The Republican journal., 1884-08-14

chap of the things he was dressed in.
He cried so that was in an agony, max
ing sure we were hurting him but the
steward said = No. | know the nature of
infants; it would be unnatural if they
didn't cry; it's a fashion their lungs have
of growing Are you sure9' saws l.
Cock sure says he haven't | seven
of my OWL, Mr. Roland ?
"When the baby was wrapped up in
one Of my flannel shirts, that being soft
er than any blanket we bad aboard, the
steward went and warmed some Swiss
milk at the galley fire; and while | was
sitting waiting for the steward, with the
baby lying on my knee, the captain comes
in.
''' God help this poor little one u says
he; what age do you take him to be,
Mr.. Roband?'
"'Not year old, says |.
50 Not year old' he cried how
wonderful are the ways OF providence
that a tiny bubble of humanity like this
should be left unharmed by a storm that,
maybe, has drowned all the rough and
sturdy fellows Who filled that vessel. It's
like seeing an iron ship beaten to pieces
by seas amid whose hollows yotl observe
the little stormy petrol securely flying
"lhe steward arrived with the warm
milk and spoon, and we turned to feed
the baby. | tried my hand but it was
no good | couldn't get the milk down
his throat; it capsized down his neck,
and his being ravenous and crying made
the job more difficult. Here, give NE
hold, slr,' said the steward 50 put the
baby Oh his knee. Well he knew more
about it than |, and got a fair caulker
of milk into the little 'un, and after a bit
the little chap fell asleep, whereupon he
was laid down in my bunk, and there he
was quiet enough.
Sir, we had some hopes of his thrig-
ing after this. He was a sort of trial
in his way. for he wanted washing, and
dressing, and feeding, and looking after,
ana 1t came hard upon us. who hadn't
the fingers nor the understanding for
such work. He was a beautiful boy. |
never saw liner ewes III an infant blue
as the heavens under which we We're
sailing, and lovely little figure, sir.
Sometimes when it would come to my
turn to undress MIN I'd let him lie naked
on flannel shirt stretched across my
laugh, until the dropping of tear, like
a parched pea. down my cheek would
make me feel that | was acting the fool,
and allowing thoughts of my home and
OF this bairn's loneliness to trouble Inc
too much. He had but the clothes we
found hlm III so the captain and | gave
each OF us a soft calico shirt to one of the
men forward. Il neat hand with the
needle, a chap named CLAW, to make in
to couple of suits OF linen for the baby
and this and knitted waistcoat and a
swathng of flannel round his little starn
and legs kept him tidy and warm and
comfortable. We got mighty fond OF
him. Wed bring him on deck and lay
him in the fold of a sail or on the ensign
when the weather was fire and warm,
and then you'd see him kicking up his
legs III the sunshine, toastng his tiny
toes in it, and looking at his fingers and
talking to himself He made the bark
more human than ever thought a yes
sci could he rendered He begot strong
home feeling in us all. and you'd see the
moving fancies he'd put into the men as
they'd creep aft and never pretended
to notice them-to have look at the
little 'un. Many a stream of tobacco
juice lNf seen them squirt overheard
from the quarterback after watching the
baby, as il their hearts were too full to
suffer 'em to wait until they got forward
to eXpectorate.
"But one day sir, there came an end
to this. 1t mus have been the cutting
of a tooth, | think IIc had fit. but
pulled through it, and we thought him
all right, and | left him sleeping and
looking comfortable enough in my bunk
while went on deck. We were then in
latitude - degrees south, in the tail of
the trade wind.
81 had been on deck two hours, when
the steward came up through the com
panlon, and, approaching me slowly and
speaking very solemnly, he says: Mr..
Roband, he says, little Jimmy that
1 was the name he went by little jim
my he says, has gone to jine his mo-
ther'
81 started and said: whats that you
say z lie ansWered: our little 'uns
dead, sir
- ran below and found the captain in
my cabin looking at the baby that lay a
corpse in my bunk. | had grown Won
deriully fond of the BARN, sir, and the
sight broke me down, and one or two
heaYlng sobs came from me, no more to
be helped by me than the tightness in
my throat Oh, sir, it was as if beauti-
tul little Indian bird that you had cher
rished aud looked after had died OF
the Cape cold in spite Of your love.
Only this WAS an immortal being, tel-
T0Wcreature, a little baby that we had
pucked from the very brink Of an ocean
grave into which his mothers dead en-
brace was dragging him; and we had
: learned to love him.
''' He is gone.' said Capt. Backett
its Gods will, Mr. Roland. we did
onr duty by him we could not have
done more
=" We may take it, sir, that his mother
wanted HIM says the steward.
"Ay, steward. and her entreaty haE
been answered. says the captain, with 4
glance alott.
~ could not take any hand in equip
ping the mite for his funeral | was too
mach upset sir The sailmaker made {
tiny hammock for him, and they put his
hands together, and smoothed the little
wreaths of yellow hair upon his head
and dressed him in clean things, and, be
fore he was stitched up, all hands lay at
to say good-hy, and neer a man among
them that entered the cabin but stoppeC
to give the little cold face kiss before
leaving, We kept him till next day, anC
buried him after eight bells had beer
made
alt was green, windy, glsten
ing morning. the emerald seas ran al
us, melting in froth as they came anC
, the shadows Of the men gathered arounC
the gangWay, sWayed at our feet as the
bark rolled over the surges, and the
dancing sun darted beams like spears o.
light from the clouds through which he
swung. Oh, sir, the contrast Of that lit
tie hammock upon the grating with the
huge grave that was to receive it. The
service was almost more than some 0
US could bear I'd see the men turn thei
heads away, and look down, and wher
at last it came TO the passage that's
signal at sea for the fitting of the body
into the water, we all let our breath ou
in a sch as the tiny hammock sped like
a snowflake over the side and vanished
in the slant of sea whose breaking sum
NIT flashed rainbow over the spot"-
Dundee Telegraph.