Thomas County cat., 1886-12-09

in his right arm had severed the mus
cles and rendered it well-nigh useless.
George, on the contrary, was of diff
ferent nature, and the "wooden walls
of the Firebrand often echoed the shril
cries of an angry infant while some
stout tar paced the deck with him and
endeavored to sing lullaby to such
odd words as: '.My name is Tom
Tough, I've seen little sarvice where
the ragin' pillows roll and the tenn
pests roar"
At length the chalk cliffs of old En-.
gland came in sight. and the children
were taken to London to be delivered
up to the Queen. They were received
at Buckingham palace, and John dim
ly remembered the scene when some
months later the legal adoption papers
were signed.
He said: "It was a very large room,
and George and l were placed at a
table on high chairs with plates of
cake. George cried all the time, and
his nurse could not get him to keep
quiet, but saw lot of gentlemen in
red coats come in, and lady in blue
dress. She kissed us and cried little
and wrote on some papers,
At this time to the name of Fire
brand was added Hyde. IS her
Majesty said, in remembrance of the
gallant man who had bequeathed the
waits of war and rapine to her mother
ly care. Besides," she remarked,
laughingly, "Fircbrand seems so ridc-
ulous, could never mention it with
out laughing
After years of careful training the
two boys. as seemed fitting, entered
the royal navy, but not as executives,
for neither right arm had ever devel-
oped, on account of the injury sus-
tanned in childhood. To each Fire
brand" aposition was assigned as Sec
retary to the commander Of ship. and
John, when the writer became ac-
Gualnted with him, was acting in that
capacity to Rear Admiral Campbell,
on the flagship Narcissus of the flying
squadron. He was then gay young
man. some etwenty-six years of age, and
unlike an Englishman in appearance,
but singularly like one in heart.
He never wearied of telling stories
of the Queen and royal family, to whom
he was warmly attached; his home had
been, from his early childhood, at Os-
borne, the royal residence in the Isle
of Wight, and the Princes and Prin-
cesses, his playfellows. He was of
somewhat literary turn of mind and
had written small book of poems
which had been published at her Males
" fnr . fa 1.,fi
only" In some Of these verses he al
ludes feelingly to his benefacsress as
his adopted mother.
George ''Firebrand' Hyde was also,
although much against his will, a
sailor. He told the story of how his
future was settled in rather an anus
ing fashion. He said: 1.-The Queen
called on me one day when we were
all haymaking at Osborne and said:
We'll, George, I've heard from John
to-day, he is well and happy; now,
what are you going to be?' "a farmer.
MA am, l said. 'Ah! George she said,
with smile, that takes long purse.
No; you must 90 to sea. ="
Ofcourse opposition was useless, and
George became a sailor, but very in
different one, and his health becoming
bad, he was sent home an invalid from |
the North American and West Indian |
station, where he was serving on board |
her Majesty's steamship Spartan. The |
Firebrand Hydes are farmers now, and |
both married men. They have farms on |
the Isle of Wright. and live happily with
their families. and their adopted mother
" o.. Of
never fails to kindly receive her Turk
ish sons, though her charity is hidden
in their cases, and she scarcely lets her
sri ght hand know what her left hand !
doeth. ~. y. Grcphic.