Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1893-09-11
How Tom Was Found.

explains why Uno passengers Oh OhO
deck of the big ship Petrol, from San
Francisco to Melbourne, draw their
wraps closely about them on the ev-
ening of the day they would have at
home celebrated with fire crackers
and feasting.
Among these passengers was the
Thurston family, late of New York,
father, mother and four children. A
girl baby was the youngest of them:
then came year-old Tom, and after
him sister and brother almost grown
up. Mr. Thurston owned real estate
in Melbourne, and he had decided to
live there in the future.
Just after the brilliant stars came
out Tom saw several muff1ed up men
with big bundles under their arms
hurry stealthily to the bow of the yes
sell This mystery was almost in
stantly explained by Kissing roar
and the upward rush of a skyrocket's
streak of light. Then 20 sturdy sailors
voices started that song dearest to
every American patriots heart, SMy
Country lis of Thee" By the time
they had finished the first grand verse
every American on board was at the
bow Of the ship singing with them.
Though home was 13, 900 miles behind,
it was still the glorious Fourth.
After the first song the captain
mounted to the bridge with rolled
paper in his hands. All sounds were
hushed. The burly bo'swain held the
lantern for his commander, the paper
was raised aloft, and everyone knew
that it was the great charter of free
dom.
al am about to read to you the Dec
1aration of independence" said the
captain in voice husky with emo
ton. "There are many of us here to-
night who may never hear those dear
words again"
The cheers that came after he had
finished had not begun to die away
when high and clear above them rose
a pure soprano. The cheers stopped,
and all listened as Mrs. Thurston sang
E'The Star Spangled Banner" Tom
stood by her side, and her soft hand
passed caressingly over his hair as
she sang. When she ended the first
verse, she looked down at him and
said:
''Sing with me, Tom.'
After that his sweet, childish piping
joined her magnificent notes.
But the last words of the song were
scarcely finished when tears that
glistened in loving memory of home
and country were frozen on pallid
cheeks by the hoarse and awful cry of
EtFirel The ships on fire."
Brave men worked with the energy
of despair, but the carelessness of a
sailor had done it's work too well. Be
fore dawn eight boats were pulling
away from the blazing hulk of the
Petrol
In vain Tom called for his mother.
With the first alarm she had told him
to stay exactly where he was until
she ran below to get his little sister,
and he had tried to obey her injunc
tions, but despite his protests he was
taken away before she returned and
put in the first boat to leave the ship.
When morning came, but three Of
the boats were in sight, and in none Of
these could any member Of the
Thurston family be found. A few
days later rough weather parted these
oonsorts, and the boat in which Tom
was as tenderly cared for as possible
was alone on the Pacific.
The horrors of thirst and starvation
that followed quickly found victims,
but Tom, wan, pale and most of the
time quietly weeping, lived on, though
in his sorrowful little heart he really
wanted to die. All the boats crew
loved him and as long as there was
anything to divide, divided the food
and water with him. Worse and
worse waxed the hours for the little
company. Every day some one died.
At the end Of three weeks only Tom
and two others were left.
When morning broke on the
twenty -second day after the deser-
tion Of the burning ship land was
sighted. AS they neared the shore
long canoes manned by brown skin
ned natives came out to meet them.
The savages lifted Toms comrades
from the bottom of the boat. He
never saw them again. One strapping
fellow threw Tom over his shoulder
and overcome with thirst and expos
IRE the little fellow tainted. When
he revived a kindly face was bending
over him as he lay on the grass be-
meath a spreading tree. The words