The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-07-26


upon the Rat
'Poor child" sighs the lady. ..What
ought he to take p
81 should prescribe something to eat. =
the doctor replies, helping himself to a
slice Of tongue.
"Captain, should like to give him
some dinner
1t is unnecessary to say who speaks,
and the skipper would indeed have been
a stern man if he could have resisted the
pleading of those kind brown ewes. The
quartelmaster is summoned again, and
appears leading Dick, who walks groggy.
1t has begun to dawn upon him that he
is not going to be abused, and he goes
along there like little cocl1-o'-waX.' as
he is told.
''What is your name little boy :" asks
the lady.
''Dick."
care YOU hungry, Dick ?"
"Ra-ther,'
"Only rather!' in a tone OF disappoint-
ment
Rather, explains the captain lin
that tone means very"
The lady takes the plate and fills it
with cold chicken, stuiting, salad, bread,
and what not; adds a knife and fork, and
gives it to Dick.
The knife and fork are of no use to
him. He squats on the deck, and eats
with Natures implements. lie has no
idea OF 9lstronomlc combinations. First
| he eats the chicken, then the Stutting
| then the salad, then the bread and, this
| done. takes Il long breath, and looks up
with Il look that says more, as plainly as
! Oliver said the word. More he gets from
| the same Kind hand, which he watches
with dimly awakened feelings of delight
| Gloyed, it was !. wonder; bear and gilt
tering with costly rings, so white, so
small ii beWildcred him. Why did every
one do what She told them. How could
she keep all those gold things! She
couldn't "licb" any one With those hands!
Dick muscd.
The plate is full again, and he turns
his attention to It's contents with appa-
rently undiminished appetite.
81 should keep some Of that for to-
morrow, if | We're you" observed the
doctor.
"Then you'd be fool :" Dick replied
with a scotl. 1.-The big fellows on the
leveed take it from You fore you'd gone
two blocks Tomorrow amt here but
the grub is, and so I'm going to get out
side it while | can
There is a general laugh at this phiIos-
ophy, and the lady asks if he may have
Il glass of champagne.
"les," the doctor says, "but | think
he'd prefer whisl>ey."
"Whiskey? ? Il child take that !" she eX-
postulates."
"Try him" replies the doctor.
He is tried, and tosses of three fingers
deep of raw Bourbon without winking
"That's so'thing like" he observes,
smacking his lips
This feat somewhat lessons the ady's
sympathy. Dick gets outside" his grub
without further comment, and is walking
off when the captain calls him back With
"Why, YOU young rascal, are you 90
ing without saying thank you!"
"rhank We"
mo, not me. Thank the lady"
"Thank ye kindly, ma'am, says Dick
1t was the first polite speech he had
ever uttered, and Heaven knows where
he picked it up.
The party remained on board till about
six o'clock, bat by the time it broke up
every one had forgotten the '.Rat " but
us Mrs. Austen was crossing the lcvcc
he ran up. much to the annoyance Of her
companion, who had had enough Of him
81 say" says the Rat. 'Do You like
him with Il chuck of the thumb towards
the steamer.
"Captain Gilbert ="
.'Ncs is he Your fellow ,"
''Gct out, YOU scamp " cries the gentle
man, Indignantly.
Let him speak Fred" the lady pleads
''No, Dick. | am married, and this is my
husband but Captain Gilbert is Our kind
friend. crossed with him once. and he
was very good to me when was sick"
''Was YOU ever sick >" asks Dick with
a face full of wonder.
"Otten. SO | can answer Your Qucs-
tions and say do like the captain very
much"
you'd hate for anything bad to hap
pen to him !'
"Why, Of course to him or amy one
else"
'Wot, to me ?"
"'Indeed would, my poor boy. Oh, |
Fred see how wistlul he looks Mayn't /.
SlNt nun F'lllC vi NIltti tN y ltiU olI
things have Il little boy at homc,' she |
goes on, seeing assent in her husbands |
eyes about your size
''Does he get chickens to eat ," asked |
the Rat.
"Nes'
every day 2"
''No not every day" She answers. smil- |
ing and it is we'll she does not qualify her |
reply, for Dicks credulity was not Yet |
sufficiently elastic 10 bear such q marvel |
as Il boy about his size, who had chick |
ems every day.
SO they bid him follow them, and more |
wonders We're in store fore him. He sees |
Charley. He is taken up to the lady's |
own room, where the promised things are
produced and tried on over his rags.
Here he stands, lost in admiration The
great broad bed, with its satin coVeret, |
its lazy, laccbound pillows, and snowy
mosquito bar held back by silken ropes
Of the same coloras the little knots which
here and there, light up the varied green
of tern-spread carpets the armors with
their plate glass doors the dressing table
all a glitter with crystal and with gold,
and a score of clincum crankums such as
llt lltN VI bCloit DtllClu , llt pictures Oh
the wall the flowers in the balcony the
perfume Of the place (no fixed odor, but
a combination Of sweet things) bewilder-
ed the Rat. If he had ever heard of Fairy
land he would have thought himself
there.
He had never heard of Fairyland or OF
the enchanters, giants, dwarts, genii and
all the dear old myths which surround
its princesses and the exemplary third
sons Of its kings. a drunkard who would
drop dime as he staggered from the bar
room was the nearest approach to a good
fairy that Dick knew. He gazed about
him beWildered, and some dim sense of
shame stole over him us he saw his own
reflection in the looking glass.
"Maynt put 'um on now ?" he asks
as the things are selected.
'Better not" says the lady. ''Put
them on in the morning. Come here