The St. Johns herald., 1901-02-09
The Death of a Coward
~~~

THe Boy leant wearily against the
 bulwark rails, watching the lights aE they came up one by one on the
 coast. The plunging of the ship still made his head reel, and he was weak
 from want of food. He seemed
 altogether apart form the stir and
 life of that 300 emigrants on
 board created. His whole soul filled
 with dumb and impotent pro
 test against his fate, and the life
 before him. Old Capt. Malcolm
 had shown little wisdom when he sent
 his only son to sea to have some pluck
 knocked into him.
 In the fathers defense it way be said that he was utterly unable to realize
 the timidity and sensitiveness 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 Malcolms seemed more
 of girl than any of his five sisters.
 All the exhortations to maniiness, all
 the covert reproaches that came from his father, were so many darts that ranked and festered in his soul, but failed 10 compel his nature to be other than it was. The boy was made for peace, for the quiet and uneventful 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. big cargo boat just off the slips on the Tyne, and carrying emi- grants to the Cape.
 The ships doctor came out of the sa- loon in the poop to go his evening round below. With him was his wife, Q slight, girlish figure, wrapt in heavy cloak. She turned at the ladder which led to the lower deck, and was about to go 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 pathy in her. She touched him lightly on the shoulder and said: You are leaving homo, like me-"
 The boy started. A slight color sprang 10 his cheeks, and tears 10 his eyes. He smiled faintly. showing gap where two teeth had been knocked out by smaller boy in the only fight he had ever had at school.
 "Yes, ma'an." he replied.
 "You must feel lonely" she said; but you will soon be back, and then everyone will think so much of you"
 Her voice had something caressing and inviting about it; and so his confi- dence, overcoming his shyness and re- serve, broke bounds. He told her every thing-how he wouldhate this life, how all filled him with fear and disgust, the cold and darkness, the chaff and horse play of his fellow-apprentices, the in- difference of everyone around him. He told how impossible it was to come up to his fathers standard, how he felt be was a born coward, and that he would always be one. shrinking in- stinctively from the danger and excite ment that bo.der natures took pleas ure in.
 She listened sympathetically. Her hand had patted him once or twice, and encouraged him to go on. When he ended, she said: You must not be too hard on yourself. It is not always those who fear the least that are bravest in the end. When the time comes, am sure you will do your duty"
 The boy heard her listlessly. He had little heart to respond to any ap- peal to his manliness. There seemed no time when he would not shrink from hardship or danger. He almost felt as if his confidence had been mis- placed, and that she had understood | nothing after all.
 She saw the change, and her inter est in him somewhat waned. Courage | to woman is the primary quality in | the other sex, and nothing will com pensate for the lack of it. She bade | him good night and turned away back to the poop.
 In few minutes the second mate passed along the deck and told the boy to go below. Then all was quiet.
 A few hours later the Pride of Asia was steaming at "slow," with her whistle going every few minutes. The Channel fog girt the ship like a shroud. The captain walked the bridge uneasily. No tempest or rock bound shore gives the anxiety that a log on this waterway of the nations does. Danger is imminent everv- where, and the most careful seaman ship is no guarantee of safety. So it was now. A hoarse shout came from he man on the lookout. The captain 'prang to the telegraph, and as Full ,peed astern" rang out a large sail ng ship took form in the fog. and in ! few seconds crashed into the steam 1T in front of the bridge.
 The Pride of Asia shook from stem 10 stern, heeled7 over to starboard, md then began to forge ahead, while he other. went pounding along her tide, wrenching the port boats from Ter davits and staving them in with her bowsprit. Then she passed away as ghost in the fog.
 The Pride of Asia had met her death wound. At once all was noise and confusion. The emigrants came pouring up on deck. screaming and shouting with terror. Some of the sailors rushed to clear the boats. but ] sharp order from the captain stopped them.
 Tn fevu saoond. +hs o,,@o;