The Philipsburg mail., 1898-10-28
MY CABIN BOY.

When l was about 40 years Of age. too
command OF the ship Petersham We we,
bound to Liverpool, and nothing unusu,
happened until the eighth day out, whe
we ran foul Of u small Iceberg.
NY cabin boy was named Jack Withoe1
He was IA years Of age, and this was hi
first voyage.
fancied that he was the most s6ubboc
piece Of humanity had ever como soros.
made up my mind that be had neve
been properly governed and had resolve
to break him In. told him I'd curb hi
temper before I'd done with him. In repl
he told me might kill him II liked.
One day, when it was very near noon,
spoke to him, telling him 10 bring up m
quadrant. He was looking over the quarte
rail, and knew he did not hear me- Blu
the next time / spoke spoke sharply an,
intimated that II he didn't move I woul,
help him.
~ didn't hear you," be said in an indie
pendent tone
mo words, " said /.
Il suppose ! can speak, " he re4orted
moving slowly toward the companionway
His looks, words ana the slow, oareles'
manner in which he moved fired me in 8
moment grasped him by the collar.
Speak to me again like that and III
fog you within an ace Of your life, !" said I.
"You can fog away" he answered az
f1rm as rock.
And l did fog him. Ioaught up the
end Of rope and beat him till my arm
fairly acFed But he never WINGED.
"How's thatf" said I.
There's little more life in me vet.
You'd better fog it OUT" was the reply.
And beat him again. 1 beat him till
be sank from my hand to the floor.
/ sent one OF the men for my quadrant,
but when 1t came and I had adjusted 1t
for observation found that the sun had
already passed the meridian and that was
too late.
This added fuel to the fire Of my mad
ness, and selling the lad by the collar I
led him 10 the main hatchway and had
the hatch taken Oh. l thrust him down
and swore I would keep him there till bis
stubborpness was broken.
About 8 O. 'clook I went to the hatchway
and called to him. But he returned no
answer. SO l closed the hatch and went
away. An hour afterward went again;
still no answer.
did not trouble him again until next
morning. After breakfast l went 10 the
hatchway and called to him once more.
heard nothing from him, nor could see
him. Yet the men told me they had heard
him that very morning He seemed to be
calling on them for help. But he would
not answer Inc. meant to break him in
to it.
He'll beg before he'll starve,"
thought, and so determined to let him stay
there.
The day passed away, and when evening
came l began to be startled. He had been
in the hold 36 hours, and 40 hours without
food or drink. He must be too weak to
cry out now.
30 at length made up my mind to go
and see him. A little way forward saw
a space where Jack might easily have gone
down, and to this point crawled on my
hands and knees. called out there, but
could get no answer. A short distance
farther was wide space which I had
entirely forgotten, but which l now re-
member had been left open on account Of
a break in the flooring of the hold, which
would let anything that might have been
stored there rest directly on the thin plank
ing Of the ship.
heard the splashing of water, and
thought could detect sound like the in
coming OF tiny jet or stream. At first l
could see nothing, but as soon as became
used 30 the dim light could distinguish
the faint outlines Of the boy sttAang On the
broken floor, with his feet stxseched cut
against a cask.
Jack, are you therc!"
"Yes. Helpme Fer mcrcy's sake, help
me! Bring Snen and bring a lantern. The
ship has sprung leak -
1waited to hear no more but hurried on
deck 1T once and soon returned with Ian
tern and three men. Three Of the timbeEs
were worm eaten 10 the very heart, and ons
Of the outer planks had been broken and
would have burst in any moment the boy
might leave 1.-THE boy Whose fses wsss
brssced a2ain>t the plank before him.
saw the plank must burss she moanex,a
the Strain was removed from it, 30 l made
ths men brace themselves ss.inst it bofoae
I utssd him up. Orhw men war; called
down, with planks, ~, and afser much
difficulty we finally succeeded in ssoppns
sas leak and avsrting tho danger
Jack WithsrS WAS carried 70 tine cabin in
my own arms, and ehre he managed 70
ISL bic story.
He had at visf his teet bsaeed for four
all over him and drenohing him 10 ohs
skin. His limbs were racked with rain,
but hs would not give up.
/ nur.ed him with my own bands
nursed him al through bis delirum-nnd
whom bis resssOn rsturned and he could sit
up and talk humbly seked his pardon for
all the wrong l had done him. He threw
bis aGns around my neck and told me II
10, - i
Ause OF offence. He added a. l,s set up
again: u am nOe a coward. ! could not be
= dog"
During nine ysars have sailsd in three
different ships with the .Anns crew. Not
man could bs hired to leave me "a vs for an
officers berth, And Jack W1shers rsmSin-
ID with ne IL years.-London News.
A Frieadly Art Criticism.
A neat little correspondence took place
between David Roberts, the artist and a