Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-09-13
The Death of a Coward

4 Il 80 @FFf AAeAAN ff'fA AAe aEhAAAHA AAAf
! / bulwark rails. watching the
lights as they came up one by one on the
coast. The plunging of the ship stil
made his head reel, and he was weak
from want Of food. He seemed
altogether apart form the stir and
life Of that zoe emigrants on
board created. His whole soul filled
with a dumb and impotent pro
test against his fate. and the life
before him. Old Capt Malcolm
had shown little wisdom when be sent
his only son 10 sea TO have some pluck
knocked into him.
IN the fathers defense IL way be said
that he was utterly unable 10 realize
the timidity and sensitiyeness Of the
boy. All his ancestors had been rough
seamen who had faced storm and dan.
ger on every sea. and courage and nerve
were hereditary qualities And now
the last Of the Maseolms seemed more
Of girl than any Of his five sisters.
All the celebrations 10 maniiness, all
the covert reproaehes that came from
his father. were so many darts that
ranked and festered in his soul. but
failed to compel his nature TO be other
than it was. Tie boy was made for
peace. for the quiet and uneyentful
life that an Office in his native town
could have offered under his mothers
watchful care. Instead. he was here,
an apprentice on the steamship Pride
Of Asia. a big cargo boat just of the
slips on the Tyne, and carrying emf
grants 20 the Cape.
The ships doctor came ont Of the sa-
loon In the poop 10 go bis evening
round below. With him was his wife,
slight. girlish figure, wrapt in a
heavy cloak. She turned al the ladder
which led 10 the lower deck, and was
about to 20 back, when her eyes fell
on the boy. She had noticed him once
or twice before. and his white face and
lonely air reused the womanly sym
paihr in her. She touched him lightly
on the shoulder and said: "Nou are
leaving home, like me"
The boy started. 4 slight color sprang
10 his cheeks, and tears to his eyes.
q He smiled family, showing a gap where
two teeth had been knocked out by
smaller boy in the only fight he had
ever had at school.
Eyes. ma'am," he replied.
"You must feel lonely" she saidi
..but Won will soon be back, and then
everyone will think so much Of you.
Her voice had something caressiag
and inviting about IL; and so his conf
dencs. overcoming his shyness and re-
serve. broke bounds. He told her every
tbinp--bow he would hate this life, how
an allied him with fear and disgust, the
cold and darkness. the chat and horse
play OF his fellow-appreniiees' the m
. difference OF everyone around him.
He told how impossible il was to come
ND to his fathers standard, how he iei'
bs was a born coward and that he
would always be one, shrinking In
stinctively from the danger and excite
neDt that holder natures took pleas
ure in.
She listened sympaihetieally Her
hand had patted him once or twice and
encouraged him TO so on. When be
ended she said "You must not be toe
hard On Yourself II is not always those
! who fear the least that are bravest 10
= the end. When the time comes, ! an
sure vou viii 90 your duty.
The boy heard her listlessly. he
$ had little heart TO respond to any ap.
: nesl ia his manliness. There seemed
I no time when he would not shrink
/, srom hardship or danger. He almost
!. az a. II his confidence had been mis-
: ,,laced and that she had understood
}, nothing after all.
!, she saw the change, and her inter
q Get in him somewhat waned. Courage
L % n woman is the primary quality III
: ,be other sex. and nothing viii com
{ nensate for the lack Of it. She hade
him good night and turned away
back 10 the poop
In a few minutes the secohu nna's
nsssea dong the deck and told me
bov 10 90 below Then all was quiet
few hours later the Pride OF Asa
was steaming a. SLOW win ne
wbistle going every few minutes. me
\ CbonpeI fog girt the snip hke
i stro,,d The captain walked me
I s-iS~. uneasily. No tempest or rock
80 shore gives the anxiety that a
eoun- ms waterway q the nations
los nanrer is imminent every
Doe ard the most careful seaman canaan
], shin + no guarantee on s.' -,
wa .,sn 81 the lookout. The captain
: ,he n, 10 the telegraph. and as "FgiI
spsed astern" rang ont 2 large 5 s'i 1.
ing ship TOOK iorm i. y i ;nto ' me 81. steam.
~ front Of the bridge
sr = pr.s. az Asia shook from stem
Inc bseIed over to starboard'
TO , men began TO forge ahead. while i.
ana ,4S@ went pounding along b.
the ON ,,renehine the port boats from from
lide' ~ md staying them n with