St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-04-16
flor the Children.
How Jimmy Gray Went off After
Coots.

itne lOI tnitl ooy " NC up, tHouShI
the widow.
Jimmy! Jimmy" she called.
No answer.
The only sound audible was the
spring wind. Caught by the wings
when trying to work its way under the
window sash, it now murmured out its
protest.
''Third time ought to Co." thought
the widow; land if it don't, I'll get the
speaking trumpet of Skipper Ben across
the way, and shout that boy down"
Jim ID meet" she cried.
"Here-r, MOTHER" yawned out faint
and sleepy voice that seemed to rise
from the depths of dozen comforters.
In moment, something came down
heavy on the floor above.
GAN right" said Mrs. Gray. "Now
l'll give those fried potatoes another
turn, and then breakfast will be ready"
"MOther,n said Jimmy, appearing
soon at the kitchen door, wearing his
shoes on his hands instead of his feet, as
boys in hurry are apt to do in the
morning. "Mother, don't you think
you would like fat coot for breakfast
tomorrow mOrniugW
mot if you must go after it to-day
The sea was dreadful uneasy last night.
| heard it calling off Ragged Pint, same
as they always say it does before a
storm, to entice the ships ashore.
That's all moOnshine, though. No, |
wouldn't go to-day"
Jimmy, now at his breakfast, looked
up from the table. He could see the
ocean from his seat. 1t looked cold and
uneasy also, as if shiverimg. All over
it were patches of white coming and
going, as if sea-monsters were constant
ly springing to the surface, showing
their teeth and then dropping down
again.
81 would like to get you a nice, fat
cOOt to cook, mother"
"Well, don't go to-day"
Breakfast over, the widow took down
the leather Bible, old and worn.
Perchiug her glasses on her nose, she
began to read one of the psalms. jim
my thought she could even beat the
minister at reading. Then she knelt in
prayer. Jimmy noticed that his moth
er's voice trembled as she reached those
words that were always part of her
prayer, ''Keep those, dear Father, ex-
posed to danger on land and On-the
sea !" The widow sighed. Hadn't she
reason to sigh? Hadn't this same ter
rible sea laid its cold blue hands on her
husband, and forced him down into
those depths, where his body still Law
buriedP ''And on the sea- thought jim
my, "if anything would keep one
'twOuld be mothers prayer"
1t was an hour later.
Jimmy was on the beach, his pants
tucked in his rubber boots, his gun Oh
his shoulder in readiness to tip over any
sea-bird wandering on the sands. Sam
Benton was there,-a grizzled old Tri-
ton, ready in his younger days to go
into any neck-breaking scrape, and in
his old age ready to advise any, but
prudent enough to keep out of it.
Jimmy" said Sam, 81 stump you to
take your boat and go out after coots.
Plenty of 'em round Ragged Pint. l
see 'em flying there about six this morn
ing. Oh a cloud of 'em." (Sam had
seen just one.) eff it want for this ere
rheumatics, I'd go. Oh, oh ~ he grunt-
ed rubbing his legs. Come I'll stump
you to 60"
"I-I-I-think tits too rough; don't
you 7" replied Jimmy.
so boy rough Well, let it be rough.
What were you made for? To take a
lady's boat, and paddle it round the
shores of a mill-pond ? Mill-pond jim
myw
Sam Benton was wicked to tempt a
boy that day, and Jimmy Gray was
foolish to be tempted by him.
"Guess I'll try," said Jimmy, his
pride up, and anxious to show Sam
Benton or any other man on the beach
that he couldn't be "stumped" that
way.
In few minutes his little boat had
been showed off into the waters. Sam
Benton helped, his old rheumatic legs
moving very nimbly now that they were
in the ways of mischief. The boat that
had been launched in little creek was
soon out amid the waves. Up and
down, up and down, like plank at see
saw, went Jimmy's little dory. He
looked out to sea, and saw that he had
made a fearful mistake in venturing
upon the water. There was a lot OF
huge, heavy waves cOming,-''rollers u
they are called. Jimmy pointed his
boat for shore. 81 must get out of this
just as quick as | can," he said. 1t took
all his strength and skill to keep his
boat headed right, so that those big
pillows would strike the stern of the
dOry and not the side, upsctting it. How
big those pillows looked, just like huge
fists the sea held up and shook at him
Jimmy rowed on, nearing the shore.
At last there came one wave whose
look he never forgot. 1t almost seemed
animated by a spirit as if it had eyes
to frewn on him, and hands of threat
ening to raise; as if the sea monsters
showing their teeth in the morning had
come up out of the depths together,
and massed in one angry heap, were
advancing to bury him out of sight for
ever. And alas the wave struck the
boat where it should nOt-On her side ;
and over she went, Jimmy with her
He was daring swimmer. There was
stout muscle in his plump boy arm,
and he struck out boldly for the shore.
His heavy rubber boots were weights
on his feet. His thick sailor-iacket
hung like armOr about him. Jimmy
felt like fish with his fins glued down.
He saw a rock ahead. ''If can only
reach that rock" he thought. But,
alas! strong eddy swept about the
rock and again and again flung him off
His strength was fast going, but be
had really grasped the rock-weed grow
ing there, and not the rock itself. The
rockwell gave way, he was swept of
again by the eddy, and then he fell
that all was over. He was drowning
Like an electric fash of the storm 60,
ing through the heavens and lighting il
all up at once from east to west, SO hi.
whole life seemed lighted up, and came
before him. One thing that rose up like
dark group Oh bright landscape, was