Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-08-02
Little Jimmy.

Geo. Alfred Townsend in New York Tribune.
There is 4 society in Philadelphia to send
sick children to the seaside for two weeks;
not longer, under any circumstances.
Hundreds Of names arc down upon tho list
of promised ones, and the season is very
short, and therefore all pleas for an cxten-
sion OF the term arc refused. There was a
little boy in the hot district called South.
wark, between the Delaware and tho
marshes, who had never been to the sea
till the society discovering him in one of
these small, red, sunny homes, rs like
each other as nails in a Gag, with wooden
steps, little alleyways arched under the
houses, stagnant cutters and swOoning G
atmosphere, found him laDguishing from
some heart complaint. They said &" Would
you like to go to the sea for two weeks "
"What is the sea 2" asked the little boy.
els it like the ponds down by the brick
yard?"
He had seen tho boys swim in the stag
nant rain ponds out Of which brick clay
had been d,l., and thought the sea might
bo as fine rs that. So they asked him no
more questions but sent the ambulance
for him and put him Oh the train among
many other boys, all looking at each other
curiously to soe if any other boy knew
lust what that sea WAS. and why rich peO-
plc thought it SO important for boys.
At first shy. then loquacious, finally ex-
cited to the highest pitch, the boys made
that car a perfect bird cage Of cacklc and
laugh and anticipation, and before they
had gone half way every boy knew every
other boy by some name not previously
given. This one was "Speckle" and
that was Rooster" and the next
Boncy - for boys like Indians arc great
name makers, and always better than
their parents in striking a title. The
lowering looking boy. baptismally named
Washington, they called Pizen," and it
stuck to him two weeks. The wise boy,
who corrected another on matter of fact,
they called Doctor" and asked him
where was his pills. Tho good boy,
whose hair was Worn long and who sat up
straight like one thanking God he was
not at other boys, they called "Goose-
neck" Our little boy they respected by
asking his name, and he said it was
"Jimmy.'' They saw he was sick little
boy, with eyes of love, and they loved
him right away. With love came little
excited health to Jimmy, and he listened
to all they said about waves and sharks,
tons of sea shells, shipwrecks, and life
saving stations, till there came into the
dusty windows a something IN the atmos-
phcrc SO strange and cool and delicious
that ono boy said he thought they must be
getting near ice cream"
"That is the ocean," explained the
guide. ' 1t is always refreshing like that.
For mile or more its influence reaches
over the shore, and hottest summers can
not burn it away"
Little Jimmy thought it must be some
thing like heaven, and he took OF his hat
and let the peculiar breeze lift the curls
of his hair, and fell off into Il sick boys
slun.her till the train stopped, and he was
lifted upon the sandy ground. Around him
of every beautiful color the frs and little
soothing green lake close by, long as
the eye could see, sparkled with painted
boats, all going and coming, and waving
flags and flashing oars. J;mmy's head was
turned with excitement and delight. lie
lay all day in his bed at the benevolent So
ciety's, and towards evening they put him
in a wagon with other boys and drove him
into stronger and stronger air till he saw
what seemed the land stretching off like 4
pale blue field to tho sky.
What is it?' asked Jimmy, rs il he
had seen a ghost. 4
cit is the sea, the parent of tho
breeze"
Little Jimmy, all wasted inwardly with
sickness and debility, felt for the first
time in all his life like a we'll boy. He
was too frail to bathe in that strong surf,
that seemed to come up as from some eter-
nal spring of strength, but he could hear
it talking as it kissed and buffetcd the
sand, seeming to say, "Strength
strength am strength. Take strength
from me-" He saw the sails 60 moving
in it, like other little tiny lives, and pass
away into the horizon of heaven. He
felt great prayer arise in his nature to
live and be able to walk into that inspirit-
ing green sea like roughcr boys who
screamed among the pillows. Life, life
it is the first struggle and the final prayer,
as dear to little dying urchins as to diving
milliOnaires. Before Jimmy could realize
that he had come ut all they said his two
weeks were done and he must go home.
Back in that hot city the weakness and
the fever kept little Jimmy awake at
nights. He said to himself ':Oh, how
shall get to the beautiful sea again?''
his friends wrote to the good people who
had carried him there, but the printed an
swer was returned that never in one sea-
son could the benefit be rendered again,
as too many were waiting to 60.
So one morning before day the little fell
low, with a quarter of dollar he had
kept, slipped out of the door and crossed
the ferry Of the Delaware to Camden, and
struck out for tho northwest. He walked
a little, and begged ride here and there,
and by night he was at Mount Holly.
Next day some one gave him lift as far
as Highstown. Beyond that he had to
walk, and asking the way as he went, and
picking up little fruit, he slept in a cart
all night. The fourth day brought him,
all tired, to the ocean side. dusty and