Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-01-27

IhcN bilu III lllIb 1Ol, IlCh-llO OLt
shall. Oh, doctor, come and attend this
poor brave little fellow. Any drop of
his blood is worth more than the lives
of those scoundrels. Do your best for
him, and send for all the surgeons in the
city if they can help poor Dick Poor
little faithful chapl"
The wounded thieves are carried off to
the charity hospital by the police. Dick
is taken to the captains cabin, and
placed in his bed. The ships doctor
does his very best for him. The most
famous surgeon in the city comes and
looks grave. Captain Gilbert never
leaves him.
"Say !"-Dick's voice has become
very low and tremulous-"w was that
there money yourn?"
"No; but it was in my charge"
"You'd got thunder if you'd a lost
it, eh ?"
"I should have been ruined"
"She wouldn't ha' liked that"
"She? Who do you mean, my boy?"
"The lady-her as you was good to-"
The captain turned aside, and tried
hard to swallow something which had
never passed his lips.
"Was it for her sake" he asked,
" that you did this ?"
"She sed she'd hate to have anything
bad come to you," replies the Rat, "cos
you was good to her when she was sick.
Two nights ago I heard Phil Wood and
his crowd talking about robbing ship
of specious. They sed they was going
to 'tice all the men ashore with drink,
and there'd be only one man forward be-
sides the cap'n. There was to ha' bin
one put at the cap'n's door to knock him
on the head if he came out. didn't
know for sartin it was your ship, and I
was a-coming to ask if you had specious
when the p'liceman chevied me"
"Who was it that shot you?"
"Don't know. When l see the plice
[ crawled away to where you found me-
I was skeard they'd think I belonged to
t'other crowd"
The Rat is skin and bone, and nervous
as Il cat. He has lost more blood than
he could spare from that slighter wound
ON his arm. He had so constitution to
fall back upon, and to hold him up while
nature fights the shock and the fever
which follow his more grievous hurt.
Grievous, indeed though the ball did
not quite pass through his body better
perhaps, if it had 1t has pierced the
lower lobe of his right lung, and is
lodged somewhere in the muscles of his
back. If he could sleep, or even be
brought to remain quiet, he might have
a chance. He cannot be quiet whether
it be pain, OF whether it he surprise at
such wonders as being famed, having
lemonade to sip, and so on, cannot say.
He is necessarily on the turn and on the
watch nor will any drowsy syrup in the
doctors chest quiet him.
When the lady comes early in the
morning, the Rat is sinking slowly. His
face brightens up as he sees her, and he
begins to ask about Charley.
ooh, my poor boy" she says, "let
us talk of better things. Let us talk of
God"
"God? ?" he repeats, with a look of
wonder.
"Can it be that you have not heard of
God ?"
"I've heard" Dick replies, you bet p
The lady stands aghast before this
awful ignorance. He only knew the
name OF God in curses
Wicked men take his name in vain,
Dick, " she says. "God made this world,
and all that is in it; God is all that is
good and merciful. God sent his only
Son to save u.s."
" He didn't save me much," is the
Rats commentary.
&C He will covo 1,o,,, oo,,1 D;o1- H.
called little children to Him, and well
coined them to heaven"
"Was that afore the war ?" asks Dick,
gravely.
"Long, long before the war;"
"Well, things has got mixed since
then. Amt He coming no more ?''
cts no use, Jennie" says her hus-
band, who had followed her into the
cabin and overheard Dicks struggles
with his first and only lesson in divinity.
" these things cannot be taught all at
once"
ooh but it seems so terrible" she
cries; "and he dying If I could only
teach him to say prayer p
"And do you really think that re-
peating form of words which he would
not understand, could do any good ?"
asks her husband. "No. Let me try
if I can rouse thought to work upon" !"
SO Mr.. Austen takes his wifes place at
the head of the cot.
"Dick," says he, "the doctors tell
me that unless there comes some change
and they don't much expect any-be-
fore..night, you must die"
"Will it hurt bad ?" asks the Rat. q
spasm of fear passing over his pinched
face
"That l cannot say Some people
die quite quietly-go off in their sleep,
as it were. Well, Dick what do you
think happens them"
"The funeral, replies Dick, prompt
ly. Some has firemans funeral, and
music; and some gets took off in the city
van. Shall l be took off in the city
van ?"
"No, my boy; I'll answer for that.
But let us go back to the death. Where
will you go when you die ?"
/" Into the coffin"
"Your body will--but your soul? 2"
"Wot's that ?" asks Dick.
"Pray for him, dear" says Mr.. Aus
ten to his wife, down whose face the
tears are streaming, a." that is all you can
dc"
= y Il = u
81 say-dont you cry like that" says
Dick, when she resumes her seat by his
side. Childlike, he puts up his hand to