The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1882-01-05
THE STORY OF A sTOwAwAY.

THE STORY OF A STOWAWAY.
Come my lad, and sit beside me; we have often
talked before
sea and shore;
When we read of deeds of daring, done for old
England's sake,
We have cited Nelson's duty, and the enterprise
of Drake
Midst the fever'd din of battle, roll of drum and
Heroes pass in long procession, calmly yielding
up their life.
Pomp and pageants have their glory, in cathe
dral aisles are seen
Marble effgies; but seldom of the mercantile
marine.
If your schoolmates love adventure, olu them
gather round at school
Whilst you tell them OF hero Captain Strachan,
of Liverpool.
Spite of storm and stress of weather, in gale
that lashd the land
On the "Cyprian' crew. teamer, there the cap
tain took his stand.
He was no fair weather sailor, and he often
made the boast
That the ocean safer sheltered than the wild
He'd good ship underneath him and crew of
English form.
So he sailed from out the Mersey in the hurri-
cane and storm.
All the luck dead against him-with the
tempest a. its height,
Fires expired, and rudders parted in the middle
Of the night
Sails were torne and rent assunder. Then he
spoke with bated breath:
"Save Yourselves, my gallant fellows we are
drifting to our death y
Then they looked at one another, and they felt
the awful shock,
When, with louder crash than tempest,they were
dashed upon rock.
AIlwas over now and hopeless but across these
miles of foam
They could hear the shouts of people, and could
see the lights ofhome.
'All is overt cried the captain. "You have
answered duty's call
Save yourselves cannot help you! God have
mercy on us al!'
So they rushed about like madmen, Selling belt
and oar and rope
For the sailor knows where life is, there's the
iaintest ray OF hope
Then, amidst the widest coniusionat the dread
ed dawn of day,
From the hold of that doomed vessel crept
wretched Stowaway!
Who shall tell the saddened story of this misera-
bic lad ?
Was it wild adventure stirred him, was he go
ing to the bad?
Was he thief, or bully's victim, or a runaway
from school,
When he stole that passage from the port OF
Liverpool
No one looked at him, or kicked him, midst the
paralyzing roar,
Over went the gallant fellows, when the ship
was breaking fast,
And the captain with his life belt-he prepared
to follow last;
But he saw a boy neglected, with face of ashy
gray.
3Who are you ?" roared out the captain. "Pm
the boy what stow'd away!"
There was scarce another second left to think
what he could do,
For the ship was sinking-Death was ready for
the two
So the captain called the outcast-as he faced
the tempest wild
From his own waist he took the belt, and he
bound it round the child
81 can swim, my little fellow Take the belt
and make for land,
Up. and save YOURSELF" The outcast humbly
knels to kiss his hand,
With the lite belt round his body-then the
urchin cleared tine ship;
Oyer went the gallant captain with a blessing on
his lip
But the hurricane howled louder than it ever
howled before,
As the captain and the stowaway were making
for the shore!
When You tell this gallant story TO your play
fellows at school,
They will ASA you OF the hero, Captain otrachan
of Liverpool
You must answer They discovered,on the beach
at break ofday,
safe-the battered breathing body Of the little
stowaway;
And they watched the waves of wreckage and
they searched the cruel shore:
But the man who tried TO save the little outcast
was 10 more.
When they speak of English heroes, tell this
story where you can,
To the everlasting credit of the bravery OF man
Tell it in tones of triumph, or with tears and
quickened breath,
sManhood's stronger far than storms, and love is
mightier than death !'-[ London Punch.
The First Man.