Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-04-19
The GOd.Send Box.

One miserable, rainy day, Bob and VIII
put on their rubber boots and went a-fishing.
! wanted dreadfully TO go, but they wouldn't
let me. | meant TO have some fun though
and asked grandpa II ] might go into the
east attic aud rummage. lie said "yes."
Aud then | was glad had not gone, Trout
ing is fun, know, but TO pull over nice, old
musty things is Just splendid So ! ran at
once to a great red chest, that filed almost
one end Of the room, TO see what | could
find in IL. always wanted TO get chance
at it, for it made me think of the Mistletoe
box" and | thought there must be some
thing strange shut up inside. On top there
was a pile Of old papers and things that ]
didn't care anything for, but pretty soon
found funny little red box, very queer gilt
pictures all over il, and on the top this funny
inscription " For Percilla, mye little God
scnde." pulled of the cover, and there
was the dearest little tea-set you ever saw,
or what was left Of one. For the spout of
the teapot was gone, the cover of the sugar
bowl broken, and only two cups and three
saucers were left. On one side was the pic
ture of Chinaman sowing tea. He was all
in blue, the ground under his feet was pink,
and the sky over his head green. Then on
the other side there was a gilt wreath with
blue vine and leaves, and inside Of that
some gilt letters but they were all twisted
together so | couldn't make them out But
| took the box and ran TO the shop, where
grandpa was at work, and asked him TO tell
me all about them. Poor grandpa he al
most cried when he saw what | had, aud
took up little cup and put it on his finger,
which il fitted Just like thimbe. Then he
said l'm sure didn't know there was one
piece Of the set left; they belonged to my
sister Percilla. Don't YOU see her initials
here-'P Il. 90" and he pointed to the
twisted letters.
"Why grandpa didn't know you
ever had sister DO tell me about her,
and how she came to have a real china tea
set with her name on it like womans."
"Well, said grandpa, perhaps you didn't
know that my father (your great-grand-
| father was a sea-captain, and made many
long voyages TO the East lie had three
boys, johnny, Stevie aud myself, and though
he loved us dearly he always longed for a
| little daughter. When he came home from
a voyage and brought gift to each of us
| boys, there was always mysterious box or
| bundle which was never opened, but put
carefully away to await the coming of the
little girl whom father felt sure God would,
some day, send us When he was about to
make his last trip, mother begged and plead
with him not to 20, but stay at home and
take care of the boys, who she said were get
ting too big for her to manage. lie laughed
and said: Well, wife, dry up your tears,
and give you my word that after this trip
III stay at home all my life, and thrash the
boys until they are forty, if you say so.
Then mother laughed, aud father went away,
to be gone at least three years.
" Before the first year was gone, God did
send the little girl, and you can't think how
glad we were, and how we longed to have
father hear the good news. To be sure, we
wrote many times, but in the few letters we
got from him he always complained of not
having heard one word from us since he
sailed So it went on, until he had been
gone more than three years, and he neither
came nor wrote, and we all began to feel anx
ious and worried about him, and mother
never smiled, and got thin and white. Prilly
was our one comfort in those days. Father
had said that whenever she came she mus
be called Percilla in memory of his mother
and We made it into Prilly for Percilli
seemed too stately for our little sunbeam, a
we called her. We used to make her say
Dear father welcome home, over and over
to keep up mothers courage, as well as oul
own, which was fast oozing away.
Finally there came, one day, a lette
from woman in Nantucket, saving tina
father was sick at her house that her hus
band, who was captain of whaling vessel
had picked him up, in mid-ocean, in an opeI
boat, and that his mind was gone, ant
though he had had since then, good car,
and good doctor, he was not better, anc
she thought mother had better come as sooI
( as she could. 1t seems the captain haC
known father years before, and that was tn,
way they knew where to send for his wife
Well, mother went, of course, and can tel
you it was pretty hard summer for us boys
for she was gone a long time. But at las
she came hone one night, with father, 81
thin and pale, and with such dull, vacan
look in his eyes we never should have know
him if mother had not been by his side
Prilly heard MS say mother and she CAM
out to the doorstep, in her white night-gowl
(for she was in bed), and with her blue eye
and beautiful yellow hair, all lit up with tn
last red sunbeams of the setting sun, locke,
q Just like the picture of one of Gods angels
, And | guess father thought that she wa
one really, for when, in obedience TO sign
from MS, she put out her arms to him ant
said Dear father, welcome home, he locke,
surprised, aud said, Did God send you her
to say that 2 Then Stevie, who was Away
quick to think, took her up and put her il
his arms, and said, Yes, father, this is God
4; send TO YOU Then father came TO himself
and knew us all, and, after he had restet
and slept told us all how he came to be il
such bad plight. II seems that he had tn
misfortune to fall in with a French priya
teer, and his vessel being laden with ricl
goods, the French pirate opened fire upoi
him, thinking to get much booty. Father
81 n
5 stand much of chance in such fight
t When he saw they could not escape, h.
called the men and told each one to do as h,
pleased, but as for himself he should figh
till the last, and taking big axe he stationed
himself by the gangway; so when the pirate
boarded the ship he was ready with it, ant
= struck down several before he could be Sc
cured Then the pirate captain said he wa
r. a brave man, and because he was no coward
, he might try fight with wind and waves
r and perhaps he might come off conqueror o
them. So they lowered a boat, put father il
4 1t, with no food or water, compass or oar
and left him to a terrible death, as the
/ hoped and believed. But Gods care anC
love was over him even in that wild vast
of water How long he drifted he did no
, know, for the exposure, without food O
water, sosn affected his brain, and he neve
knew anything more until Prillys artles
words called back his wandering mind
81 tell you we had happy home aftel
that for father never left us again, and W,
= didn't get thrashed either" said grandpa
> laughing.
But then, how about this tea-set Yot
/ haven't told me that, grandpa"
swell, the next year, an English man-of
war put an end to the business of the Frencl
priyateer. A breach was made in her side
aud she, being well rddled with shot, began
to fill with water, so they were forced t.
give up all hope of towing her into harbor
The crew rushed in to get what they could
for booty. One of them grabbed this bo,
from the captains cabin, thinking from it
appearance that il must contain precious
jewels. When he opened it he was gooc
deal surprised, and uttered an exclamation
of disappointment and anger, which at
tracted the pirate cooks attention, who i'm
agined what was the trouble. The sailo
showed him the box, and he knew it in al
instant, You see he was the steward OF
board my fathers vessel when the pirates
took it, and they, finding he could cook
spared his life 10 cook for them. Now i
CHANGED this man was with my father wheI
he gave his order for the gilt letters you Sc,
inside the wreath, aud SO he remembered i
in a flash, and told the sailor of it, anC
begged him to let him have the box to tax,