Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-05-12
~. B."

The famous Tichborne trial which,
some years ago, excited not only Eng
land but the whole civilized world, sug-
gests in n particular, at least, an in
cident which occurred in the little sea-
port town where l spent my early days.
In this town was a family of the name
of Brazil.
The father was a cooper by trade,
and in moderate circumstances. There
were two children, the Oldest of whom
was a lad of the name of Joseph, the
other was a girl.
Now this Joseph, or Joe, as he was
usually called by his companions, was
OF a rowing turn of mind, and longed to
go to sea; his special and pet desire
being to ship on board a man-o'-war.
Like young Norval, he had heard and
read Of battles, and he longed to distin-
guish himself on the deck.
An opportunity at last presented it.
self, and Joe, taking advantage of it,
slipped on board a foreign-bound yes
sci, concealed himself till she was well
out on the ocean, and so, ultimately,
crossed the Atlantic.
It was during England's wars with
China over the Ubiquitous opium trade;
and as smart young seamen were in de-
mand, Joe soon found himself in a blue
Jacket, with the Queens money in his
pocket and the planks of a Seventy
four" beneath his feet.
In the meantime, his parents were
thrown into great distress, not knowing
what had become of him.
However, as soon as Joe was fairly
''under weight as a man-o'-war's-man,
he wrote home to his anxious parents,
giving them a full account of his ad-
ventures, of his success in getting a po-
sition On board of so noble a ship, and
of his good health and grand prospects.
He was just about to set sail for the
China Seas, he wrote, and he hoped
they would pray for him; and as soon
as an opportunity presented, he would
write them again.
The receipt of the letter was a red
letter day in the Brazil household; and
though not without considerable appre-
tensions as to the possible safety of their
son, yet they were glad at least to know
that he was alive and well.
eff a boy must go to sea-" said the
old man, "a man-o'-war is the safest and
best ship he could sail in; for there's
good care taken of the men, and they'r
well provided for"
With this consolation the old couple
began to think of their boy with more
complaisance as the months and years
rolled by.
Battles had been fought here and
there; vessels had been wrecked, crews
lost; but no word arrived to tell the fate
of Joe.
The old mans hair grew winter and
whittier and whittier, and his steps more
feeble, until at last the good Angel came
and took him out of the cares and sor-
rows of this troublesome life.
The. mother, being several years
younger, was still comparatively active.
She never, of course, gave UP her son:
but on the contrary was always expect
ing his return, or at least some message
from him.
At length her expectations were re-
warded by another letter, announcing
the fact that Joe had left the was
just recovering from a severe illness in
a marine hospital, and had determined,
rs soon as he was well enough, to return
to his old home.
Again the weeks and months passed
On, and Joe did not return.
Mrs. Brazil, to help support herself
and daughter, did washing for sailors.
1t SO happened that one day an Eng
fish vessel arrived; and shortly after a
sailor came rolling up to Mrs. Brazil s
"a boy being his pilot) with the usual
anvas bag of dirty linen.
The widows daughter, a girl about
seventeen, scarcely more than remem-
bered her brother; but she loved him
very tenderly, and longed for the day
when he would return.
One day, while she was ironing the
sailors linen, she noticed these initials,
81. B."
Now it flashed into her mind that u.
b." might stand for "Joseph Brazil"
The more she thought of it the moro
convinced she became that this must be
the case. So she accordingly resolved tc
60 on board the vessel and see the
owner of the garments.
He was a tall, dark, saturnine-lookino
fellow, of a singularly %forbidding aspect,
Notwithstanding this, no sooner die
the girl set eyes on him than, to his
great surprise, she cried OUT
"Tis he! it's our joel" and flung he1
dluIo ulOllu Ills neck IN 4 most attac-
tionate embrace.
81 don't see,' said the sailor with a
grin, chow l can be your brother"
"oh, yes! yes! you are, you must be
my brother!!"
1t was Of no use for him to DENY it.
n was even more emphatic in her as
sertions, and insisted on his instantly
accompanying her ashore, and going up
to see mother who, "has been look
ing for you SO many, many long years!''
"Well, if you're determined to have
it so, why, I'll drop anchor and 20
ashore"
Such a scene, when he came into the
house, wasn't enacted for many a day
in that quiet town.
The old lady went into Mysteries, and
the daughter, out of sympathy, went the