Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-02-14
"SheY Who do you mean. my boy ?"
"rhe lady-hpr as Won was good 10 -


The lady-her as you was good to-"
The captain turned aside. and tried hare
TO swallow something which had nevel
passed his lips.
Was 1t for her sake" he asked. 'tha'
you did this p
''She said she'd hate to have anythi ns
bad come to you" replies the rat, "cos yor
was good to her when she was sick. Tive
nights ago | heard Phil Wood and his
crowd talking about robbing a ship o.
specious. They said they were goiug "a
'tice all the men ashore with drink. and
there'd be only one man forward besides
the cap'n. There was to ha'bn one put a,
the cnp'n's door TO knock him on the head
II he came out. | didn't know for sartin !,
was your ship, and was a-coming to ask
II you had specious, when the p'licemen
chevied me-"
who was Il that shot your"
"Don't know. When I see the p'iice
crawied away 70 where you fonnd me.
S,hss Ma ssSear'd 'b"rh think h"i""@"d ;" n"
The Rat is skin and bone. and nervous
as cat. He has lost more bloed than he
can spare. from that slight wound on his
arm. He has no constitution TO fall back
upon. and hold him up while nature fights
| the shock and the fever which follow his
/ more grievous hurt. Grevous indeed
though The ball did not quite pass through
his bo1y better, perhaps, If 1t had. II has
| pierced the lower lobe OF the right lung.
! aud Ia lodged somewhere In the muscles OF
! his back. II he could sleep. or even be
brought To remain quiet; whether 1t be
/ pain, or whether IL be surprise at such
wonders as being famed. having lemonade
] to sip, and so on. | cannot say. He Is in
cessantly on the turn and on the watch,
,sst1 Ir,.. Il
! chest quiet him.
| When the lady comes early In the morn
| ing the Rat Is sinking slowly. His face
| brigh,eus up as he sees her, and he begins
| to ask about Charley.
ION, my poor boy" she says, s"let Us
talk OF better things. Let US talk OF God.
God" he repeated. with look of won
| der.
"Csn it be that you have not heard OF
| GodY"
| 1--WE beard" Dick replies. you bet
when II rains, it's god-dam wet and when
J it shines. It's god-dam hot; and when the
| boys don't get their money regular, its "a
| god-d shame"
The lady stands agha,t before this awful
! ignorance. He only knows the name of
/ God ii curses.
Wicked men take his name in vain.
Dick" she says God made this world
aud all that i In It. God Is all that Is good
ani mercifIl. God sent his only son to
( save Us"
'He didn't save me much" is the Rats
/ commentary.
I He will save your soul, Dick. He called
/ little children to Him and welcomed them
| to Heaven"
WAS that before the war?'' askslDck,
graycly.
Long long before the war
We'll, things have got mixed since then.
] Amt he corning no morc:'
ITS no use, Jennie" says her husband.
/ who has followed her into the cabin and
| overheard Dicks struggles with his first
/ le-sons In divinity. These things cannot
be Taught all at once"
'.Oh but il seems SO terrible" she cries ;
.'and he dying! II | could only teach him
| To say prayer
"And do YOU 'hinh that repeating form
OF words, which he would not understand,
could do any good.' asks her husband.
Let me try II can rouse n thought To
work upon" SO Mr.: AUSTEN takes his wife,
Dick" says he. 1.-The doctors tell me
that uule-, there comes some change
| they don't expect any-5efore night. you
must die
.'WHI Il hurt bad:'' asks the Rat. a
| sps,m OF fear passing over his pinched
face.
THAT cannot say. Some people die
| quietly-go of In their sleep. as Ii were.
We'll, Dick. what do you think happens
then
The funeral" replies Dick promptly
"Some has a hremsn's funeral and music
aud some gets took OH in the city van.
Shall be took oil in the city van:
No. my boy; I'll answer for that But
let a. 90 back 70 death. Where will you
90 when you dle:''
Into the coffin
Your body wlll-but your soul?"
"Wot's that2'' asks Dick.
What, Indeed. See here, the immense
power of Ignorance. 1t has silenced theol-
ogy-it has stunned philosophy.
Pray for him dear" says Mr.. Austen To
his wife. down whose face the tears are
streaming; "that j. all you can do"
II say-don't you cry like that" says
Dick, when she resumes her seat by his
side Chlldlike, he puts up his hand to
withdraw hers IRON her eyes. lie touches
IL with awe. II does not break or ily on
! aud nothing is done to him for his daring.
Encouraged by such immunity. he ven
lures to give IL a little pat, and then the
f,ce which he is watching intensely is lit
up with IA smile through its tears. Into his
unloved life into hi, bal. savage mind
dawns the first idea ola caress. He clasps
the lady's hand aud draws It down aud
presses it there with both his little brown
paws. Then he leans back with a long
drawn sigh, and shuts his eyes.
Three years have passed. and Captain
f.iih.rt's Al m il AGAIN "a her wharf "a
the foot of jackson street; and agains Nr.
and Mrs. Austen are To lunch on board. As
the lady Is stepping down from the gang
way. a well grown, handsome boy. in a
blue flannel knickerhocker suit, and straw
hat with ships ribb"n, came shyly for.
ward
"Wbv, that il never Dick" she exclaims.
s'Dick all over. says the captain proudly.
''Oh Dick, how you have grown. and
how improved.'
There was plenty OF room for that"
laughs the quondam Rat.
Then the captain takes her aside and ex-
plains. "He's been at school ever since he
got we'll and has learned more than other
boys in double the time. On, he's smart
I'm educating him now for my own profes
sion, and believe he could pass for mate
Tomorrow"
what name have you given bimT' asks
the lady, drawing circles on the deck with
the point OF her parasol
My own. My wife thinks as much of
him as do; and a. we've no children OF
our own. WHY"
Captain Gilbert, you are a good man"
"A lucky one. anyhow" he laughs,
"and," lowering his voice. "a grateful"
This is the end Of The Rats tale.
Some scraps from lunch table. kindly
niy stood haf us a IN and Fniu and
the tender touch OF a woman's hand saved
a boys life.-[ Temple Bar.
The other evening a sprightly little
girl about seven years old entered a store