Connecticut western news., 1874-09-11
JUMPS DISAPPEARANCE.


 now, although the sun was setting, and the sky was clear, the waves dashed up against the rocky cliff and then fell back on the "shingle," and sunk into silence till forced up again by the in- coming surf. The fishermen had bare ly got over the bar in safety, and were rejoicing in their poor cottages, as they dried their drenched garments before their driftwood fires.
 The village near by was an hum ble one. In it lived 8 poor forlorn woman, named Hicks, who was blessed by a family of boys, the oldest of whom bore the very grand name of Christor her Columbus" But the name had degene- rated intoss" Lump" and he never got any other except when his mother was angry and called from the cottage door, thus,-
 "Ohrist-opher Columbus Hicks Come here; or you'll ketch it when I git hold O you p
 Her neighbors said, "Mrs. Hicks never seems to care nothin' for her chil- dren, till she gifts 'em safe into their cofins then she's most lovin' mother, for she screams so you can hear her out to sea p
 "Lump" was an explorer in his way, as well as was his great prototype. He was always poking about in the sands, i, and among the rocks for rare bugs, worms, shells and fish, and he was au- thority among the boys in their dis cussions, as to whether newly dis covered sscritter" was "reptile or fish" ... ......-..t The road from Mrs. Hicks house to the store was sandy and pleasant, and abouth half a mile long; but Lump could makeiit stony and hard, and mile and g quarter long, by going round the shore. s. -.,...- '. # =. .A... .- ..' The afternoon after the storm allud- ed to above, he was dispatched with 8 molasses jug, and strict orders to s'run as quick as his legs would carry him to the store at the village, and with hints that he might rue it if he stopped to play,so to come back by the big rock.' As she had g few more '' last words" to say, after he had left the house, Mrs. Hicks, flew to the window which faced the road to shout them to him. She did not see him on the road, and so concluded he had gone round the cliff, to have frolic7 in the "surf," as he always did when he could get chance.
 She screamed, but tho winds scream ed louder, and she had to content her self by threats of what "Lump would ketch when he got back"
 When sufficient time had passed for him to. have done his errand and re- turned home, she began to grow 8 little uneasy. s' If he had tried to go round by the big rock to show what he could do, he might have been washed of l'' she said to herself ttsa and if she lost him.. she'd lost all there was worth having. She couldn't feed the little boys without his work"
 One of these little boys soon came in the house all out of breath, screaming, ''Mammy, nanny, where's Lump gone ?" ,.a. ,..-,. = ,-.7 ... .-...
 Gone to the store. WhyP'
 Cause Bill Dawes saw him go round towards the big rock an hour ago and Davis had tried to go round there in his boat after a barrel he lost overheard, and he says the waves is so high they licked the boards, and barrel, and stuff off in no time, and--and-" "And what?" cried the anxious mother. sharply, shaking little Tom as if it was any fault of his that the sea Hdo u4Su1 6Au Lump 01SOD0Ol0nI.
 q" And what ? Speak out, child" "And-and- ---" 1" here poor little Tom broke down, and began to scream with all his might, and to jump up and down as he did when he got sharp stone in his foot. .., E. ..s.:z.a. .G.--..,
 Looking up. the poor mother saw several boys peeping in at the window, and flying out, cried
 "What an arth is it, boysf What ails Tora?' et arer.s# --- sa.f' . . 6ttDavis says if Lump tried to go over the big rock, the waves licked him of, sartin and-and-" .... .., And that boy stopped short, and an other took up the recital. ' >'''
 "Dayis picked up brown 'lasses jug in the sarf and-and--" 4 X - .s' And what, Eph1n? Do tell it all. " "Ephin" couldn't go on; but a third bearer of evil news took up the dark thread. "And and we see a great black thing, @jist like -Lump's head, bob up and down two or three times, and then we couldn't see it no J morel"