Connecticut western news., 1871-08-18
True History of Robinson Crusoe.

] ROblnsOn CruSOe was born with an are dent longing for the sea. Some might call it a notion of his, but it was an ocean he was long time in getting over, if he ever did get over it entirely. This longing for the sea manifested itself at a very tender age, though it is hard to think of Robinson as being very tender at any age, his career was so tough. When they attempted to teach his in- fant lips to pronounce the letters of the alphabet they could never get him be- yond the letter c. A and B went well enough, but when he got on the c there he stuck, a strangely prophetic indica- tion of what his future life was to be-. When he cried it was on the c sharp, and when he got cold his bark was on the c.
 As he grew older he yearned con- stantly to be on the water, to the great disgust of his father, who WAS on the whiskey. He used to sit for hours at a time on canal bridge near his father s door, and as the boats passed under imagine he was blowing the mighty deep. It was so much easier than blow ing out corn. He hadn't any mast to climb, but in the absence of mast he would "climb' younger brother, or any neighbours boy who wasn't quite his size.
 But he sighed for other climbs. He was irresistibly inclined to ramble, so much so that he rambled in his speech, his ideas being all ahead. When at last he announced his determination to go for sailor, his father endeavored to dissuade him from it. ''Why," said the old man with tears in his eyes and a choking voice" why go for sailor when there are so many other people to go for who have money %
 Then he pointed out the disadvantages of a life upon the ocean-how he could not be in early nights, or take long walks over the hills before breakfast, or go buggy-riding with the girls (unless he could borrow the captains gig), or to go to the beer gardens Sunday nights, or come in when it rains, or go squirrel hunting, or attend ward meetings, or vote, unless he happened to be at one or other of the "Poles," or receive line from any of his friends, with the soli- tary exception of the Equinoctal line.
 He tried to show how much better off he would be to pursue some steady en- ployment at home, if it wasn't anything more than steadying himself by lamp post. He pointed out the perils of the sea-told of the s'old salts" who had been drowned in it, producing it's salty flavor, and of the difficulty green hand encounters in wading ashore when a storm arises.
 He cited as a warning the case of another son, who against his fathers warnings and approximations, ran away and enlisted as soldier in the Mexican war, where he was killed by falling from the masthead while charging gallantly at a battery.
 Young Crusoe was so deeply affected | by his fathers words, that he made up his little bundle that very night, and ran away to sea-how it was itself.
 He met with numerous adventures and disasters before he succeeded in getting himself sufficiently shipwrecked to make out narrative for general cir. culation.
 He was washed ashore, after being and as soon as the waves subsided he wreck few necessarles.
 Crusoe was greatly alarmed one day by seeing the print of human foot II | the sand. It measured SOmoLIlluS OVcl fourteen inches to the foot. He con cealed himself, and quickly saw boa load of cannibals, and with prisoner in their midst, gentleman by the name of Friday, whom they prepared to roas for dinner. Crusoe being conspicu ous1y opposed to eating meat on Friday interfered and rescued him from tht cannibals. So from that day he became Robinson Crusoe's man Friday, doing his chores, and backing his boots, ant voting at every election as Crusoe direct ed him.
 After years spent on this lonely islant 8 ship touched there for water, there be ing nothing else to touch there for, ant took Robinson Crusoe to England.
 Robinson, from his boyhood up, hat 8 habit of growing when surprised O. delighted. Years after his delivery when speaking of the first glimpse ht caught of that ship, he used to say never was there period in his life whel Robinson Crusoe.
 When Robinson died he imagined ht was surrounded by enemies, for his las words were-s' De Foe De Foe