New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1879-05-07

:. Now rockahy. my baby, sweet,
uponth tree-top high.
IT R..tI lwa.n,t quite -so.ti i,
Now softer sounds the lullaby,
And dreamy shadows creep q
Oyer the little mothers face;
She'ssunR herssy toaleep!
YoxtA's Companion.
SPOILING A BONBSHELL.
WHEN Tom Black was in his four
teenth year he was at school in small
village in the south of England, and
was as happy q boy as any fellow ought
70 expect to be; and yet on his birth
day, when he was really fourteen, 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.
lie had q half-holiday on his birth
day, and he went down to the seaport
Town Of NJ, 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 q stationer's store, bought
some paper and wrote two notes, one
to his family at homo and the other to
the master of the school, informing
them that he had most admirable Op-
p0rtunity of going to sea and learning
to be naval officer. Such q chance
might not occur again, and as he had
made up mis- mind to enter the navy,
anyway, it would not be wise to let the
opportunity pass. He wonld lose moth
ing by leaving school now, for naviga-
ton, mathematics and everything that
it was necessary 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 DIR. 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
indeed this was what Tom himself had
to do. For he soon found that his
position on the vessel was very differ
ent from what he had supposed it
would be. Instead of being taught
how to sail the ship, he was taught how
70 coil q rope and TO help wash the
decks. He was ships boY-not q
midshipman.
When poor Tom found out this la
mentable fact, he made up his mind
that he would run away the first time
the vessel touched at a port. But when
she did reach a port, he re-made up
his mind, and concluded to stay on
board.
BY 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 10 take
him honle. 1t would be better, he
thought, to stay on board the ship,
where he had made some friends, and
where he was getting on good deal
better than any other ship-boy. For
the under-0fficers 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 q 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 q
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 9
short letter, which pleased him more
than anything in the letter line he had
ever received. This told him that, a.
his friends had become convinced that
he was really very much attached to
q life on the sea, and that as his
officers had reported well of him, they
had obtained for him an appointment
as midshipman.
Nov Tom was happy. Now be
would really learn mathematics and
navigation, and now he had chance
to work himself up into good posi-
ton. It would seem as if this thought
less boy had been rewarded for run
ming away from school. and giving his
family so much anxiety and trouble.
But things sometimes happen that
way, though it does not do to trust to
any such good fortune. In after years,
Tom often regretted that he had not
staid at school, and finished portions
Of his education which had to be en-
tirely neglected on board ship. And
he also had some immediate cause for
repentance, for he found that some Of
his companions were very willing to
joke about the ships boy who had come
among them. although they knew that
he was just as much of q gentleman as
any Of them.
In about a year after Toms appoint
ment, war broke out with Spain, and
the :. Hector was ordered to the
Spanish coast. After cruising about
for month or two, she Joined with
two other British vessels in an attack
on q fortress on the shores Of the Med
si:erranean Sea, which was at the same
time besieged by q land force.
Early in the morning the three yes
sells opened FIRE on the fort, which
soon replied in vigorous fashion,
sending bombshells and cannon balls
all around them, and sometimes knock
ing of spar or crashing through
some hmbers. But the IS Hector
Jared very well. She was more advan.