Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1873-01-22

but the poor supers. being, as is usual
! ly the case in American theaters, mere
overgroWn boys, and having no pads,
I their limbs were ridiculous. and the
fleshings with which they were COW
cred being a world too wide for their
shrunken shanks, their appearance
reused the ire Of Mr.. Forrest. Mr..
Ford the manager, passing at the
time, Forrest called his attention to
the supers, and said I" Mr.. Ford, for
heavens sake, what are those 2"
Those" said the manager, "are
Roman citizens, Mr.. Forrest" Ro-
man citizens! Ye Gods, did Romans
| have legs like those ?" The air Of ut
ter disgust attending the words was
| indescribable, and Forrest stalked' on
/ the stage as if he could devour the
Roman citizens, legs and all.
| -@Oe~
SAM.
Capt. Scott always said there was no
| boat on the western waters like the
Flying Dolphin. for speed and beauty.
He knew every inch of her, from the
great black hold below to the delicate
white railing on top, as well as he
did his wife's face and figure. Peo-
pie said, too, he was as fond Of one as
the other. He was standing one eve
ming, leaning over the deck railing,
watching the sun go down behind the
/ Virginia hills, when one of the pas
sengers came upon him.
/ "That's a curious fellow yonder,"
nodding to a lame boy who was sitting
on the deck, whiting. "Work on
the bOat?n
"Sam ? Well, no. 1 can't say Sam
works. exactly. You see he has no
more strength as to body than a cat.
Lots of head. Good brain, sir"
81 noticed him selling some trifies
/ this mornihg-Odd little toys and
charms for Iady's watch chain"
"He made those, Sam did. I'D like
you to look into his pen. Sam" !"
Sam stopped whistling and shut up
his knife. and then limped up. He
had thin but remarkably pleasant,
even jolly face.
"Pd like you to show Judge Brooks
your cubby-hole yonder. lad, /" watch
ing them as they walked away togeth-
er. Somebody, he thought, ought to
give Sam helping hand, and he was
perpetualIy bOasting of the boy to
every passenger, in the hopes that
some OF them would be interested in
/ him.
"It wouldn't cost Brooks the rent of
one house." he said to the mate. ''to
give Sam an education not as much
altogether as he spends foi horse. 1
tell you 1t gals me, South, to see boy
like that left beggar, for want o.
chance"
Judge Brooks, meantime, looked
curiously in the little closet where
Sam slept and worked. There was
small turning lathe. and several knives
and flies. On the table were one or
two trays filed with rings made of
camel coal curiously carved, of purple
and white muscle shells, crosses, an
chOrs and hearts of gum eOpal, and
long strings of miniature keys, books,
ETC., turned out of mother of-pearl.
'Very curious indeed; very pretty.
Is this all you have done ?" said the
Judge.
Sam, after a minutes hesitation,
took out of a box complete steam
engine, about half foot high.
"Um! ha! What's the use of this
now? Can't sell that for a Iady's
chain"
mo" said Sam. "I made it at odd
times. understood the engine beC-
ter when had made it."
The Judge looked at him euriOusly.
81 really don't see the necessity why
you should understand the steam en-
gine."
"I like machinery" said Sam, sim
/ ply. II could have invented it if7'-
"If what?n
''Ii had been different"
Had no schooling, eh ?"
Il can read and write; that's all. ;"
Sam WINGED q little at the rough
tone; but he answered as usual with
downright direetness.
"Iim not able to earn my living by
any kind Of work, sir, and have no
| friends. Two years ago Capt Scott
said to me, sam says he come
aboard the Flying Dolphin. There's
plenty for you to eat and drink, and
may be something I'll turn up I sell
these things and keep myself in shoes
and the like. The captain mostly
gives me his old elUthes."
I'm! ha? Well, I'll buy a few of
these Gimcraeks for my wife and
daughter. These charms, now; what
do you say they cost ?"
The judge found Capt. Scott with |
his wife and daughter when he enter |
ed the cabin, one hand full of parli-
cOlOred toys. The ladies were de- |
lighted with them, and profuse in ex-
CARNATIONS.
YES" said the captain. ''The boy
has great ability, if it were cultivated. |
If were a rich man, know no bet
ter use could make of my money !
than to give such helpless cripple a |
chance"
Mrs. Brooks dropped the charms as
though they burned her.
Now Capt. Scott" she said, sharp !
ly, II will have no such idea put into /
my husbands head. He is only too |
ready to fling away his money on /
every beggar. What good can this /
boy be to us. or to anybody, for that
matter ~
She stopped, turning red, for there |
in front of her stood Sam.
The bOy's lip trembled little, but |
he said, quietly, "You dropped some |
of the things you bought, Judge l
BrOc2s;" and handing them to him /
turned and went out.
''I'm very sorry" began the judge. /
"YOur wife should be-" said the i
captain, roughly. THE boy is no i
beggar. wouldn't tramp on worm |
in that fashion," and he followed |
Sam.
Somehow, the story went about /
among the crew that evening, 1.-THE |
captain told it, and everybody had a
joke or kind word for Sam. If he had 4
been a gloomy, melancholy lad, it is
very likely his lameness would not
have made him the iavorite ne was.
But he was merry little fellow ready
with his laugh at every bOdy's jokes,
no matter how poor. He had good
voice, too, they thought, and every
evening his shrill pipes could be heard
above the chorus of the men singing.
The songs he knew were not to be
counted.
Tonight he did not care to sing but
stole away to his den and went to
work at his lathe.
"What ails you ?' said South, the
mate, rapping him on the back
YOU'RE bothered about something,
Sam. Out with it."
Sam got up, standing on his sound
leg so as to hold himself at his full
height. "It's only-if I could do
like other boys or men,
These things are of no use. II am
a beggar, as she called me, Mr. South,
and I'll never be of any account to
any living being"
South was a rough fellow, and hesi-
tated. "I'n not used to talking re-
Ifoion Sam and vOu knOT il Rut