Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-11-18
EDS UNEXPECTED HARBOR.

EDS UNEXPECTED HARBOR.
He was wandering along South street,
New York, looking at the big ships held
fast by their hawsers to the docks. No
one paid the slightest attention to him.
Small, ragged colored boys were too COM
mon to attract attention in New York.
The boy stood in doorway, looking at
fat, comfortable-looking German who was
making, over charcoal fire in the back
end of a green cart, wailles, which he COW
cred with white powdered sugar and sold
at two for five cents. How good they look
ed and the smell made Ed so hungry that
he moved on without giving the blue-coated
policeman a chance to tell him to do so.
The noises of the street, the putiings of
the engines used in loading the big ships,
the halooing of the workingmen, the tan
gle of horses, cars and carts so bewildered
Ed that he felt very different from the ia
miliar "Ed" of the docks at Beaufort.
There everybody knew him, and if they
did not he soon made himself known. But
here in New York he felt not only a strang
er to others, but to himself all his old
careless, happy thoughts had left him.
He was cold, and that was a new sensa-
ton; he was hungry, and that was new
sensation. If he were only in Beaufort
he would calmly walk on board the vessel
that was most convenient and announce
the fact. Some one would see that he got
something to eat. Or he would have gone
on board early enough to help the cook,
and earned his dinner But here, in big,
busting New York, Ed dare not attempt
any of the old freedom of Beaufort. So
he felt very forlOrn and unhappy as he
stopped again in a doorway near stand
on which Frankfort sausages were cook
ing and were soon hidden between the two
halves of a roll. This was really more
tantalizing than the waflles and Ed hur-
ried away. He watched in every direction
for a man or woman with valse that he
could carry. lie had long since given up
the idea of holding horses, for, as he said,
''De horses don't have minute any more
IAN de men. Da all act like da was aft all
de time" So Ed, partly catching the
spirit of his new surroundings, and partly
because he was cold, hurried along South
street till he came to the part where the
ships seemed to be smaller and the people
not so hurried. He looked about more
hopefully and felt himself grow larger.
81 iist wish | could fine some boat what
had no cook. I'd make some of dem pan
cakes, such as mann" Well, he did moi
go any farther in his thought, for the tears
started down his cheeks, and the lump il
his throat grew so large that he had Il
cough, and hurry down one of the Ions
docks to reach the end, for what in tn,
world would he do if any one saw hin
cry? Yes, there was no use denying it
Ed had to acknowledge to himself that h
was crying. 1t was quite new sensation
and he did not like it; in fact, he disap
proved of it altogether. "Why, nanny,
he thought. Then the tears just came tn
faster, and Ed gave up fighting. He sa
down on the end of the dock, with hi
ragged shoes hanging over the water, an
leaned against the pile. His eyes were to
full of tears to notice the sun shining o.
the windows of the houses over in Brook
Ign, making them glory of color; an
he did not look at the bridge hanging hig
in the air, the sunshine striking highe
and higher on its towers, telling that nigh
was coming fast. Ed only thought {
Beaufort that he had left in such scOrn onl
a few days before on vessel that he ha
left that morning, because he did not wis
to wash decks when he got to New Yorl
He expected to be a waiter in big hote
He had heard the captain say that l
could wait on table better than man
men, and so, when he was told to was
the decks that morning, he had waited III
til the mate had gone below, and then |
slipped ashore, and was lost in the crow,
Now what would he give for sight of TIL
vessel How gladly he would do anythir
that would give him the right to step {
its decks, with the feeling that it was HON
Now he could not find it! The wiz
grew stronger and colder and caught i
in such rude grasp that he shivered. I
looked about. The boats on the riv
oil To nfVaf hi.
home; the roar of the street at the head
the dock was not so great, and the engil
that was putting so vigorously when ]
walked down the dock was now silent, al
the men who had been working were COR
Yes, it was night that was folding abo
the great busy city; and on one end
the dock, all alone, small, ragged color
boy sat cold and hungry, and shiveri
with fear because of the darkness tn
would soon hide him. The long hot
through which he would sit alone seem
to him like years. He could not bear
he would hurry somewhere, where thu
were people. Why, he would rather sta
and watch the waffle man than stay h,
near the cold black waters, and in the
lence that made him feel worse than {
hunger or cold.
He got up and came from behind
nalt-dOzen barrels that hid him from vie
At this moment one of the putting, flu
ing tug-bOats, that always make you thi
of a scolding woman, slowed up, a
turned her bow toward the street, and
heard the familiar cry: "Here, boy, ca
this liner How gladly he did III
have any one speak to him made him h
py at once. He caught the line so SIX
fully that the man who threw it lool
more sharply at him as he muttered un
his breath "a mighty smart dock-l
that"
There was something so friendly in
face of the man that after Ed had faster
the line he sat down on the stringpiC
hoping the man would speak again.
erybody on the little boat seemed v
busy, as if they were preparing to 60 hol
Eds face fairly shOne with the thou
that came He would slip on board
boat and lie down on the deck across
door. Some heat from the great fire
the furnace must come through, anC
would keep him warm. Two or III
men in oyercoats left the boat with
looking at the small boy huddled down
the pile. At last the man who had SD
en- to him first jumped on the dock to
just the lines and almost stepped on h
"What are you doing here, coon? /
home" 1t was such disappointment
er the beautiful plan Ed had arranged. /
he looked hopelessly at the man, but
not speak. The man looked at him ag
and said, kindly, "Come on board and