St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1876-05-26
How They Went to Sea.
A NONAGE ON An ICE-CAKE


VOYAGE ON AN ICE-CAKE.
l"n boys imagine that going to sea
Is II very nice thing. lou sit on the
wharf warm afternoons and smell the
pincapplcS and oranges. and watch tn,
vessels coming up the harhor with stills
spread. and think there iS no life like :,
sailors. It's natural enough. too.
used I" have the same feelings. fan
cicd when WAS Il boy that When YES
>cl> lett the harhor they went where
they liked. sailing alon" the coast and
among the islands. and hat the sailors
could 90 ashore when they pleased. and
were happy a. happy could he. Boys
have queer notions. They never think
of the danger and suffering and cruelty
on board ship, of which any sailor. if he
cho">,> can tell them. | can rcrmcmbcI
just how things used t" look to me in
those days. The water seemed 81
smooth and pleasant just a> if it WAS
made to sail on. | used ip PLAY round
the whar>es and get int" the boats and
imagine my self quite Il sailor. I've had
my day since then on ship board. and
could tell Nnu stories that would cuIc
You OF wanting to 90 To sea. If boy :
could ever he cured 10y stories But
they can't, and perhaps the best way.
after all. Is To let every body lcaIn 10y
experience.
I've never told You about my til>
VOYAGE. 1t was Il short one and came
very mean being my last. | wa> twelve
Years old then, and it is nigh forty ycal>
ago. but | remember il H. we'll az if it
WAS this forenoon.
1t WAS in the spring of the Ncar. and
Yarmouth ha h"r had been fi"Icn over.
tor the winter had been colder than
usual. ThrIc had been Il week of warm
Weather. with Il slight rain. and th, Ice.
had got considerably broken. Every
tide great cakes were carried down the
channel and out Ia sea. One attcruoun
Nour father. who Was two Nr;II> Young
er, started with me To see the break up
in the upper harh"r. ON the WAY We
went past the widow Wilson's and little
Benny Was play im% in the ward with his
sled. When hc found ont where We.
were going he WAS Wild Ia 90 with u>.
lie. didn't have to ask leave a> his
mother MAS away : 80 he followed rs
Iiuu" in great "lcc. da""in" his sled
with him. although the ground WAS
nearly bare When we got To the head
of the han bon, the tide Vas Just begin
ming To- chh. and the ice Was in motion.
We stood on one of the WharNr> t"l Il
long time Watchiu" the gIrat blocks
hcaNin" and crII>hm" and >:IiIm" slow -
| " along toward the channel AMI 81 out
to sea. About sunset II began I" ram,
and the wind came up. 1t Was Il long
distance round the bend of the hlrhoI g,
though ouI house wa> in plain View d.
If it had only been clear water. and We
had had our boat. II would have taken
hIIt Il short time To reach our wharf
We might get on the ice said N"ru
father.
The idea had never stuck me. no
ticcd that every block struck the shore
Just below our house. and then cddird
oil into the channel again. 1t would
bc capital We could have such Il nice.
ride. aud have il lo tell of afterwards.
There WAS Il ladder reaching down the
side of the wharf aud We climbed down
and stood on Il timber Waiting for Il hig
piece. Pretty soon one came. The end
Just touched the wharf and swung
round sideways. where we were. just
IL if had been done on purpose, and We
Jumped ON. 1t waS about twenty feet
long. and little more than half a>
idc. and just in the middle wa> Il stout
pole. standing up like Il mast. which had
been frozen in. 1t seemed like Il ship,
and we played we were sailors. and
shouted aud sang. and had Il splendid
time. We didn't get along as fast aS
We had thought. however, and before
we reached the place where we intend
cd tu land. it WAS dark. and the rain
was falling in torrents. We could just
see the shore. and the lights aS they he
gan to come ont in the village and we
could see. too. that for two or three rods
from the shore, the water was filled
with small pieces of icc-too small to
bear our weight. yet large enough to
prevent our raft from coming close III.
For il minute or two we remained sta
tiunary, and we were III hopes that Your
grandfather would see us and bring
something to help lis ashore. Thcn the
huge cake hogan to drift again. We
| shouted. hut no answer came back.
| Then Your father and Benny began t"
cr\ but although was afraid We
| should he carried out to SEA, tried to
keep my heart up. was in hopes we
could make them hear in the cove. nr
that the ighthonSeke keeper at the Cape
might see lis. | did not realize the full
danger we were in. knew 1t WAS
rough of the Cape. aud knew. too.
the ice might break bnt | had such
strong faith that we should hc rescued
| that it didn't affect me much.
When we got opposite the light we
could sec the keeper trimming the
| lamp. He heard us and shouted back.
! We were not Il dozen rods apart. |
| called out our names. and begged HIM
To help us He tried To launch his boat,
but the ice was piled III heaps by the
landing. and all his endeavors were
| in vain. Then he shouted that he
would raise an alarm and send boats
but | knew that he had four long long
miles to go on foot before that could he
done. and 10y that time we might be out
of sight They could never find lis i'll
the darkness. and the waves would wash
uS off the moment We got into the open
hay. did not dare to give way before
the little boys. but | felt sure that We
should never see home again.