Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1871-09-02
LED OUT OF DANGER.
BY JEAN INGELOW.

w
man. idling about in great city, with his
pockets full of money. He was waiting
for 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 behind
them his eyes wander with delight over
the harvest fields, he smells the honeysucele
in the hedge row, and he wishes he was
down among the hazel bushes. that he
might strip them of their milky nuts ; then
he sees great vain piled 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 squirrel
runs up bough, and he cannot forbear to
whoop and halloo, though he cannot chase
it to its nest
The other passengers were delighted his
simplicity and childlike glec, and they
encourage him to talk about the sea and
the ships, especially Her Majesty's-
wherein he had the honor to sail. Iu the
jargon of the seas he describes her many
pcrfections, and onlarges upon her pecu-
liar advantages he then confides to them
how certain MILDLY, having been ordered
to the mast head as punishment, had seen
while sitting on the top-mast cross-tree,
something uncommonly like the sca-ser-
peut; but finding this hint received with
incrcdulous smiles, he begins to tell how
he hopes that some day he shall be promo
ted to have charge of the poop. The pas
sengcrs hope he will have the honor; they
have no doubt he deserves it. His cheeks
flushed with pleasure to hear them say so,
and he little thinks that they have no no.
ton in what that honor" may happen to
consist.
The coach stops. The midshipman, with
his hands in his pockets, sits rattling his
money aud singing. There is poor wo
man standing by the door of the village
inn; she looks eareworn; we'll she may,
for in the Spring her husband went up to
London to look for work. He goes to
work, and she was expected to join him
there, when, alas u fellow workman 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 seeing the
boys eyes attracted to her, she makes a
courtesy, and he withdraws his hand and
throws down soverei gn. She looks at it
with iucredulous joy, then she looks at him.
"It's all right" he says, and the coach
starts again, while full of gratitude, she
hires cart to take her across the country
to the railway, that the next nj sht she may
sit by the bedside other sick husband.
The midshipmau knows nothing about
that-and he never will know.
The passengers 20 on talking-the lit
tic midshipman has told them who he is,
and where he is going. But there is one
who has never joined in the conversation !;
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.
lIe was a strong man, resolutc and dc.
termined tho boy with pocket full Of
money will be no match for him. He has
told the others that his fathers house was
the parsonage at Y, the coach goes with.
in five 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
woods.
The man decides to get down. too, and
80 through the wood he will rob the it,
tic midshipman; perhaps if he cries out
and struggles he will do worse. The boy,
he thinks, will have no chance against
him; it is quite impossible that he can es-
cape; the way is lonely, and the sun will
be down. t
No. There seemed indeed little chance
Of escape; the half fedged bird just fut-
tering down from its nest has more chance
against the keen.eyed hawk. than the lit
tie light-h hearted sailor boy will have against
him. ...
And now they reach the village where
the boy is to alight He wishes the other
passengers good evening aud runs lightly
down between the scattered houses. The
man has also got down and is following.
The path lies through the village church.
yard; there is an evening service and the
door is wide open, for it is warm. The
littlc midshipman steals up to the porch
and looks in and listens. The clergyman,
has just risen from his knees, in the pull.
pit, and is giving out tho text. Thirteen
months have passed since the boy was 10
house Of prayer, and feeling Of pleas.
ure induced him to stand still and listen.
He hears the opening sentences of the
sermon, and then he remembers his home,
and comes softly out of the porch, full Of
calm and serious pleasure. The clergy.
man has reminded him of his father, and
his careless heart is filled with the echos Of
his voice and Of his prayers. He thinks
on what the clergy man said Of the care of
our Heavenly Father for Us he renan