Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-08-31
tn. ,vouIa... sailor nov.


Among the crew of the Nova Scotia
schooner Bertha Ellen that recently arrived
in this port was boy named Richard Field
ing, whose experience rs = runaway is
worth recording as lesson TO adventurous
young fellows whose ambition Is TO plough
the raging main IN a slow, rakish, swim
sailing clipper" Young Fielding is about
fifteen years of age, with a bright, hand
some face, pleasing manners, and Of evil
dent intelligence. HIS father is a wealthy
landowner in Hampshire, an English gem
tleman of family and position. Richard
had been sent TO school in Dorset, where
Bracebridge Hemyng's wonderful lies a.
bout the happy issues OF all Jack Harka-
ways adventures fell into his hand and
were eagerly perused. The natural result
followed. He longed TO emulate the TO-
mantle glory of Jacks impossible actions,
and yearned for field TO display, as Jack
had done, the heroism and pluck which he
supposed that he possessed, Unfortunately
his father had no influence with the Board
of Admiralty, or the boy might have gone
into the navy and found legitimate chan
mel in which TO develop his adventurous
longings. As il was, Richard determined
to run away and go TO sea.
Tying up the customary bundle, the lit
lie follow slipped away from school and
went TO Liverpool. Here he found IL I'M
possible TO ship in any capacity, but, de-
termined to go to sea at all hazards, he
slowed away in the hold of a Mediterrane-
an fruit brig bound to Messina. He was
soon discovered, and after undergoing no
end of abuse fro u the captain, he was set 10
the dirtiest kind of work, swabbing the
decks, scraping the masts, and tarrinG
down the rigging, and on every calm was
put over the side TO scrub copper. Before
arriving at Messina he was one day tarriDg
down the jib stay, swung in boatswain's
chair, when the man who was attending to
the hosting rope carelessly lost his hold,
and Dick was precipitated to the deck, fall
ing on an anchor stock and on the rail. His
arm and leg were broken, and he bounded
into the water. He was rescued, however,
and after being freely cursed by the cap
tain for the detention of the vessel which
the accident had caused, he was passed be-
low, where, without any medical treat
ment, he was permitted TO stay till the ves-
sci arrived at port, fortunately only TWEEN
ty-Gour hours afterward. He then went to
the hospital, where incompetent physicians
dressed his limbs, and after three months
he was discharged, penniless and without
friends, and a cripple. All the British con-
sui could do was to get him berth, which,
owing TO the fact of the boys crippled
limb, was a difficult thing 10 do, but which
was finally accomplished, and Richard sail
ed as a cabin boy in an American bark for
Rio. His situation in this vessel was more
tolerable, but ON arriving at Rio the bark
was condem ned as unseaworthy, and Rich
ard was a second time cast adrift in for
egn land. He finally shipped as cook in a
West India trading schooner, where he got
more kicks than hapence, and in this YES
sci came to Halifax, where he shipped ia q
schooner that aflerward came TO Baltimore
with potatoes.
Previous TO sailing he wrote 10 his moth.
err, telling her the name OF his vessel. His
father cabled 10 Halifax and ascertained
his destination, and then cabed to friend
in Baltimore to look out for Richard on his
arrival. Dick came here in the schooner
Bertha Ellen, after a thirty days tempest.
uous voyage. His fathers agent met him
telegraphed his father, provided him with
a new outfit of clothes and passage TO Liv.
erpool by the White Star line. Aud las
evening Richard left for New York, TO TAXI
the steamer, a wiser boy, a cripple for life
and one not likely to again be filled will
glowing enthusiasm at the stories of writ
ers of me lo-dramatic fiction.-Bdltimor
| american.