Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1872-03-07
Youths Department.
VOYAGE ON AN ICE.CAKE.
BY CHARLES 4. uURD.


and smell the pine apples and oranges,
! and watch the vessels coming up the har.
Dor with sails spread, and think there is
no life like sailors. 1t is natural enough,
too. ] used to have the same feelings. |
fancied, when | was n boy, that when
vessels left the harbor they vent where
they liked, sailing along the coast and
among the islands, and that sailors could
go ashore when they pleased, and were
| as happy as happy could be- Boys have
queer notions. They never think of the
danger, and suffering, and cruelty on
board of ship, of which any sailor il
he chooses, can tell them. can remenl-
Der just how things used to look to me
then. The water seemed so smooth and
pleasant; just as if ii was made to sail on
| used to play around the wharves and
get into the boats, and imagine myself
quite a sailor. I've had my day since
then on shipboard, and could tell you
stories that would cure you of wanting
to go to sea, if boys ever could be cured
by stories. But they can't, and perhaps
the best way, after all is to let verybody
learn by experience.
I've never told you about my first voy-
age. 1t was short one; and came very
years old then, and it is nigh forty years
ago, but remember ii as well as If it
was only this forenoon.
II was i'll the spring of the year, and
Yarmouth Iiarbor had been frozen over
for the winter had been colder than usual
There had been week of warm weather
with a slight rain, and the ice had got
considerably broken Every tide great
EnS f,ar pial lnnr,, Ia lao, II AND
out to sea. One afternoon your father,
who was two years younger, started with
me to see the breakup In the upper har.
Dor On the way we went past the Widow
Wilson's, and little Benny was play.
ing IN the yard with his
sled When he found out where we were
going, he was wild TO so with us He
didn't have to ask leave as his mother
was away; so he followed us along in
great glee, dragging his sled with him,
although the ground was nearly bare.
When We got 10 the head of the harbor,
the tide was just beginning to cbb, and
the ice was i'm motion We stood on one
of the wharves for "A long time watching
the great blocks hcaving anG crushing
and sailing slowly along toward the chan.
mel and so out To sea. About sunset il
DIA W ItiiIis anu lllf " lbb Nutii w. II
was n long distance home around the
bend of the harbor, though our house was
in plain view. II il had only been clear
water, and we had bad our boat, il would
have taken but short time to reach our
wharf
I'VE might ride on the cc," said your
father.
The idea had never struck me- noticed
4 L., Ila,Iy - H. .,,g
low our house, and then eddicd oil into
the channel again. 1t would be capital
We could have such nice ride and have
it to tell of afterwards. There was n lad.
der reaching down the side of the wharf
and We climbed down and stood on tim
Der, waiting for big piece. Pretty soon
one came. The end just touched the
wharf and swung around sideways. where
We were, Just as II 1t had been done on
purpose, and we jumped on. 1t was
about twenty feet long, and Il little more
than half rs wide, and just in the middle
was stout pole, standing mp like Il mast
which had been frozen in. II seemed al
most like ship, and we played we were
sailors, and shouted, and sung, and had
splendid time. We didn't get along as
fast as we had thought, however, and be
fore we reached the place were we intend
ed TO land it was dark, and the rain was
falling in torrents. We could lust see
the shore, and the lights, as they begun
to come out in the village; and we could
see, too, that for two or three rods from
the shore the water was filled with small
pieces of c--too small To bear our
weight yet large enough to prevent our
raft from coming close in. For minute
or two we remained stationary, and we
were in hopes that your grandfather
would see us and bring something to help
as ashore. Then the huge cake began to
drift again. We shouted, but no answer
came back. Then your father and Benny |
began crying; but, although was afraid |
We should be carried out to sea, tried TO |
<eep my heart up. ] was in hopes that |
ne could make them hear at the cove, or |
hat the Lighthouse keeper at the Cape |
night see US. ] did not realize the full |
LANCER we were in knew il was rough |
,ff the Cape and ] knew, too, the ice |
night break but had such strong faith |
hat we should be rescued that it didn't /
fleet me much.
When we got opposite the light we
ould see the keeper trimming the lamp
lie heard us, and shouted back. We
we're not a dozen yards apart. ] called
ut our names, and begged him to help
IL. He tried to launch his boat, but
he ice was piled in heaps by the land
Dg, and All his endeayors were in vain
'hen he shouted that he would
aise an alarm and send boats; but |
new that he bad four long miles TO 20
n foot before that could be done, and by
hat time we might be out Of sight They
ould never find US in the darkness, and
he waves would wash us oil the moment
We got into the open bay. did not dare
D give way before the little boys, but
felt sure that we should never see home
gain.
The water began to grow rougher, and
was not long before we had To cling TO
he pole to keep on the ice. We could
OF see each other plainly--it was so dark
-and the water broke over US every mo.
ient. The sound Of the fog bell of the
ape grew fainter, and at last ceased alto
ether. Then knew we were lost. Your
ither was brave little fellow-braver
nd better than l. After he had been
ute still a long time he began saying
ne Lords prayer aloud. He told me AT.
,rwards that he wasn't a bit afraid after
nat. He knew that God would save US.
tut poor little Benny Wilson. Every |
Do went to my heart like knife / knew .
Is mother would be nigh distracted ,
hen she found out that he was gone | ,