St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-07-29
The Apprentices Leap.

Sunset over London, on fine sum
mer evening i'll the days of 'gOOd
Queen Bess :" tall, quaint old houses
with peaked roofs and countless gables,
standing up on every side, and the
Thames lying in the midst like broad
sheet of gold, save where it was fleck-
ed by the dark shadow of London
Bridge, then II regular street, with
houses along each side of it.
just above the middle arch rose a
house larger than the rest-that of Sir
William Hewet, cloth worker, and bur
CESS of the city of London. The sun
set made Il glory upon the windows of
the old mansion, and lighted up the
balcony, on which Sir Williams baby
daughter was Growing and clapping
her tiny hands with glee at the sight of
it, and stole into the wOrk-room,
where the youngest apprentice, Ed
ward Osborne, was beguiling his task
by singing the ballad of "Brave Lord
Willoughby," which was as popular in
that age as "Glory Hallelujah" is in
this.
''Ah, if | could but have the chance
of doing such a deed as that" muir
INJURED the boy as he ended.
''Well, well, my brave lad, answered
the CHEEKY voice of old Sir William,
who had entered the room unperceived,
''yOu're on the right road to by being
dilligent at your work. Keep to that
meanwhile, and never fear but the
chance of doing great deeds will come
all i'll good time"
Little did either speaker or hearer
guess how soon or i'll what way those
words were to come true. Scarcely
had the old knight left the room when
the boy was startled by sudden
shrek from the balcony overhead, and
by something white flashing past the
window into the depth below. Sir
William Hewet's only child had leaped
out of her nurses arms and fallen
headlOng into the river.
The faint splash was instantly an
swered by much louder one, and the
distracted household, as they rushed in
body to the fatal balcony, saw Ed
ward Osborne's brown curly head far
down the shining stream, shooting
straight as an arrow toward the tiny
white speck that tioated little way be
yond him
"He has her ~
"Nor ~
"Yes :"
"No, he's gone past. Stay, he's turn
ing again"
'Hurrah he's got her at last. Thank
God ~
The anxious fathers straining eyes
were already too dim to see anything
clearly but the joyous shout of his
keen-eyed servingmen told him that
all was we'll, and i'll another moment
he was hurrying toward the scene of
action as fast as his feet could carry
him.
But the peril was not over yet. Good
swimmer as he was, the furious swhirl
of the current, together with the
weight of his own wet clothes and
those of the child, was fearful odds
against the brave apprentice. Twice
his head dipped beneath the surface,
and all seemed over but he still held
the rescued infant above the water
with one hand, while struggling for life
with the other.
Courage, my hearty ~ said hOarse
voice beside him. "Hold up Just an
other minute, and alls well"
AT the same moment boat pulled by
two sturdy watermen, who had put
off from the shore on the first alarm
came sweeping up to the sinking boy.
A strong hand caught the child from
his failing grasp, while in another in
slant he was seized and dragged into
the boat after her, just as the last rem
nant of his Overtasked strength gave
way.
"Git her head round, TOm," said on,
of the bOatmen to his cOmrade, "anC
pull with a will, for that's the young
ster's father running this way, or Tn
mistaken"
, Scarcely had the boat touched th'
I wharf on her return, when old Hewe
2 sprang into her like a madman, AM
t finding his child unhurt, flung his arm
, round the neck of the half-drowne,
. apprentice.
a "God bless thee, my son ~ cried he
/ fervently. LET them never call the