Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-05
CLEAR GRIT.
Actions OF a Boy which gave Future
Promise of the Man.

14
81 did not know they were so much"
He turned to 60 out, and even opened
the door, but closed it again and came
back.
81 have got sixty-one cents" said he;
could you let me have a geography,
and wait a little while for the rest of
money!"
How eagerly his little bright eyes
looked for an answerl and how he
seemed to shrink within his ragged
clothes when the man, not very kindly,
told him he could notl The disap-
pointed little fellow looked up to me,
with a very poor attempt at a smile,
and left the store. / followed him and
overlook HIM.
"And what now?" l asked.
Try another place, SIR"
"Shan go, too, and see how you
succeed"
"Oh, yes, if you like" said he in
surprise.
Four different stores l entered with
him, and each time he was refused.
viii you try again?" l asked.
Yes, sir, l shall try them all, or 1
should not know whether / could get
one"
We entered the fifth store, and the
little fellow walked up manfully, and
told the gentleman just what he want
ed, and how much money he had.
you want the book very muchP"
said the proprietor.
Eyes, sir, very much"
Why do you want it so very, very
much?"
ITO study sir. 1 can't 60 to school,
but L study when / can at home. All
the boys have got one, and they Will
get ahead of me. Besides, my father
was a sailor, and l want to learn of the
places where he used to 60"
docs he go to these places now?"
asked tie proprietor.
HE is dead" said the boy softly.
Then he added, after a while, "I'm 60
ing to be a sailor, too"
"Are you, thought" asked the gen.
tleman, raising his eyebrows curiously.
"Yes, sir, if 1 live"
well, my lad, l will tell you what 1
will do; l will let you have a new geog-
raphy, and you may pay the remainder
of the money when you can, or l will
let you have n that is not new forffty
cents"
"Are the leaves all in it, and just
like the others, only not new?"
"Yes, Just like the new ones"
at will do Just as well, then, and I
shall have eleven cents left toward buy
ing some other book. l am glad they
did not let me have one at any of the
other places"
"The bookseller looked up inquiring-
ly, and / told him what l had seen of
the little fellow. He was much pleased
and which he brouOht the book along,
l saw a nice, new pencil and some
clean, white paper IN it.
"a present, my lad, for your perse-
verance Always have courage like
that, and you will make your mark"
said the bookseller.
THANK you, sir, you are so very
good"
What is your name?"
William Hayerly, sir"
"Do you want any more books?" /
% asked him.
More than l can ever get" he re-
PhSOs SAdACAAS dI Tic DOOhS IudI ulIe0
the shelves.
gave him bank note. at will buy
some for you," 1 said.
Tears of Joy came into his eyes.
"Can l buy what 1 want with it,"
Eyes, my Lad, anything"
"Then l viii buy a book for mother"
said he. 81 thank you very much, and
some day l hope L can pay you back"
He wanted my name, and l gave it
to him. Then / left him standing by
the counter, 50 happy that 1 almost en-
We'd him, and many years passed be-
fore l saw him again.
Last year l went to Europe On one
of the finest vessels that ever ploughed
the waters of the Atlantic. We had
very beautiful weather until very neal
the end of the voyage; then came a
most terrible storm that would have
sunk all on board had it not been for
the captain. Every spar wa Laid low,
the rudder was almost useless, and a
great leak had shown itself, threaten
ing to fill the ship. The crew were all
strong. willing men, and the mates
were practical seamen of the first-class;
but after pumping for n whole night,
and the water still gaining upon them,
they gave up IN despair, and prepared
to take the boats, though they might
have known no small boat could ride
such a sea. The captain, who had been
below with his charts, now came up he
saw how matters stood, and, with a
voice that l heard dist nctly above the
roar of the tempest, ordered every man
to his post.
1t was surprising to see those men
bow before the strong will of their cap
tain, and hurry back to the pumps.
The captain then started below to tx
anime the leak. As he passed me 1
asked him if there was any hope. He
looked at me. and then at the other
passengers, who had crowded up to hear
the reply, and said, r~ebukingly:
"Yes, sir, there If, hope as long as
one inch of this deck remains above
water; when l see; none of it, then I
shall abandon the vessel, and not be-
fore, nor one of my crew, sir. Every
thing shall be done to save it, and if
we fail it will not be from inaction.
Bear a hand every one of you, at the
pumps"
Thrice during the day did we despair;
but the Captains dauntless courage,
perseverance, and powerful will ma ster-
ed every man on board, and we we MT to
work again.
Il Will land you safely at the dock
In Liverpool" said he, IF you will be
men"
And he did land us safely; but the
vessel sunk moored to the dock. The
Captain stood on the deck of the sirI-
ing vessel, receiving the thanks and the
blessings of the passengers as they
passed down the gang plank. 1 was;
the Last to leave. As 1 passed he grasp
ed my nand and said: IL
Judge P, do you recognize me?"
! told him that l was not aware that |
l ever saw him until 1 stepped aboard
his ship.
DO you remember the boy in Gin
cinnatis"
VERY well, sir; William Haverley."
81 am he" said he. "God bless youll"
and God bless noble Captain Hav-
erley!"
"THE longer 1 live" said Sidney Smith,