Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-05-12

ships and lands as I never heard tell
of, but where the boy always had q
wild fancy to CO." Here the old
mans voice trembled; presently he
went on:
"You see that clump of trees over
there, sir, on the other side OF the
backwater, where it looks g. bit wild
| and rough like? Well, sir, the games,
or as the boy used to say, adventures,
as them two had together was won
| derful.
"Not that the boy was idle. I ha'
got nothin' to complain of on that
score, sir. Books, books, readin', and
as you might say, devourin' 'em, from
night till morning; and as for work,
we'll, he used to help me open the lock.
When q boat or barge or launch APP
preached, down he'd drop his book,
and run to the lock-gates and help me
open them, collect the money, and
what is usual, as you know, under
| the circumstances.
zone day great traveller came down
to stay few week for change O. air,
and for q bit O. quiet after his long
stay in turin parts. He used to come
down to the lock in the early morning
to have swim. He took q wonder
full fancy to the boy, and so the boy
did to him. He was a tall, thin gentle
man, his face mahogany color, eyes
bright as living coal. There he used
to sit, sir, on the bank; his canoe
moored to the piles of the lock, with
my boy at his feet, listening to won
derful stories about them furrin parts.
And the boy seemed to my mind to
| look upon him as a kind Of superior
being. We'll, sir, he stopped down in
these parts for about a month, and
after he'd gone the boy seemed to get
restless, and seemed TO care less for
his books. That struck me as wonder
full, and after talk to my missus I
spoke to the boy about it.
'"Well, father said he, 'it's been
on my mind q long time, sayshe, long
before Mr.. - mentioning thegentle-
mans name, come here, as I'd like to
60 to those places that he has told
me of. fought against it. father,
KNOWN that was the only one that
you and mother had"
The old fellow pulled a pull or two
at his cigar before he proceeded.
"'For this kind of life, kind and good
| as you are to me, seems to stlfle me,
want to get away. Do let me go! |
want to do some good in the world,
| father said he. i can't bear to think
that you and mother are to stop here
al! your life, with no better prospects
for your old age than this;' meaning,
sir, the turning on and turning off of
water. DO let me go. father?'
"Well, l needn't tell you, sir, that
the idea of parting with the boy nearly
broke my heart. But seeing that it
was for his good, and that he'd made
up his mind about it, me and his
mother came to the conclusion that
it would be best to let him go; and
with sorrowful and aching hearts we
made up our minds that we must part
with him at least for q time.
81 built him a sea-chest, and his
mother was working night and day to
get a bit of things ready, and to turn
him out neat and respectable like.
And how she did work, that wife of
mine! though | believe it was with a
breaking heart.
"Well, sir, the morning before he was
to start | was out in the LIGHTHOUSE,
in the little shanty as had made for
carpentering, just giving the finishing
touches to the boys sea-chest, when
heard loud shrek, and my wife's
voice calling out to me, Peter, for
Gods sake, comet / knew the direc-
ton the voice came from-the lock.
Dropping my paint-brush, [ rushed to
the lock-gates, and there was my wife
clinging to them, with her eyes starting
out of her head, wild, half mad-like.
"'Look, Peter, look!' she said, never
taking her eyes from the water. /
rushed across the lock, caught her in
my arms, and there, just outside the
gates, in the whirl of the water, saw
the boys straw hat.
"'Oh, Peter, Peter! she said, the boy
is gone; the boys dead. [ shall never
see him again
"Poor soul, her agony was terrible,
but if anything could equal it, it was
the way that Jim there-the dog
took it. A-going up and down the
bank, in and out the water, painting,
exhausted, the dog seemed to have
gone right down mad; first rushing to
me, jumping up at my face to attract
my attention, then back again into
the water, out again, until quite ex-
hausted like, he ley down at my feet
half dead like.
''Well, took the wife indoors, and
many and many a. weary night did l
have nursing her, a-trying to bring her
back to life again. Her cries for her
boy was something heartrending. He
was all the world to her. She's never
been tie same since, sir.
"Jim here, the dog, seemed to feel it
as much as any of ua. In and out all
day long as if he was hunting for some
thin. Meier q boat, ne'er barge,
ne'er steam launch came through
this 'ere lock but in he went, searching
every corner; for you must know, sir,
the boy used sometimes to get the
bargemen to give him ride up and
down the river for a couple of days.
Over in the backwater, where the boy
and he used to play and spend so
many happy hours together, as soon
as the dusk came on, on he used to go,
hunting every nook and corner.
Then, hopeless and dispirited, he'd
| a0poo hoaE coro %ob tho door low him