Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-05-29

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to consider it necessary; SO he took care
to say nothing more in his hearing
about going to sea. But he by no
means relinquished his purpose. On
the contrary, this purpose grew more
determined than ever. So he read his
old sea-stories over again, and the
blacksmith's life of Lord Nelson, and
he fancied himself another hero of the
Nile aud Trafalgar. One day, happen
ing to be alone in the shop for awhile,
the thought that was always in his
mind spoke out aloud, and he began to
sing:
On the big briny sea-ec,
Where from keer kin be freeze,
On the sea g eHe eel! On the seal"
Idon't know whether this rhyme was
original with Bobby or not, l suppose
it expressed his feelings as well as if
Barry Cornwall wrote it.
Another song greatly affected III
young hero's imagination. 1t began
Silver buckles on his knee"
"Bobby Shatfto's gone to sea,
Was not his name Bobby-or nick
name? Might not he be supplied with
oAASCA puCNASo + t'Ao "N {"
monument at last like that of which the
boy Nelson dreamed? He thought the
poetry prophetic. The poet meant him.
Bobby sat down and wrote the fol-
lowing affecting lines with a pencil on
a leaf torn from his fathers account
book:
"DEAR MorHER,-Wben you git these few
lines, your Bobby will be many miles from
ing to run away; he IL wish he hadent some
day. I am gong to sea; 1 am gong to the
West 1ndee Hands. When / come home, Twill
bring you a shawl; l sha'n't bring pa nothing.
"BOBBY."
He enclosed this letter in a huge yell
low envelope, and having directed it,
he stole out by a roundabout way to
the post-otiice. Arrived there unper-
ceived, he dropped it in the box, and
then made his way out of the village
across lots, as fast as his short legs
would carry him.
The nearest seaport to Bobby's resi-
dence was distant about seven hundred
miles. Bobby proposed to walk this
distance. He had a twenty-five cent
piece in his pocket with which to pay
his expenses. BY the time he had gone
five or six miles his boyish enthus- aSm
began to cool a little. This was a grave
matter, for without it he realized that
his runaway courage would not last.
At first he had travelled rapidly, being
very much afraid that his father would
come after him. AS night drew near
he travelled considerably slower, and
felt very much afraid his father wou dn't
come after him. When it was dark he
crawled under a haystack in a field,
and tried to go to sleep; but he could
not sleep. Visions of his afflicted
mother rose up before him. He mag
ined that he saw her reading his letter.
He thought he could see the look OF
agony on her face, and hear her sobs
and wailings as she realized that her
only boy was gone. And then he
thought of his little sister Katie, and
her distress when she should find out
that Brother Bobby had left her.
Deluded boy! At the very moment
when he began his sad meditations I'M
der the h%aystack his afflicted parents
were toasting their feet before an open
fire, and discussing the best means OF
Furnishing the truant when he should re-
turn.
''Of course he'll be comm back
when he gets tired and hungry said
the unsentimcntal mother.
Hell be here inside of twenty-four
hours" said the father.
Even small Sister Katy thought the
same, and did not appear to have a bit
more sentiment than the rest.
AT last morning camo o,d ,,
runaway crawled out from under thee
haystack tired and disheartcned. Ho
was d~lsenchanted OF q sailors life al
ready. But at the same time he could
hardly make up his mind 10 go back.
His father had not been punished
enough yet, he thought. Uncertain
what to do, he approached a house not
far OFT to try and procure something to
eat. ~
"Id like to get a loaf of bread,nA he
said to q big, red-faced woman. who
came to the door in answer to his
knock. lid
"You would, hey?" said the lady. .1
guess there's many a person in tho
same fix. Breads scarce now. an,
tramps plenty. I've nothin' to rive
away to Z stout chap like you"
~ dldn't want you to giive it to men
said Bobby; I'D pay for it,"
: "lou would, would you?" said tho
woman: "S'posin' you show me vomr
money before | climb down cellar '"t
Bobby put his hands into his pockets
and then he discovered that his move
was gone; he must have'lost it when ny
craWled ander the havstack. Hn tr;nI
to explain this t the woman.
"A likely story that is!' said she:
you never had no money. Be off
now, right away. Co." oii'
Bobby walked away detected, He
went back to the haystack ana hunted