the entrance OF the wood, but
he knozys that shortly the path will branch off
into int two, and the right one for the boy to take
will be dark and lonely. p.
But what prompts the little midshipmna;n,
when not fifty rods from the branching of the
path, to break into sudden run? 1t is not
fear-he never dreams of danger. Some sud-
den impulse, or some wild wish for home makes
him dash off suddenly from his saunter, with
whoop and bound. On he goes as If running
race; the path bends and the man loses sight