New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-05-16
".WELL DONE :
d-1anient.

just where one OF our beautiful W estert
rivers wihens to the sea, nestles the little
asher hamlet of Ferry bank; its low matched
cottages clustered on the rugged beach. and
dotted here and there upon the noble cliffs
which rise behind brilliant in summer
time with furze and broom and heather On
tne other side the river, the quiet and pic.
tDresuue watering place of Llanvriar lies
cool and white among the rich warm bios
soms on the hillside, and between the ham
let and the town plies the little ferry boat
which gives the village its name. But the
triSty little sailing vessel is but rarely
used; tor at least halt it's time il lies in
utter likeness under the ferryman cottage,
while the waters lap it softly as they pass
and laugh that they are close upon the sea
at last.
But the fishing. boats at Ferrybank have
no such holiday. When they rest thew do
Il N an an uncertain manner, standing
ready for action, though high and dry
upon the rocky beach, and waiting TO be
dragged down amid those busy shouts AZ
they are dragged SO many times each year.
hut one there is even OF Ethose which. from
month to month, lies useless and rudderless
upon the isolated shelf of rocks and the
hsherman-their rough voices sOttened a
,ittle-tell how one evening the Snuires
yacht found that boat tossing tenantless
upon the waves not quite three miles from
shore, and lowed it slowly home: landing it
ON the beach just where the missing Usher
mans son stood waiting and watching for
his fathers signal. None of them can tell
how Owen Naughan-the ablest and most
fearless sailor on the cOast-met his death
upon the secret sea; but they will tell
now the boy, through all the night
that followed, sat alone upon the
cliffs, and how, when he came home
at last he had look upon his face as
If he had borne the sorrow of a man s life
a look which they tell you he can never lose
again. And hhen they added. turning a
little from your face to look, beyond the
very sea itself, to where the sky spreads
wide and bright above, that though such
things may be like oft told tales in lives
like theirs. yet that the shock they bring
never is the less keen for that nor the be.
reavement less deep and sore. This is how
IN owen Naughan's cottage there was felt
the great hush Of a sudden grief. which the
bOy-whO had loved his father with that
strength and devotion which it is given us
sometimes to see in boy natures-battled
with IN strange, unbOyish silence, while
his mother let her sOIrow oyerwhelm her.
and the baby girl, herself an unconscious
cried wonderingly in the gloom |
OF the darkened cottage.
But this grief grew less as wears wen on. |
The mother earned scanty livelihood by |
HtI washing, anu llttie 'nuGgnl-ln spite |
Of the weight of her Welsh pame-grew
from babyhood to grlhood, tall and 1.-THE
and active, ever ready with the nimble feet
or fingers to tighten her mothers toll, while
owen won his way SO rapidly in the village
school that the lame schOOlmaster began
most painfully to feel the narrowness of
his own eruditiOn under the bows wide
questioning. lie WIS even right. too when
10 muttered suggestively among the vii
ayers that Owen was an odd child, and
would not associate with his schoolfellows.
At last the village schOolmaster. seeing
le could take the boy no further on the
,ath he trod so rapidly, mentioned generally
he ACCESSIBILITY of leaving school now. and
mentioned it particularly to Sir Buckley
rwynne, the rich eccentric bachelor who !
'wned all Ferrybank, and lived in the
,reat house upon the wooded bank above
hsnvriar. Sir Buckley, always quick TO
go the help which it would be wise TO give.
nd always proud and glad when be found
lexpected gifts and powers among his
eople, examined the boy self-startled +
Without pulling him, frightened. without
ewildering him-and then dismissed him ,
With few curt words of advice but no | (
Yet only few days after
Yard he appeared again in the village
chool, and, walking through the rows of
landing boys to where Owen waited with s
is head raised from his open book, he told
I'M he had chosen another school for him i
nd that the master had promised, on con. :
ition OF the boys progress being satisfac-
ory-here the Squire's hand which was L.
pom Owens shoulder now grew a little | !
savier, and his voice little more EN-. h
hat'c-to retain him as tutor, and nay him q
cCOrding to his services
Sir Buckley, making nothing OF his own h
lare in this, and saying nothing of the a
hOna ha aNtprtnina0 l. :
nat he had given him just the start in life a
hch, by his own industry and talent, =
light lead him safely to the end: bnt bs =
aver guessed the depth of his protepe's
attitude when owen found tb at this school A
which he was sent was one OF the frat |
,ivate schools in Wales, nor with what v
tense earnestness the lad pursued tais 4
W path which his generous patron had Il
'ened for him, ana which it was such
ppiness to walk in. fl
One day new light broke in upon this |,
It'll for Owen, showing him the track for II
hich he had been uncOnsciOusly longing. g
friend of Sir Buckley Gwynnes, who was h
ing abroad, and wanted secretary and II
terpreter heard of Owens wonderful ia.
ity in acquiring languages, and offered to Ii
ke him. The baronet, always ready and h
nd, travelled himself to the inland Welsh | h
wn, and started Owen OFT to London. | d.
nding him a note tor tl00. with few | o
Id words of encouragement, which Owen W
YER forgot through all his life. and telling til
n that when his engagement was over, if hi
would like to stay abroad and study. h.
3 would give him the power to do so. Ii
through France and Germany and Italy ht
Mt Owen with his patron, pertecting him.
t in each language with that extraor. cl
ary power which seemed born with him, ",
his patron, returning to England. left VI
!, at German university. Three Years in