The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-05-20
John ALcxANDER'S MOONLIGHT FLlTTlNe.
BY j. NJ. L.

ell be goshed if l milk old Brlndle
again. or split another stick OF wood, so
there % And John Alexander threw the
ak down with vim worthy of better
cause.
For some time this young American Of
twelve years, had been getting up new
Declaration of Independence, and had
darkly limited to his patient mother, that
it was his stern determination to become
Grover on the high seas. He had not
climbed into the hay-mow. and read on the
slv-"Life before the mast, ''The three
iolly Sailors" and "The Red Rover for
nothing. One day, he demanded money
of his father for journey to Boston,
where he supposed any number of sea
captains might be found s'shivering their
timbers" and blasting their eye" for
Just such wiling hands as he meant to be.
His father was surprised, and not
little vexed at his sons new amt itlon, but
concluded to pay no attention to it, hop
ing that John Alexander would give up
all idea Of becoming sailor, and settle
down in time on the old homestead.
Two days had past since John Alexan-
der's request for money, and all had gone
on as usual excepting that Mrs: Bally had
tried her darling appetite with apple nit
ters, aud found them to fail, for the first
time in her experience, to serve as
ssbalm for every woe. At the close OF
the third day, our hero chopped the
kindlings very fine made the above dec
laration. and went to bed quite early~-hls
confiding parents congratulated them.
selves, that the boy was all right again,
and blew out the candle at nine o'clock,
firm in the belief that he would start for
school next morning in more contented
frame of mind. 1t was bright moonlight
nigh.. and after all was still below, this
misguided boy crept quietly from his bed,
and gathering up his little stock of cloth.
ing, including his Sunday best, hastily
packed all inside the legs of his second
best butternut trowsers, tied the legs to-
gether, and after several Intellectual at
tempts succeeded in securing the big end.
This original portmanteau our young
hero tossed from the window, then taking
his shot gun in hand, he carefully climbed
out upon the branches of the sweet apple
tree and silently slid to the>ground, Then
inverting the well filled butternut trowsers
upon his gun stock he walked quickly out
of the yard, his heart beating so that he
thought his parents must hear it.
A few miles from Willow B was
a Lake port, and John Alexander plan
ned to walk there, never doubling. with
the blind confidence of ignorant boyhood,
that fortune awaited his arrival.
He reached the port, footsore and saw.
full tired besides being hungry and sleepy
but all the little runaways he had read
about showed sublime Indifference to
hunger and fatigue.
He tried to ask some Of the sailors who
lounged on the wharf if they knew Of any
Captain who wanted cabin boy, but the
men looked SO rough and answered not at
all like his ideal sailor, that somehow the
words stuck in his throat 1t was nine
o'clock before he brought his courage up
to the asking point, and the man answered
roughly enough, but didn't ''shiver his
timbers," saying: "Whose runaway
brat arc you! Yes, we want cook s
boy. Can you wash dishes" He ans
wered hesitatingly-he remembered the
only time he ever tried, and how, when
his mother got well, she said, you did
the best you could Johnny, DEAR John
ny, dear remembered, too, that she had q
general clearing up, and washed all the
dishes over. SO he said IL thought
l didn't know but you'd want boy tc
tar ropes, and go aloft in storm. :
There greeny," said the captain OF
the Water-Witch; "we'll take him
around with us to Toledo; guess he viii
want to see his mother by that time.
John Alexander went into the cabin oil
the Water Witch and ate few mouth
fulls of the coarse food set before him, re
Numbering mothers doughnuts and cot
fee, with q queer, choking feeling in hi.
throat.
Presently the vessel started, and tn,
boy began his new work, wondering t
himself if his mother and father felt a;
sorry about his running away from HON,
as he did.
The cook did not spin yarns as cook.
always do iii books, but swore in shock
ing manner, and the captain looked t,
him like man who would enjoy nothing
better than throwing little boys over
board who displeased him. There cam,
up a ''sou wester" about an hour befor,
they sailed into c., their first stop
ping place, and John Alexander knew
from some disagreeable symptoms tina
he was fast getting sea-sick. Sca-sicknes
is had enough, but when boy is sea
sick. and home sick. and sick of himself
it's pretty hard case. When the YES
sci. after fitting this way and that, ar
ri7ed at the dock at last, j. \. quietl,
gathered up his possessions, telling tn
cook that he might get new dish
washer. never stopping to explain t
the captain that the runaway brat wa
going home, started out, not in search o
new adventures, but TO find the shortes
way to Willow b
There was great CONSERVATION in tn
farmhouse when the boys flight was dis
covered. His mother was sure that sh
should never see the dear child again, an
cried bitterly. Mr.. Baily. however b
might have felt his child's desertion. wa
disposed to treat he matter lightly, say
ing: Mother. don't worry; the lad
self-willed and needs lesson. Think b
will come out all right. for he is homes,
trust me; know boys Ways
Il