The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-04-11
Spelling u Bombshell.


When Tom Black was in his 14th
year, he was at school in small village
in the South of England, and was as
happy boy as any fellow ought to ex-
pect to be; and yet on his birthday,
when he was really IA, he ran away to
sea.
No one could possibly imagine why
he did this, and, indeed, Tom himself
could give no good reason for his con-
duct.
He had a half-holiday on his birth
day, and he went down to a seaport
town of M, short trip from the
school, to spend few hours and to see
the ships. There he fell in with re-
cruiting officer, who wanted some boys
for man-of-war in the harbor, and
Tom was so much pleased with the
stories he told of life at sea that he
went into a stationer's store, bought
some paper, and wrote two notes, one to
his family at home and the other to
the master of the school, informing them
that he had most admirable oppor-
tunity OF going to sea and learning to
be a naval officer. Such chance might
not occur again, and, as he had made up
his mind to enter the navy anyway, it
would not be wise to let the opportunity
pass. He would lose nothing by leav-
ing school now, for navigation, mathe-
matics, and everything that it was nee
essary for naval officer to know, were
taught ON the ship. Then he mailed
the letters and went on board.
When Toms father and the master
received these notes, it is probable that
they would have taken measures
to get Tom off that ship in very short
order had it not been for the fact that
the vessel sailed early the next morning
after Tom made his appearance on her
deck, and she was far out at sea before
Mr.. Black and DR.. Powers had read
their letters.
So there was nothing to be done at
home but to hope that things would
eventually turn out for the best, and in
deed this was what Tom himself had to
do. For he soon found that his posi-
ton on the vessel was very different
from what he had supposed it would be.
Instead of being taught how to sail the
ship, he was taught how to coil rope
and to help wash the decks. He was
ships boy-not midshipman.
When poor Tom found out this Ia
mentable fact, he made up his mind
that he would run away the first time
the vessel touched at port. But when
she did reach port, he re-made up his
mind, and concluded to stay on board.
By a little observation he found out
that it would be difficult and danger
Gus thing for him to try to run away,
and beside he had no money to take
him home. It would be better, he
thought, to stay on board the ship,
where he had made some friends, and
where be was getting on good deal
better than any other ship-boy. For
the under-officers soon found out that
Tom was made of better stuff than the
other boys, and they could not help
thinking, too, that he had been great
fool to come on board in such posi-
ton. But they did not tell him so, for
that would have helped no one, and
might have spoiled very good ships
boy.
Tom wrote home whenever he had a
chance, and he had some long letters
from his family, which were forwarded
to him with the other letters for the
ship.
But after he had been on board the
Hector about six months he got a
short letter which pleased him more
than anything in the letter line he had
ever received This told him that, as
his friends had become convinced that
he was really very much attached to a
| life on the sea, and that, as his officers
had reported well of him, they had OBJ
tanned for him an appointment as mid
shipman.
Now Tom was happy. Nowhe would
really learn mathematics and navigation,
and now he had chance to work him
self up into good position. It would
seem as if this thoughtless boy had
been rewarded for running away from
school, and giving his family so much
anxiety and trouble. But things some
times happen that way, though it does
not do to trust to any such good fort
une. In after years Tom often regretted
that he had not stayed at school, and
finished portions of his education
which had to be entirely neglected on
DOdTu sup. Anu he Also mao some I'M
mediate cause for repentance, for he
found that some of his companions
were very willing to joke about the
ship's-boy who had come among them,
although they knew that he was just as
much of gentleman as any of them.
In about year after Toms appoint
ment, war broke out with Spain, and
the Hector was ordered to the Span
ish coast. After cruising about for a
month or two, she joined with two other
British vessels in an attack on fortress
on the shore of the Mediterranean sea,
which was at the same time besieged by
land force.
Early in the morning the three YES
sells opened fire on the fort, which soon
replied in a vigorous fashion, sending
bombshells and cannon-balls all around
them, and sometimes knocking off q
spar or crushing through some timbers.
But the Hector Jared very well. She
was more advantageously placed than
the other ships, and, while she could
readily pour in her fire on the fort, she
received fewer shots in return than her
consorts.
But, after time, the enemy began to