Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-12-01
SEA BOY"
BY John ]. A,Becket.
copyright, 1899, by the Author

small boy lived in an elephant Even an
infant elephant is large enough 70 hold
colony OF small boys. The fact that
this small boy lived in the elephant is
PROOF enough that he had not been eat
en- up by him. This elephant was liter.
any the biggest elephant on earth. He
$1,000 on the seashore for 10 years look
lns at Uhe Atlantic ocean. He had never
stlrred foot since he took his majestic
pose ON fat sandy land. He was ao
near Vne shore that in very violent win
Ter storms the irritated sea came swoop-
ing through the air and flung itself in
Wet salt spray right on his benign old
race. But he was binder than a bat
The reason Of thisP Why, the ele-
phant was of wood and plaster and had
skin OF tin, painted mouse color. He
was summer hotel, this elephant was
ana as he cost his owner nothing for
MS 'Ieed you would suppose he was
an inexpensive animal
Don't think it. He cost over $50. 600
and was bad speculation. People could
see MIN without paying anything. and
when you were inside of him there was
no knowing that he was an elephant at
all. so they just stood outside and
looked at the great, still thing. and
laughed and jingled their change in
their pockets 1t didn't cost them n
cent to do this. But naturally the own.
er of the elephant didn't take in any
money from this admiration of the
monster, who was fully 70 feet high
and 100 feet long. As a result, he let
the animal go for nominal price for a
seaside hotel.
The lady who scrubbed the floors in
the hotel and toiled in other humble
ways to keep it sweet and clean took up
residence in the poor deserted elephant
She had two young children, 8 and 5
years old respectively, Tommy and Ely.
Tommy was the elder. Although she
had these two children to bring up and
no husband to help her do it, she adopt
ed "Sea Boy, and that brings in the
small boy who lived in an elephant
mentioned in the beginning of this
story.
1t seems strange that a scrubbine
widow lady who had two small mouths
to feed should want to feed third one,
when it meant so much more pain for
her tired back. But she had heart.
One winter night there was a terrible
storm, and a small schooner was driven
on to the long, sandy point which ran
out into the sea for q great distance
under the water. The sailors were all
saved except one short, thickset man,
who was washed ashore dead An icy
cold, bright faced boy about 10 years
old was washed in alive but blue
enough to put in wash boiler on Mon
day morning. The short man was the
boys father, and he had no other kin.
So they were going to send him to the
place where poor orphans go who have
nobody to care for them (what the
name of it was don't know, but that
doesn't matter), when Mrs Garrity''
heart spoke. She always listened to il
respectfully. 1t said this time: "Takt
him in. The ocean rolled him to you.
Let him have mothers love and g
home even if the home is an elephant >
So Mrs Clarity did what her hear
told her to, and the ocean waif became
as one of her own. He took to the ele
plant as duck does to water. He was
keen witted lad and as Industrious al
an ant. He BACKED shoes, sold papers
and picked up odd jobs. In a little
while Mrs. Clarity found that in place
of the Sea Boy being burden and al
expense he helped to tighten the money
strain on her. He not only paid for hi
own keep. but he helped support the
two small Garritys, and Mrs. Garrity''
back was no more strained than it haC
been before.
Somebody started calling this adopt
ed boy of hers the "Sea Boy" to dis
tinguish him from the others, and final
ly everybody called him "Sea Boy, til
it came to be his name.
Sea Boy got to love the dear old ele
plant in whose right shoulder he slept
with little Tommy Clarity. There wal
q big window in it. The elephant hat
windows on both of his sides and ON hi
chest, as if he had broken out will
them as children do with a rash. In the
summer the sea air blew in to COO
them, and they could hear the water
break with a soft booming on the shore
and then rattle over the pebbles as
was sucked back again. At night the
broad water would be covered with
violet pail, with lights afar off which
looked like golden pins that held it il
place. Or else there would be lustrouI
sheen on it, and great corduroy roat
of silver braid led off to the horizon ant
went into the sky there, so the children
thought And after the two youngster
were sound asleep the moon woulC
sometimes peep in through the window
and light up their small round face
lying upturned on the pillow and seen
to say, "Bless 'em."
They were a happy group, the ele
phant who had lost his owner; Mrs
Clarity, who had lost Mr.. Clarity
Sea Boy, who had lost everything, anC
the two small Garritys, who had nevel
lost anything that they knew of. Blu
their turn came.
Sea Boy hadn't been with the Garrity'
more than year and half when Mrs
Clarity woke up one night with a pair
in her heart, gave a deep groan anC
called, "Sea Boyl"
He woke up at once and hurried int
her small room. She was suffering 81
she couldn't speak. She knew what /
meant and was trying her best to tel
L > l. d.