The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-07-19
AN ASTONISHED LAD.

That's queer-lOoKlng obJcc',
Aleck, floating In the cove. 1t looks
like a huge piece OF hard soap"
"IIard soap don't SWIM" replied
Aleck shortly. "lts probably dead
hakc, or little yonkcr's (baby seal
peit But we must hurry, Denny
aud get these fish upon the flake.
The sun Is coming out finely this
morning
The speakers, two Newfoundland
lads, brothers. aged II and IL, lived
at Bear co e, Bonavista Bay, on the
northeast coast OF that great, iOggy
island, and they had never been out
side the "bay district"
Their lot in lie was not an easy
one. Since Il recent disaster To the
sealing fleet, when their father had
lost his life, they had been the whole
support OF a family OF ten pc sons,
including Two aged grandparents,
their mother and five younger broth
ers and sisters
In that remote settlement Of Usher
folk there were no schools nor oppOr-
,Junitlos te- ,3at.nng ar y TT save
fishing and sealing. To provide even
the barest necessities OF life for them
selves and their kinsfolk the boys
were obliged To work constantly and
attend sharply to their hshing.
The iloati. x OBJECT however, ex-
cited Denny's curiosity. 1t was pc
culiar in appearance. lie did not be-
lieye that IL was Il dead ii,h, and ne
glanced at IL occasionally as he spread
the dressed coliish on the iIakes to
cure in the June sunshine. AT length,
when h : task Tor the time being was
over, he picked up an oar, pushed
their era old dOry into the water,
and skulled out TO make sure what
the ueer-lUuklng mass was
The strange object was OF "A singu.
lar. variegated, graylsh, greeniSh.
yellow color, and at first sight nc
thought IL was Jelly But on touch.
was hard-as hard, indeed, as hard
soap.
Then he touched IL with his lngerS,
aud found lhat II gave forth pe'u.
liar odor. At length he reached
down, and getting tlrm mold on the
mass, lifted it into the tOaL 1t was
OF irregular shape, nearly rs large as
half.buShcl measure and about Us
heavy as he could LIT.
He ca ricd it ashore and set il on
one end Of the tlsh.llakc, where both
he and Alcck tested il with thclr
knives
1t is hard, gummy stun" said
Alcck. Il don't believe II is good
for anything, l don't like the smell
of itn
If do like the smell Of it," said
Denny, but II makes me feel queer u
The old grandma Ot the family
came out To the llaEeS, and after
pukng II aud smiling IL, said that IL
was a whale stone"
1t remained on the flake for q
month or more, when the Noyia
Scotia skipper OF coaster which had
put IN to buy their fish happened tC
notice II. After turning 1t over and
pols ng 1t in his hands to note It's
weight, and trying hi, jack knife
upon t. he cast an inluirlng look at
Aleck,
That's quite chunk OF rosin,"
he said "Where dye get it?"
washed ashore" replied Aleck.
Granny says it's whale stone"
added Denny
The skipper turned away with an.
parent carclcsSues,, "My cook plays
the dddle," he said looking back.
"Ill give ye dollar for that to rosin
his fiddle bow with.
Aleck would have said yes at once;
but Denny who had quicker perccp,
tions had noted the furtive glance,
aud said;
40; I'd rather keep it"
The skipper talked of various mat.
ters for some time, but at length
came back 20 the subject of the
''rosln," ana offered two dollars, then
three ami at last five But Denny
still oostinatcly said, mo, I'd rather
keep IT,"
The skipper staid with them for an
hour or two, but at last went of Ia
his vessel without further allusion 20
the "rosin."