The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1885-06-12

he fancied himself another hero of til,
Nile and Trafalgar. One day. happen
ing to be alone in the shop for awhile
the thought that was always in hi:
mind spoke out aloud, and he began t.
sing:
Ho. 4 ssilyers life for NEE,
On the big briny sea ee,
Where from keer kin be fre-e-ee,
>on the sea e-e e-e! On the seal"
I don't know whether this rhyme was
original with Bobby or not, I suppose
it expressed his feelings as well as il
Barry Cornwall wrote il.
Another song greatly affected our
young hero s imagination. 1t began
Silver buckles on his knee"
Bobby Shafftos gone to sea.
Was not his name Bobby-or nick
namep Might not he be supplied with
silver buckles on shipping. and have q
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 pencil on
leaf torn from his fathers account
book:
s "DEAR MorHER,-when you git these few
u
you. Father he treats me awful for threaten
Ing to run away; he II wish he hadenf some
day. I am gong to sea: am going to the
bring you shawl: sha'n't bring pa nothing.
Ten little Sister Kate not to CRY. Gel BY.
He enclosed this letter in huge vel
low envelope, and having directed it,
he stole out by roundabout way to
the post-office. Arrived there upper
ceived. he dropped it in the box, and
then made his way out of the village
across lots, as fast a. his short legs
would carry him.
The nearest seaport to Bo5by's resi-
dence was distant about seven hundred
miles. Bobby proposed to walk this
distance. He had . twenty-five cent
piece in hls pocket with which to paw
his expenses. By the time he had gone
five or six miles his boyish enthus a.m
began to cool little. This was 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 uou da't
come after him. When it was dark he
crawled under 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 imae-
med that he saw her reading his letter.
He thought he couli see the look of
agony on her face, and hear her sobs
and wailings - she realized that her
hon L -
thought of his little sister Katie, and
her distress when che should find out
that Brother Bobby" had left her.
Deluded boy! At the very moment
when he began his sad meditations UNI
der the haystack 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. 81 $780,
s4Of course he'll be. comm back
when he gets tired and hungry said
The unseutimonfal mothar.
.He' II be here inside OF twenty-four
hours," said the father.
Even small Sister Katy thought the
same. and did not appear to have bit |
more sentiment than the rest |
AT last morning came, and our young |
crawled out from under the |
haystack tired and disheartened. He |
vas disenchanted Of q sailors life al |
ready. But at the same time he could |!
hardly make up his mind 10 90 back. |
Ills father had mot been punished |
,n0ugh yet. he taought Uncertain |
what to do. he approached q house not |
Ar OF to Try and procure something. to
at.
.rd HE 70 Ut . lokf of bread he |
aid tose III. red-faoed woman, who |
anne to the door in answer to his
You would, hey?" said the lady. II
mess there's many . person in the
anne FIX xBrssd'sk scarcGr now, an
ramps plenty. I've nothin' to give
way TO . stout chap like you"
II didn't want you to giue il to me. -
aid Bobby; I'D pay for il .
You would, would youP" said the
roman. -" posins sou show me your
money before climb down CELLAR
Bobby put his hands into his pockets.
nd then he discovered that his money
vas gone; he must have lost il when he
rswlad under the haystack. He tried
. explain this to the woman.
10y ehat is!'' said she;
ypk nel had - nlohey l. %,
= - avay~ Corr III
) D6o6yssWsdke away detected. Ha
~ buek to q 1nystack and hunted