The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-06-25
THE STORM AT SEA.

low red farm house, with great barns
and granarics attached, was the home of the
Kennedys Of Ashton. 1t was the best farm
in the town, although old farmers, coming
from rich grazing counties, sneered at the
idea of "rai-in' anything 50 nigh on to the
salt water"
1t required all Matthew Kennedy's sturdy
active energies to make it pay; but it did
pay bountifully. His father and grandfather
had both farmed this property but, in both
cases, there had been a meagre return. But
Matthew did not disdain the helps of scien-
tific agriculture as laid down in the books,
nor de>piSe the new Improvements in farming
implement and thus he succeeded, where
they had failed.
His wife, pretty, rosy farmers daughter,
was truly a helpmeet for him. They
who could procure their supply Of butter
from Mary Kennedy's churning, were for
tunate people indeed. Matthew was not
young when he married her; for he would
not marry while his old parents lived; but
Mary knew that he loved her, and Matthew
was worth waiting for.
Six years after their marriage, when the
farm was giving out the precious reward of
their industry, little Andrew, the first and
the last child, was born. All the rewards of
tie kennedys came slowly, but they were
full and rich gifts that the good Father be-
slowed, and this, the dearest, most precious
Of all. Surely, no child ever fulfilled pa
rents desire more fully than little Andrew.
He was no precocious, sickly child, whose
feeble light flashes up for an instant, and
then is quenche ed in death or imbecility but
a strong, healthy, active, boy, full of life,
having a sensible mind in a splendid physical
organization-the inheritance from both
father and mother.
Open and flank-generous, brave and
good-tempered, no one could see the boy
without liking him. Itwas Mrs Kennedy's
only boast, that Andrew had never, in his
lie, disobeyed her. Bft great sharp pang
was nevertheless, inflicted upon the poor
mothers heart by this very boy.
1t came, all along of having farm $50
nigh on TO the salt water,n too for Andrew,
unknown to any one, had cherished the Wild
est, most intense longi gs to try his fate upon
that ocean in sight of which he was born
and now. for the first time, he announced,
on his fifteenth birthday, that he was going
to sea. His father was disappointed and
grieved at heart but he would not damp
the boy ardor, and thought at any rate, he
would soon sicken of his resolution after
once embarking.
''Let him try it, DEAR" he said to Mary,
when her tea,fIl eye showed how. terribly
she was suffering. "Why, Mary dear, don't
take on so. lie is not the first boy that has
tried the waves and when he gets to be an
East India captain like old Thorndike, we
shall be proud Of him"
But Mary saw no consolation. Away
down in the depths of the sea, she saw in her
troubled dreams, the caverns filed with
whitening bones, and the seashells and float
ing weeds tangled in her Andrews beautiful
hair. She fell sick as natural consequence
but no martyr at the stake was more courage
ous. She kept her secret, and no one knew
that she was sick at heart.
She rose from her sick bed, to pack the
sailors seachcst with garments on which she
had wrought night and day, to transform
them into what Andrew called ''sea duds -
while many new ones grew under her hand.
Had Andrew known how his mothers heart
ached, he would have given it all up; but
she ''made no sign after the first few days,
and even put on a forced cheerfulness, rather
than disappoint her boy.
In the very midst Of the preparations, there
came an awful storm, and the beach was
strown with the dead. Andrew coEsoled
himself that storms like that were very in
frequent; and as the next morning was
bright, and the waves glittered in the sun,
he forgot that he had almost resolved the
night before to give up his project.
Dick Armstrong. the doctors son, had
Joined in Andrews proposed enterprise. He
was wild, reckless youth. and his father
was quite willing that he should go. lie
was torment at home and at school; and
the doctor thought the discipline on ship
board would be the best restraint. But
Mary was in terror AT the thought of his in
fluence upon Andrew.
"No, no." said her husband, when her
fears at length disclo ed themselves to his
watchful eye; .'Andrew iS too well grounded
in good phi cp e. for Dick Armstrong to
influence him. You know he never has
yielded tO him.