The Advocate and news., 1898-05-04
READING
BY MABLE Dlccs.

officers in gay uniforms stood about di-
recting them. One of these was Miss
VintOn's nephew, DR.. Johns. Inside the
ship the floors were carpeted and the
walls and passengers rooms were dec"
GRATED in white and gold. There were
beautiful parlOrs and great dining room
with long polished tables ON which were
heaps Of flowers sent by friends to peo-
pie who were going away on the ship,
and the cards ON the baskets and bou-
Quets showed that many celebrated
actors and singers and writers and rich
people were going away. DR.. Johns said
that there were several hundred dollars
worth of flowers there, which seemed a
great deal Of money to Tom, when he
thought that it was enough to buy a
house or little farm. DIR. Johns showed
him the great engines which made the
ship go and the wheel used to steer 1t
and the great anchor fastened to the
ships side. Then he took Tom to the
back end Of the ship, which was quite
long walk, for this was the largest pas
senger steamer that crosses the ocean,
and back here was large hole into
which trunks were being dropped after
they had been hoisted from the shore by
pulleys. While Miss Vinton and the
doctor were talking, Tom got acquainted
with brown-faced sailor in blue, Happy
trousers, who told him the ships name
and that she was bound for Southamp-
tom, England. Tom was watching the
sailor coil rope In piles along the white
deck, and he looked and saw the English
lady by the railing bowling to crowd Of
people who were standing on shore wav-
ing their handkerchiefs. She looked
around and saw Tom and was very much
surprised. why, my dear, are you not
lOst%
mo, nom; are you going away"
eyes, I'm going home. Are you going
across the ocean, tOo?"
mo nom; I'm just seeing ship. You
tOld me about them, you know, and that
made me want to see one, so Miss VintOn
brought me down."
Just then Miss VlntOn and the doctor
came up and the lady had to introduce
herself and tell them how she met Tom,
for he was not society gentleman and
didn't know how to introduce people.
OlV VOOh LAAC4A AubO kAO ulnluh AOUAn
where the flowers were, and taking up
several punches that had been sent to
her, divided them and gave Tom an arm
full Of big red roses, and patted him on
the head and said good bye.
The ship bell sounded, and everybody
who was not going away hurried across
the gang-plank to the shore. People
were calling good byes and many OF
them had tears In their eyes, for many
thought they might never see their
friends and relatives again. The sailors
drew in the gang-plank and unfastened
the ropes with much shouting; the
whistles blew long and loud and the
great ship sailed away with it's waving
flags and decks full of cheering people.
When the ship had gone the people
began to leave the wharf.
Lots Of people seemed to know that
lady, didn't they?" said Tom, as he trot-
ted along beside Miss Vinton. Il wonder
why"
Because she is very celebrated wo-
man"
Celebrated people have lots more
friends than others, don't they?"
swell, they have very many admir-
ers, and lots Of people pretend to be
their friends just because they are rich
or celebrated, but money and fame can
not buy true friendship and think
poor and common people have just as
many real friends as others"
They were walking long very dirty
street, where ragged children were eat
ing potato peellngs which they fshed
out OF garbage barrels. But when they
saw Tom they gathered around crying,