Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-07-07
NO. 27.


happen-should they fall overheard on the
trip2
II such gloomy calculations filled their
minds, and impeled by them, the passenger
strolled forward or aft on the main deck to
inspect the life-boats, he would not need to
possess very intimate knowledge Of nauti-
cal affairs to be ominously impressed by what
ho would see
OF course, we all know that general law
requires each steamboat, in addition TO other
lfe-saving facilities, TO provide a number Of
life boats in proportion 10 the steamers ca
pacity. These are, in the language Of the
specifications relating thereto, ITO be slung
on the main deck, kept in constant working
order, ready for instant use, and the deck
hands faniiliarizod with the working Of the
same by weekly drills"
The inquiring passengers referred to would
notice, we repeat, that on the ferry lines re-
ferred to these regulations are practically
ignored. The boats he would perceive, are
sluug ON davits, stout by rust the lowering
tackle solidified into iron-like rigidity by the
use Of paint the life-boats themselves cover
ed by an elaborately fastened canvass hood,
| and the oars fastened in q sort Of rock, and
the whole apparatus tied, strapped and incum-
| bered in Q manner perplexing 10 the most
ready fingered sailor, much less TO the chuck
le-headed, slow-moVing deck-hand of the
period.
A very impartial little calculation would
then show the astonished passenger in ques-
tion that should he fall overheard, or jump
| over and then repent him of the act as most
suicides do, it would be at least fifteen min
utes, in all human probability, before he could
be reached. Adding this cheerful result to
the fact, statistically proved, that not moro
than four persons out of q thousand, includ-
| ing swimmers, can keep afloat ten minutes in
smooth water with their clothes on, the pas
sengers would doubtless conclude by keeping
as far away from the side railing as possible,
and even read the next published account of
"a Determined Suicide" on the ferry line with
as much sceptoism as interest.
And yet our steamboat inspectors do not
look as if a few hundred indirect murders
weighed very heavily on their possible minds,
| somehow.
It was December again, and, lacking few
days, year had slipped by since the lion had
reversed the fable by gnawing the net for the
mouse to escape. That morningthe merchant,
| who for some inscrutable reason, resided in
that corporate cemetery known as Oakland,
| had fred the imagination of his little daugh-
ter by reading at the breakfast table the in
| spring news that two baby tigers had just
been born at Woodward's gardens. As a nee
essary sequence be had finally yielded to the
/ mandate of the domestic despot that she
should be conveyed forthwith to the realm Of
| juvenile delight. So papa, mamma and the
| golden haired midget Of the family took the
early boat for the city-the grown folks grave
| ly pretending, for some ridiculous reason pc
culiar to grown folks everywhere, that they
| did not themselves care to look at the ami
mails but that it wouldn't do to trust tho
| nurse, altogether, in such place.
As the ferryboat neared the wharf on the
| city side the mother was in the cabin engag-
/ ed in tha discussion Of uuraerv n1vgtariaa with
some neighboring matron, while the merch-
i ant who had descended to the lower deck
| with the child, was head over ears in politi-
cal disquistion regarding the new Cabinet
Little Lille, at length getting tired of hang
i ing to the unresponsive big forefnger of her
/ fathers hand, trotted off unnoticed to the
side of the boat to peer timidly from beneath
the gapgway rail at the great tall poles that
were sweeping close past as the boat entered
the slip. They reminded her of so many SOL
| diers on parade.
As the steamers bow crunched against the
| piles with more than usually violent pre-
| liminary jar, q sudden inarticulate shout of
| terror rose from the passengers. The little
bundle of chubby prettiness had tottored and
| disappeared over the side.
| My God !" shrieked the paralyzed father,
/ as the crowding of the boat against the slip
/ shut the drowning child from sight and rom
dered help impossible. ''She will be crushed
under the wheel"
''Baok back !" shouted the passengers to
i the pilot, and while the frantic screams of
the hysterical mother wrung their hearts, and
a dozen kindly hands restrained the insane
father from aimlessly leaping from the oppo-
site side, the engine bells jingled furiousy,
and the huge mass halted and then began
slowly to move outward again.
| Hoping against hope, the coolest of the
passengers crowded to the rail with boat
hooks, until, after what seemed to be an etern-
| ity of time to the white, Watching faces above,
| a narrow streak of water was revealed, which
| grew wider and wider
| "Well, I'm d-d!" said one of the deck
hands, who was peering under the side, ''if q
wharf rat hasn't got it.
But the shudder caused by this strange re-
| mark was unnecessary, for presently the ca
/ ger eyes above beheld swimming below them
creature whose closely cropped head and
bead-like eyes sufficiently resembled rats,
but which in reality belonged to an under
sized boy swimmer, master OF the art
withal.
Floating behind him with its fair head up
turned and resting upon the wiry little shout
ders that struck out so manfully through the
| churning water was the merchants little
daughter. Towing the insensible infant by
| means of her long sunny curls passed over his
shoulders, and gripped firmly in his mouth,
| the boy struggled on to the nearest pile, to
which he finally clung like the small amphib
| ious animal he really was
A boat-hook twisted into the garments of
the girl soon relieved him of his charge, which
was placed in the trembling arms of its moth
er, whose heaven raised eyes told plainly that
she felt the baby's heart still beating against
| her own.
As they lowered the hooks again to draw
up the almost equally exhausted rescuer the
| men noticed that the drops that fell back
| from his clothes made q red stain on the wa
ter. As they lifted him gently over the edge
of the wharf, and laid him down on his back,
a terrible wound, extending around his side
and cutting clear through two of his ribs was
exposed.
crowding bystanders "he's all broke up.
Must have dived under the wheels for her."
The lookers-on drew back aghast from the
puny wet form lying there on the slowly-ex-
panding carpet of red blood which throbbed
from his mRngled side.
In awe-struck silence the low sobbing of the
reviving baby near by was heard, at which
the wounded boy slowly opened his eyes and
smiled family.
"Where is he ?" said strong voice shaken
with emotion, and the merchant pushed his
way through the ring and knelt tenderly by
the pitiful little figure
"God bless you, my little man. What can
l do for you ?" and then, in shocked tone,
he added, "Why, he is wounded. Some one
fetch a doctor I"
'"Taint no use" whispered the boy family,
aud then beckoning the merchant to bend
closer, he said in irregular gasps, "Does yer
savey the mouse 2"
The merchant looked perplexed.
''Yer don't know me, but know'd you and
the little gal, too, as soon as 1 seed her drop.
I'm the boy what was tooked up"
Eyes, yes, remember, but you mustn't
talk until the doctor comes, my poor fellow"
"Taint no use. I'm goin', !" said the small
mouse. 'Here, take that out and count il, ="
and he indicated lump that protruded from
a pocket of his wet clothes The merchant