Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1879-06-19
FEATHERSTONE'S HERO.

ADouC IAe IAe ~ Hi|Ppeneu, Llttle
Tins had been at Featherstone School a
year, I think; though may be mistaken
II have so much to remember since I
began to grow old. There are all the
boys who were at Featherstone in my
day, the looks of the blessed old school
itself, with the many windowed build
ings, the weather stained belfry, where
the gulls made nests, the neat, trim play
grounds, and the whole broad ocean surg
ing along Cumberland Beach, only a
mile away-aH this must never forget.
For what would be the good fortune of
being boy it one could not have his
school fellows to- remember; the home
they had in common, and the glorious old
days when he and they woke up on the
bright, sunshiny mornings, without a
thing to do in the world besides coming
lesson or two2 Then there is the mas
ter-though 1t took US some time to find
out just what noble generous man he
was; and the masters kind, motherly
wife, who cared for us boys when we
were sick and who brought Billy
Wilson through a desperate struggle
with the typhoid fever, when every body
said he would die. Who Of us will ever
forget the quiet, sleepy afternoons we
passed in that large, still school-room,
studying our illustrated histories and
Biographies; listening to the old clock
beating away, as if it were the pulse of
the place; and looking out wistfully
through the deep windows at the sails
heaving. in sight now and then on the
glimmering ocean? Or, will any of us
forget the days when it stormed, and the
sea threw its spray away up to our win
dows, and at night rumbled over the
beach like guns, keeping US awake for
hours? And finally, whenever, we look
at the sea, are there any Of us who will
not recall Little Tins?
What. an odd looking little chap he
was, to he sure, when he first came to the
school! The boys laughed at his name
Littlefeld Tins; and called him
"Gran Their, because he appeared so old
fashioned Then somebody began to
nickname him Little Tins, and we all
took it up; He was not so very small in
stature, however; only slim and poor
His face was freckled, his hair red, and
he had large hands, that looked as though
he had been used to very hard work. One
of the boys said that the master had
brought him from a poor, farm; but we
never found out whether that was really
the truth. All we knew about him was
that he had no parents and was kept
about the school to do the chores. When
the biggest boy shook him, one day; be-
cause be refused to fag, he sat down and
cried; said he wished be was dead. He
never had any friends, and we might kill
him, if we wanted TO; he didn't care, he
said. Some Of the boys only laughed = at
that and told him he hadn't any pluck.
Afterwards he'kept away from us all as
much as he, could, and studied his lessons
alone. -" - 80 -.
But the day came. at last, however,
when we found out what brave heart
Little Tins had; and then, of course, We
wonder that it had taken us so long to
discover the fact: 1t was some time in
the sprlng-a dark, cold, rainy day, when
the sea had been made wild by the high
wind. The most 'ofIus had remained in
doors all the afternoon; and, when even
ing came, we gathered around the open
fire at the end of our long dormitory and
took turns in telling the sea stories we
had read. Oh! TO hear Billy Wilson
telling about his fathers cruise to Bonn
bay, while you were watching the great
heap Of fire cracking and darr1ng up
bright flames, and listening to the storm
beating the windows and the surf thun-
dering against the shore, was. worth a
great deal, can tell yous And what a
noise the wind and waves did make that
night It was as much as anyone could
do to catch wink Of sleep; and recol-
lect how I lay awake ever so long, fancy:
ing that could hear voices out door cry
ing and calling to us. i suppose I must
have been dreaming an hour Or two,
though, before Ireally did hear anything;
because sprang up startled and con-
fused when that ,loud boom, and rumble
broke above the noise Of the storm.
What was that, Ludgate2'' whispered
little Tom Duffield, frightened; and then
in moment everybody in, the dorlnitory
was sitting up in bed, wanting to know
what had happened.b George Jennings
crcpt out to the end window and pulled
up the curtain, Just US anothercrash made
us Jump, and I'VE Caught d glimpse of a
flash in the distance, bursting the dark,
ness apart - = ! >'>' '''> Il ''' - >a Il
"It'sashp On the reef ,fellowsl' called
out three or four at once
There was general Scramble for our
clothes, and then we crowded about the
window and waited for another fash.
But before it came the master opened the
door, lantern in hand. s,s,,ee
"You hear those guns, boys? there's
ship on the reef, and they saie firing for
help. Put on your great coats and come
right down to the cliff. We. must do
everything ii ii our power t o aid them. ;" ~
He meant, iof courses the larger boys
Bob NICHOLS, John, Sawyer and Ed Will
Hams; but the others Of us went with
them. Before anybody could count. 4
hundred. We We're all. running down the
road to2athe cliff, as fast as we could no.
It was about three o'clock in the morning
and as "dark as a.pocket." The wind had
lulled considerably, and the rain had
ceased altogether; yet there was strange
ness and wildness about the whole of the
open country between; the school and the
beach that impressed every one Of Us,