The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-01-12

he; what age do you take him to be,
! Mr.. Roband?'
"'Not year old, says 1.
Not year old he cried; how
wonderful are the ways of Providence
| that a tiny bubble of humanity like
this should be left unframed by a, storm
that, maybe, has drowned all the rough
and sturdy fellows who filled that yes
sci. It's like seeing an iron ship beaten
to pieces by seas amid whose hollows
you observe the little stormy petrol
securely flying.
1.-The steward arrived with the warm
milk and spoon, and we turned to
feed the baby. | tried my hand, but it
was no good; l couldn't get the milk
down his throat; it capsized down his
neck, and his being ravenous and cry
ing made the job more difficult. Here,
give me hold, sir, said the steward; so
l put the baby on his knee. Well he
knew more about it than |, and got
fair caulker of milk into the little 'un,
and after 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 thriv-
ing after this. He was a sort of trial
in his way, for he wanted washing, ana
dressing, and feeding, and looking after,
and it came hard upon us, who hadn't
the fingers nor the understanding for
such work. He was a beautiful bov.
never saw finer eyes in an infant;
blue as the heavens under which we
were sailing, and lovely little figure,
sir. Sometimes when it would come to
my turn to undress him I'd let him lie
naked on flannel shirt stretched across
my knees, and tickle him and make
him laugh, until the dropping of tear,
like parched pea, down my cheek
would make me feel that l was acting
the fool, and allowing thoughts of my
home and of this bairn's loneliness to
trouble me too much. He had but the
clothes we found him in; so the Captain
and | gave each of us a soft calico shirt
to one of the men forward, neat hand
with the needle, chap named Claw, to
make into q couple of suits of linen for
the baby; and this and knitted waist
coat and swathing of flannel round
his body and legs kept him tidy and
warm and comfortable. We got mighty
fond of him. We'd bring him on deck
and lay him in the fold of a sail or on
the ensign when the weather was fine
and warm, and then you'd see him
kicking up his legs in the sunshine,
toasting his tiny toes in it, and looking
at his fingers and talking to himself.
He made the bark more human than
ever | thought vessel could be rem
dered. He begot a 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
I've seen them squirt overheard from
the quarterback after watching the
baby, as if their hearts were too full to
suffer EN- to wait until they got for
ward to eXpectorate.
"But one day, sir, there came an end
to this. 1t must have been the cutting
of tooth, [ think. He had q fit, but
pulled through it, and we thought him
all right, and left him sleeping and
| looking comfortable enough in my bunk
while l went on deck We were then
in latitude twenty-eight degrees south,
| in the tail of the trade wind.
81 had been on deck two hours, when
the steward came up through the COM
panion, and, approaching me slowly
and speaking very solemnly, he says:
Mr.. Roland, he says, 'little Jimmy
that was the name he went by-'little
Jimmy he says, has gone to jine his
mother.
81 started and said: What's that
you sayP' He answered: Our little
un's dead, sir
81 ran below and found the Captain
in my cabin looking at the baby that
lay corpse in my bunk. l had grown
wonderfully fond of the BARN, sir, and
the sight broke me down, and one or
two heaving sobs came from me, no
more to be helped by me than the
! tightness in my throat. o, sir. it was
as if a beautiful little Indian bird that
you had cherished and looked after had
died of the Cape cold in spite of your
love. Only this was an immortal be-
ing fellow-creature, q little baby that
we had plucked from the very brink OF
an ocean grave into which his mothers
dead embrace was dragging him. and
we had learned to love him.
"'He is gomez said Captain Blackett:
''tis Gods will, Mr.. Roland. We did
our 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 has
been answered, says the Captain, with
a glance aloft.
II could not take any hand in equip
ping the little mite for his funeral |
| was too much upset sir. The sailmaker
made a 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, before he was stitched up,
all hands lay aft to say good-by, and
meier man among them that entered
the cabin but stopped to give the little
cold face kiss before leaving. We
kept him till next day, and buried him
after eight bells had been made.
at was green, windy, glistening
morning; the emerald seas ran at us,
melting in froth as they came; and the
shadows of the men gathered around
the gangway, swayed at our feet as the
bark rolled over the surges, and the
dancing sun darted beams like spears
of light from the clouds through which
he swung. O, sir, the contrast of that
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