The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1876-01-28
"Mother's Boy" " at Sea.

I | DIRTY was QuCkIlIlg III the water.
: don't know what Barry thought about i
but his mother often felt that " Mother
Boy" was growing out of her reach. H
had been brought up at her side.
gave her a little pang to see him restiv
when shetried to keep him there. An
, it must be said when Barry climbed u
!; to the ledge called the "White Boar,
and sat looking off on the ocean, he ha
a vague longing to be out on that Lowell
sheet of water, shining in the sun, tIlm
bling into bright green waves, and stretch
ing so far down to the sunset, where tn
rays blurred out the horizon. Some
where beyond that crystal gate in tn,
south was his fathers big ship-sailin,
among the spice islands, may be; o.
gliding by shores where strange bird
and beasts and painted savages wert
dotted along, as in the pictures of geo
graphy. The Sagadunk fishermen useC
to go out of the harbor early in the morn
| ing and return late at night. Barry
sometimes saw them from his chamber
window as he dressed himself at sunrise
/ They spread their sails like wings; the
soft morning breeze sprang up; and 50
they sailed away and disappeared down
the far-off horizon. They seemed to sail
into the sky. One day, Barry privately
| inquired of cold Kutch," who was a
famous fisherman of Sagaduhk, if he
ever saw his fathers ship, the Flying
| Fish, out at sea. The old fisherman
said: "Never, so far as l knowed Of"
| which was not satisfactory to Master
Barry. He thotght that "Old Kutch"
must see the whole world when he got
below that dim horizon / know nv
papa's ship, and if were to go with you
| might show her to you, and find my
papa" said Barry. Old Kutch laughed
But your mar wouldn't let you go so
far away, my little man." Barry's coun-
tenance fell, but he explained: " She
would be so glad if brought back my
papa, that she wouldn't care if / did go
without her knowing it." Barry was on
dangerous ground for Mothers Boy"
After many mysterious talks and move
ments, which took several days. Old
Kutch agreed that Master Barry should
get UP early some fine morning, and steal
away to the boat at the wharf At
night, Barry scarcely slept at all and
when he dreamed, it was of curious and
often fightful sights in foreign lands
When day broke; he was in such haste
that he scarcely dressed himself. He
might have gone out at the door but
creeping past his mothers chamber, he
got out by the hall window, stole down
through the orchard; scrambled over the
stone wall, slid down the bank, and was
soon 'On board the Polly Ann, COM
manded by Capt. Kutch. 1t was great
adventure. He was going to sea in
search of his father. His heart was a
little heavy when he looked back at the
old farmhouse where he had left his
mother. But the Polly Ann was under
way, and, with curious sort of feeling
in his throat, he watched the village fade
away. He was at sea. 1t would not be
pleasant for me to tell you of all the
troubles that befell Master Barry that
day. In the first place he was very
hungry; and he ate a great deal of a
nice luncheon which one Of the fisher
men produced from big basket, strangely |
like one of his mammals. Then, when |
he had satisfied his hunger, his luncheon |
did not agree with him at all. He
felt very queer. Everything seemed |
going around. His stomach was all in |
whirl. He was sea sick, and he lost all |
interest in what was going on about him. |
The Polly Ann was very lively, and, al |
though she was anchored on the fishing
grounds, she bounced about at great |
rates The sun was hot, and, as Barry !
looked over the bulwaIk where he lay, |
he saw nothing but horrid, tumbling
waves everywhere. No land in sight,
unless low cloud on the dull, gray hori-
zon were land. He was hOme-sick; and
if he cried silently behind the ill-smell-
ing tarpaulin that screened him, do not
think any of my boy readers should
laugh at him. / have been in just such
1 plight, and probably did just as Barry
did. What was worse, there was no sign
If the Flying Fish, or anything that
booked like her. Once in a while, brown
sail crept up from the horizon, drilted
ilong against the sky, and melted away
nto the dim distance. 1t was &" a Down
East coaster loaded with lime," old Kutch
would say, unless he was too busy with
lis fish to say anything. Barry only
wanted to get home once more. Oh,
what will my poor, dear mamma say" he
noaned. "You oughter thought of that
fore" Capt. Kutch made answer. And
70 he should have. Meantime, was Mrs.
Dingle going up and down the beach,
,rying out for her "Mother's " Boy ~
Strange to say, she was doing nothing
he sort. She sat at the gable window
hat overlooked the sea, and, as she sewed
n read, she glanced out over the sap
1hire waters of the bay, and over the
Inning waves that rippled toward the
unset as brightly and silvery as though
here was no such thing as sea-sickness
md discomfort in all the world. She
vas possibly thinking of the hen and her
villful duckling. That night, when the
tars came out and the Polly Ann drifted
Up Sagadunk harbOr, the most tried,
weary and hUme-sick little chap you ever
o-l of ~ lo1 1DA Al |
,oat which was to take him ashore. Mrs.
)ingle, somehow, happened to be on the
anding; and when Barry jumped into
Ter arms and cried, 81 couldn't find
'apa ~ she only hugged him tight and
Mothers Boy ~ 1t seemed
N age to Barry since he had been gone.
The familiar little bed, with its blue
nd-white check cover, looked like an old
riend from foreign parts; and the holly
locks in the parlor fireplace were fresher
nd brighter by candle-light than any
lollyhocks he ever saw. / need not tell
-ou how Barry settled affairs with his
mamma. When he found Old Kutch,
fter that, one leisure day ashore, that
enerable skipper asked him when he
going again on a voyage of dis
overy. Barry replied: 1 shall not be
o naughty and run away again, for l am
Mothers Boy you see" "Why she
moved it all the time." And SC she
i'd; and when she let Barry go off in
harge of Old Kutch, she was trying two
xperiments-one on herself and one on
Mothers Boy."-I& Nicholas.
JuriOsities of Contingent Expenses.
The latest report of the contingent
expenses of the house of representa-
ives" is not volume to be finished at
ne reading II is not q dnIl work 1t |