The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1881-07-14
THE APPRENTICES LEAP,
A story OF London Bridge.

- . ~ a'tAAs J
A Story OF London Bridge.
Sunset over London, on a fine sum-
mer evening in 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 a broad
sheet of gold, save whore it was flecked
by the dark shadow of London Bridge.
then a Tegular-street', with houses Er.f along
just above the middle arch rose q
house larger than the rest-that of Sir
William Hewet, cloth-worker, and Bur
CESS of the city of London. The sun
set made a 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 glse at the sight of it,
and stole into tie. .work-room, ,rlwhere
the Youngest! apprentice, Edward iOs-
borne, was beguiling his task by sing
ing the ballad of g Brave Lord Willough-
bv." which was as popular in that age
as "Glory Hallelujah" is in this
"Ah, if 1 could but have the chance
of doing such adeed as thatr' murmured
the boy as he ended
"Well, well, my brave lad" an
swered the CHEEKY voice of old Sir Will
lam, who had entered the room unper-
ceived, ".you're on the right road to it
by being diligent at your work. Keep
to that .meanwhile,, and never fear but
the change I0f doing great deeds will
come all in good time. .eits- ssh ~ esh I,
Little did either speaker or hearer
guess how soon and in what way those
words were to come true. Scarcely
L. L. IL l% lak% 10
the boy was startled by a sudden,shriek
something white flashing past the win
dow into the depth below Sir Will!
lam Hewet's only child had leaped out
of her nurses arms, and fallen headlong
into the river. %, .~9.s
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 foated a little way be-
yond him. - -. $50
"He has herI''
Nor
- M: :, les les gone pa's stayi II fhs'a
''Hurrahi he's got herat last. Thank
Godr'
The anxious fathers straining eyes
were already too dim to see anything
clearly; but the joyous shout of his
keen-eyed serving-men told him that all
was well, and in another moment he
was hurrying toward the escene of action
as fast as his feet oould carry him. III
But the peril was not over YETI Good
swimmer asE he swas.- the fuTionsf sagirl
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
seemed over; but he still held the pes.
cued infant above the water with one
hand while struggling for life with the
other.
Courage. my heartyr" said hoarse
voice beside him. "Hold up just
another minute and alrs wei"
At the same moment a boat pulled by
two sturdy watermen, who had put of
from the shore on the first alarm, came
sweeping up to the sinking boy. A
strong hand caught the child from hi:
failing grasp, while in another instant
he was seized and dragged into the boal
after her, Just as the last remnant of his
oyertasked strength gave way.
"Git her head round, Tom," said one
Of the boatfnen TO his comrade, land
pull with a will, for that's the young.
ster's father running this way, or I'm
much mistaken"
Scarcely had the boat touched the
wharf on her return, when old Hewet
sprang into her like mailman, and find.
ing his child unhurt. flung his arms
round the neck of the half-drowned ap.
prentice. -,
: 81 God .blessthee, my sonr' geried be
fefve1tly. @'sLet them never call thee 3
boy again, for few men would have
dared as much"
Let them call him hero" said &
voice from behind.
The boy looked up with a start. Be
side him stood the handsomest man ht
had ever seen, in a rich court dress
looking down upon him with grave
kindly eyes.EFIt was Sir Walter RsS
leigh, famous even then as one of the
greatest men whom England had eveI
| produced. but.destined to become more
famous still as the colonizer of Vir
ginia-
Ten years from that day there was 6
great merry-making in the old house
on London Bridge. and Sir William
| Hewet, still brisk and CHEEKY as ever
though his hair was now white as snow,
sat at the head of his own table, amid
a circle of guests whose names are il
every history of England AT his righ
hand was his daughters newly-madt
husband-a tall.s fine-lookings yopns
man.. whose elears bright eyesdaced; ;thAl
brilliant assemblage as boldly as they
had looked down into the foaming wa
ters of the Thames years before.
-''This is the man to whom l have
given my girl. fair sirs," said the ole
knight. Many a rich man and man,
grandee have asked me for her; bu
always said, Let the best man win
And SO he has," cried Sir Waltel
/ Raleigh, grasping OsborneB hand
land the fairest lass in London may b,
proud to bear his name, Tor FL warran
| It will be famous yet"
Raleigh spoke truly. A month later
the ex-apprentice was Sir Edward Os
borne; yet few years and he had be
come Sheriff; and when the Spanisl
Armada came, foremost among The de
tenders of England was Osborne, Lort
Mayor of London, from whom the En-
| glish Dukes of Leeds are st IL proud Il
trace their descent.-DdUid Keys il
Hdrper's Young People.