Daily Kennebec journal., 1886-05-28
Gales aud Skttthes.
IN THE WHEEL HOUSE.

Johnny" said the pilot of one OF
our large steamboats, to boy who stood
shivering on the hurricane deck. The lad
turned pale, anxious face. and with a
pitiful attempt at smile. said:
Thank you. sir. but 1 thought there
was no admittanee here"
''Oh, once in a while we let friend
in. =" said the pilot, kindly. with sweep
ing glance that took his companion IN
from top to toe and seemed to penetrate
to his inmost soul.
"Where are Won bound ?'' he continued
with hearty brusqueness from which no
offence could be taken
Il don't know, exactly" the lad an
swered. I'm going to Boston first, that
is
"Yes, that's about what thought"
the pilot interrupted, ''If you can manage
to get there. Let me tell you, something,
my bov. A man in my position has every
opportunity in the world 70 study charac-
ter. and as quick as my eye lit upon your
face knew that you were running away
from home"
The only response to this was a hasty
turning away Of the head. and quick.
gaspino sigh which sounded forlorn from
one so young.
And ! wouldn't be afraid to wager this
steamboat that you have got mother liv-
ing. and more than that, as kind and low
ing a mother as ever drew breath. You
wonder how | know all this" the man
continued, his eyes fixed on the waste of
ater before him, and his steady hands
guiding the great craft with perfect ease
and nrapisinp - hpt r, h.
er about in your face. my lad, and your
with a smile. Now | am going to tell
take it? Yes. thought so. Well, was
year older when | concluded | knew
more than my mother and all the rest of
my relations, and skipped, just as you
have. You feel that you have been the
victim of injustice, and all the right in the
universe is on your side. That was
my case, but | was a fool, and SO are
you. There is no necessity of en-
tering into particulars; but was jealous
of my older brothers and made myself be-
lieve that they were in collusion to keep
me out of money that honestly belonged
to me. wanted some OF the property
that was eventually coming to me to trav-
ell with. | was wild to see the world,
and the ridicule of my brothers and my
mothers apparent sympathy with them
made me desperate. Well. one rumpus
followed another, my mother all the time
trying to show me how unjust and ridicu-
louS my demands were, until one day
threw all affection and deoency to the
winds and ran away.
"Now the point that particularly want
to make in this yarn, my lad, and which
would give good many dollars to i'm
press upon others, is that any fellow with
a grain of honest love for his mother in
his heart is pretty sure to have something
to regret as long as he lives if he hurts
that mother by doing what you and
have. In a moment of anger we say to
ourselves, no one cares tor 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 word from home, and
at last there came day when sickness
from exposure and labor beyond nv years
and my strength drove me back but not
to stay or make myself known to any one,
but to take-or. should rather say, steal
some money, or some valuables which
could convert into money, to bridge over
the present emergency. You had no idea
that you were talking with man that
had been tempted like that, eh2 Well, |
said to myself that I was simply taking
small share OF what was mine by right.
There were $40, 900 held in trust for me,
and it was a great pity if could not have
enough of it to purchase food and medi-
cine. | will do myself the credit to say
that 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 slip the catch
from one of the back parlor windows
was the work of a moment. NY mother
always kept her money in desk in the
sitting room, adjoining her bedroom.
had written note to leave there, telling
her my reasons for appropriating the
money. Good heavens! 1t 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 of death. had no fear of being
caught knew the house too well fer
that-and | was never in nv lite very
much afraid of anything or ANYBODY. 1t
was chill that seemed to strike clear
through me. causing my teeth to chatter
and my heart to feel like lump of ice
in my bosom. These were novel sensa-
tons, and tried to analyze them, but it
was of no use. found that | literally
did not dare to move hand or foot in this
awful blackness. knew where the match
es were formerly kept. and could have
reached them by couple of steps. but
how to take those steps was the question.
At last. by supreme effort of the will.
CROPPED my way to the mantlepiece.
There were two matches in the box, I
struck one and my hand shook so that 7
was afraid it would 90 out before | could
look about me; but it lasted long enough.
my lad. to show me sight which nearly
killed me on the spot Just in front of
me, by the folding doors, was coffin, and
l knew then that it was the presence of
death in the room that had sent such A
chill through every fiber of nv BEING
AT this crisis, my boy. realized the
criminality of my conduct to the fullest
extent. In some form or other it always
comes home to everybody but the most
hardened and depraved, and it is nv
opinion that somewhere. some time even
these are brought to an understanding Of
the tortures they have inflicted upon 9TH
ers.
| Il must look and see what face was