, 1885-10-11
IN THE WHEELHOUSE..


'A1 f'h1 $50 IAACN ~ - -
large steamboats, to a boy who had stood
shivering on the hurricane deck. The lad
turned a pale. anxious face, and with "A
pitiful attempt at a smile. said.
Thank you sir. but. ! thought there
was no admittance here.
"Ch, once in a while we let a friend
in. - said the pilot. kindly, with a sweep
ing glance that took his companion
In from top 10 toe. and seemed to penc.
trate 10 his Utmost sou.
Where re you boundf' he continued.
with a hearty brusqueness from which no
ofrense could be taken.
Il don't know exactly. y the lad an
swered. "lm going TO Boston first. that
is"
~Nes. that's about what | thought. "
the pilot interruI ted. -if you can manage
TO get there. let me tell you something.
my boy. a nan in my position has
every opportunity in the world to study
character. and rs quick rs my eyes l.
upon our face ! knew you were running
away from home.
Tie only response TO This was IA hastr
turning away of the head. and a quick.
gasping sigh which sounded forlorn flom
one 50 young.
And ! wouldn't be afraid TO wager this
steamboat that you have got a moth r
living. and. more than that, as kind and
loving a mother as ever drew breath
\ on wonder how | know all this. " the
man continued. his eyes fixed On tbs
waste of water before him, and his steany
hands guiding the great craft with perfect
ease and precision "but you carry ,"ar
mother about in your face. my lad. AID
your eyes are a bad give away " he AL ct.
with a smile. Now, | Am going to tei
you "a story. You are about III, | tab, q
es, | thought SO, Well. | was II ,ilr
older when | concluded | knew mo e.
than my mother and all the rest OF .
relations. and skipped. Just rs you hH,.
You feel that you have been the victim Il
injustice. and all the right in the universe
is on your side. That was my case. aal
l was a fool. and 80 are you.
-There is no ne essity Of entering iuio
particulars. but | was jealous of my older
brothers. and made myself believe that
they were in COLLISION TO keep me cut Of
money that honestly belonged TO me. |
wanted some of the property that was
eventually coming TO me TO travel with.
| was wild 10 see the world, aud the ridi
Guile OF my brothers and my mothers ap-
aren't sympathy with them made me
Desperate Well, one rumpus followed
another, my mother all tue time trying 10
show me how unjust and ridiculous my
demands were, until one day | threw AL
aff, ction and d~ecency TO the winds aud
ran away.
Now the point that | particularly want
TO make in TINS yarn. my lad, and which
| would give IA good many dollars TO i'm
press upon others. Is. that any fellow with
a gfain of honest love for his mother in
his heart is pretty surf 10 have something
10 regret as long as he lives IL he hurts
that mother By doing what you and |
nave in u m of anger We say 10
OURSELVES. no one cares for us and we care
for nobody. and then some awful trouble
comes along. and we find too late that we
have only deceived ourselves.
Now | tramped up and down the earth
for six months without sending a line
home. or hearing n word from home, and
at last their came Il day when sickness from
exp sure and labor beyond my years and
my strength drove me back. But not TO
stay or make myself known TO any one.
but take-or. l should rather say. steal
some money or some valuables which |
could convert into money. 10 bridge over
the present emergency. You had no idea
that you were talking with a man tina
Ind been tempted like that. Ell? Well, |
said to myself that | was simply taking a
small share of what was min by right
there were 90. 900 held in trust for me.
aud il was a great pity II could not have
enough OF II TO purchase food and medi-
cine. | will do myself the credit to say
hat there did not appear to be any holes
In that argument then. and That in every
other respect | was an honest lad.
at required no skill to let myself into
my mothers house. To sip the catch
from one of the back parlor windows was
the work of a moment My mother
Giways kept money in II desk in the sitting
room ad dining her bed room. | had
written a note TO leave there. telling her
my reasons for appropriating the money.
Great heavensl IL makes my blood run
cold as my thought goes back to the
horrors Of that night, AS | softly raised
the window and crept into the room |
was struck. it seemed TO me, with the
chill If death | had no fear of being
caught knew The ways of the house
too well for that-and l was never
in my life very much afraid of
anything OF anybody. 1t was a chill
that seemed to strike clear though
me causing my teeth to chatter and my
heart to feel like n lump of ice in my
bosom These were novel sensations
and | tried TO analyze them, but il was of
no use. found that literally did not
dare to move hand or foot in this awful
blackneSs. | knew where the matches
were formerly kept, and | could have
reached them by Il couple OF steps. but
how TO take those steps was the question.
AT last. by a supreme eflo of the will
/ CROPPED my way to the mantel piece
There were two matches in the box. |
struck one. and my hand shook so thai |
was afraid It. would 60 out before | could
look about me. But II lasted long enough.
my lad, TO show me n sight which very
nearly killed me on the spot Just in
front Of me by the folding doors was IA
coffin, and l knew then that it was the
presence of death In the room that had
sent such a chill TO every fiber of my be.
ing. At this crisis. my boy, / realized
the criminality Of my conduct to the full
est extent. In some form or other 1t al
ways comes home to everybody but the
most hardened and %depraved. and it's my
opinion that somewhere, some time. even
these are brought 10 an understanding OF
the torture they have inflicted upon
others.
IL must look and sec what face II was
shut away from sight In this narrow bed
but how could ~ They tell us that in
great crises people sometimes have a
quick and awful glimpse Of all they have
done in their lives | seemed TO remem
Der everything my mother had ever said
TO me, all her kisses, her tears, the pray
ers | had said at her knee, all ny own
heArtlessness. every mean and cruel word
| had ever spoken. every single act Of
disobedience. had come to night 10 rob
her, and had found her in her coffin. But
perhaps 1t might not be. 1t was not i'm
possible that some one else in the
house could have died, / told my
self. but mo- Some agonizing intuition
seemed TO tell me that IL was my mother,
and | had killed her. God forbid. my
lad. that should not be able to do some
good with this terrible experience
Il have faced some dangers since. been
in some tight places. but there Is nothing
seen or unseen that would ever DO TO me
what II wa TO strike that remaining
match and open that coffin lid. With a
desperation which no pen or tongue can