The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1894-11-02
A MODERN CRUSOE.
by LEON EDWARDS.

Edward Pearsall, or Med" as his
family and friends called him, was
born at Sag Harbor, at the eastern
end Of Long Island. His father was
well-to-do farmer, with four chill
dren, two boys and two girls, Ned
and his brother, Robert, Or Rob"
being the oldest.
The senior Pearsall had been, In
bis youth, a sailor, and had made q
number Of voyages TO the South
Pacific, as had many Of his neigh
bors, In the days when whale fishing
was more profitable than now. He
knew enough of the hardships Of the
calling to be eager TO keep his boys
from repeating his experience.
MIR. Pearsall was anxious that
Ned, the elder, should be q lawyer,
and that, In time, Rob should sue
coed him on the farm, which over
looked the great Peconic bay and
Shelter island, to the east.
Unfortunately for the success OF
Mr.. Pearsall's plans, Sag Harbor-
the town was only mile from his
farm-was, at the time, the resort
Of whaling vessels, the crews Of
which were always made much Of on
their return from years Of cruising
In the direction of the north pole, or
from far south Of the equator. In
the winter season these sailors would
gather about the pleasant fire, on
the great open hearth Of the Mer-
maid inn, and spin yarns Of their
cruising In tropic seas, and amid the
Islands Of the Pacific, TO the delight
Of the village youth, and particular
ly to that Of Ned and his brother.
The boys loved their father and
their mother, and had no reason to
be dissatisfied with their home, but
the love Of adventure, that led their
father to sea, possessed them.
Despite this yearning for Q sea
life, Ned might have gone TO college
and become lawyer, as his father
intended, had he not, when about
seventeen years Of age, unfortunate
ly imagined himself In love with Amy
Dawson, the pretty daughter Of Q
neighbor, at this time aged about
fifteen years. OF course he imagined
that there never had, never would,
and never could appear, upon the
eastern end Of Long Island, or any
other part of the terrestrial surface,
so beautiful and perfect a human be-
Ing as Amy, and, Of course, he fur
Their believed, though youths and
maidens had been falling In love
since the earliest days Of recorded,
history, no maiden or youth had ever
been so intensely smitten as himself.
Ned, like all others Of his age, was
exceedingly bashful, but he always
felt satisfied, and the hankering at
bis heart was filled II he saw Amy
at church, or was permitted to walk
home beside her, from singing
school. Ned's brother was less bash
ful and more self-reliant, and 1t may
be added that he was possessed Of q
spirit Of mischief, which took d.
rection at this time that Ned was
In no condition to appreciate. He
made love to the pretty little Amy;
and, seemingly, with great success.
The result was that jealousy and dis,
content filed the heart of Ned, and,
when quite in desperate mood, he
determined 10 flee from the brother
whom he deemed false and the faith
less girl who had the bad taste to
prefer Rob.
1t seemed that the fstes favored
bis purpose. Anchored out In the
bay, there WAS whaling ship, waltz
ing for the turn Of the tide, at day
break, to sail for the south Pacific
islands. The captain Of this vessel
was named Snow, and had already
made overtures to the boy to join
him, 80 that Ned felt sure that, II he
could gain the deck of the Albatross,
he would be certain Of q position.
Bundling up a few Of his clothes
m pillow case, he stole out Of his
bedroom window about midnight,
hurried to the shore, a few hundred
yards away, and getting on board Of
his own private skiff, which he was
expert In handling, he rowed out
into the darkness, guided by the
lights swinging from the shrouds Of
the Albatross. !
Ned hailed the watch on deck, and
Q rope being lowered, he sent up his
package, climbed after 1t himself,
and then sent his boat adrift.
When the sun rose, hot and red,
the next morning, its rays flashed
on the white sails Of the Albatross,
as she rounded Montauk point and
headed for the south.
Soon the hesdland cliffs aud woods
OF Long Island became misty cloud
to the north, and Ned Pearsall was
seized by feeling from which ne
never recovered, that he had done .
very foolish thing. Z
In his fathers house be was we'll
fed, well clothed, and had com.
Portable room to sleep In, and the
most pleasant associationsj on the
Albatross the TODD was coarse and
not the best, the atmosphere Of the
dark forecastle, In which he was
compelled to sleep, was foul, and
his sailor associates were obscene
and vulgar; but, more than this, he
soon learned that Capt. Snow, who
appeared to be so jolly and good
when on shore, was o cruel and pro-
fane tyrant.
After four mopths' continuous