The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1886-10-30
SUCH A LITTLE CHAP"
The Brave Act Of Robin. Who Saved HI
Big Brothers Life.

The Brave Act Of Robin. Who Saved His
Big Brothers Life.
Where did you get this picture.
Jack, and whose portrait is it?" in
uuired little Elsie of her coastguard
friend.
II picked that up in a book-shop
many years ago. returned the honest
tar, 'for l thought it had a strong
look of Robin, my little brother
"What. had you a brother, too" in
quired Elsie. II never knew that be-
fore. Tell us about him-do!' Whilst
Freddy chimed in with a eyes, spin us
a yarn, Jack"
Thus beset, and smiling down upon
the two eager faces, Jack established
himself upon his chest, and holding the
print in his hand, ransackcd from his
memory the following incident:
when Twas young (Jack's stories
generally opened in this manner) Il
had, like many another lad, a craving
after the briny; and, in spite of poor
mothers remonstrances, | went into
the merchant service. A pretty hard
time l had of it, l car tell you, Master
Fred, and l kicked about for many a
long year from ship to ship and port
to port. was sixteen or more before
found myself in my native village
again, nea Falmouth, my father dead
long since and my mother very i'll.
She was overjoyed to see me again,
poor soul, and on her death-be com.
mitted to my charge my little brother
Robin, as pretty a little fellow, with
curly hair and blue eyes, as you ever
saw. Some months went by, but my
coin ran short, and at last | had to go
to sea again, leaving Robin in charge
of a respectable old body as hadknown
mother we'll. He was to 60 to school,
for he was a smart little lad, with more
learning in his little finger than l in
my great hulking head. But the
wrench of parting was very hard. l
was glad enough to get off at last, and
turned in dead beat into my hammock
the first night aboard. glad it was all
over and the little lad in safe hands. l
was awoke at last by something moy-
ing or my bed. At first thought it
was one of them impudent rats, of
which there are shoals on board some
Of the wooden vessels.
IL put out my hand, and was as
founded to feel a little soft hand thrust
into mine, while a voice whispered
It's only mc-Robin,' and sure enough
so it was! Robin, who had run away
from Mrs. Yarrow's, and slipped on
board and been hiding away the whole
Of the day whilst we were going down
channel!
Here was a pretty kettle O fish,
and though l scolded him well he only
chung to me the more and cried. while
[ turned over in my mind how best to
get him ashore again, and what the
captain would say the next morning.
But the captain was as soft-hearted a
mar as ever trod deck. and his wife,
who was aboard, when she saw Robin,
cried out: why, he's the very double
of our Charlie! we must keep him.
So that clinched matters, and Robin
stayed aboard.
robin took to seattle very kind
ly. He became a prime favorite with
all; the toughest had a soft word for
him, and stopped their horse-play and
evil conversation when the little inno-
cent lad was present.
"We were sailing round one of the
West Indian islands one evening, and
| was looking across the ocean, when
in the stiffness ! heard IA sudden plunge
in the waters, and the well known cry
Man overheard" Leaning over the
side l saw n dark spcck struggling in
the distance, Without more ado
kicked off my shoes. took a header
and made straight for the object.
which, to my horror, l found to be the
captains wife. She was crazy with
fright, poor soul, and clung to me with
the despair of a drowning creature.
1t was a comparatively easy matter to
good swimmer to keep afoat till help
and l fe't no alarm, more es-
when a boat was showed Of
from the ship to meet us
"But when about half way towards