The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1901-09-04
, The Death Of a Coward.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

THE boy leant YEARLY against
the bulwark rails, watching
the lights as they came up
one by one on the coast. The
plunging Of the ship still made the
head reel, and he was weak from want
Of food. He seemed altogether apart
from the stir and life that three hun
dred emigrants on board created. His
whole soul was filed with dumb
and impotent protest against his fate,
and the life before him. Old Captain
Malcom had shown little wisdom
when he sent his only son to sea to
have some pluck knocked into him.
In the fathers defence it may 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 danger on every sea, and
courage and nerve were hereditary
qualities. And now the last Of the
Malcoms seemed more Of girl than
buy VI ulS I'VE SlSlSIS.
All the exhortations to manliness,
all the covert reproaches 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 he was. The 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 off the ships on the
Tyne, and carrying emigrants to the
Cape.
The ships doctor came out Of the
saloon in the poop to go his evening
round below. With him was his wife,
a slight. girlish figure, wrapt in
heavy cloak. She turned at the ladder
which led to the lower deck, and was
about to 60 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 wom-
anly sympathy in her. She touched
him lightly on the shoulder and said:
"You are leaving home, like me-"
The boy started. A slight color
sprang to his cheeks, and tears to his
eyes. He smiled family, showing a
gap where two teeth had been
knocked out by a smaller boy in the
only fight he had ever had at school.
Eyes. ma'am," he replied.
"You must feel lonely" she said;
"but you will soon be back, and then
every one will think so much Of you"
Her voice had something caressing
and inviting about it; and so his con-
fdence, overcoming his shyness and
reserve, broke bounds. He told her
everything-how he would hate this
life, how all filled him with fear and
disgust, the cold and darkness, the
chaff and horreplay Of his fellow-ap-
prentices, the Indifference Of every
one around him. He told how i'm
possible it was to come up to his
fathers standard. how he felt he was
a born coward, and that he would
always be one, shrinking instinct
lively from the danger and excite
ment that bolder natures took
pleasure in.
She listened sympathetically. Fer
hand had patted him once or twice,
and encouraged him to so on. When
he ended. she said: You must not
be too hard Oh yourself. 1t is not
always those who fear the least that
are bravest in tho end. When the
time comes, 1 am sure you will do
your duty
The boy heard her listlessly. He
had little heart to respond to any ap-
peal to his manlincss. There seemed
no time when he would not shrink
from hardship or danger. He almost
felt as If his confidence mad been mis-
placed. and that she had understood
nothing after all.
She saw the change, and her in
terest in him somewhat waned.
Courage to a woman is the primary
quality in the other sex. and nothing
will compensate for the lack of it. She
bade him good night and turned away
to the poop.
In q few minutes the second mate
passed along the deck and told the
boy to so 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 n
shroud. The Captain walked the
bridge uneasily. No tempest or rock
bound shore gives the anxiety that
a fog on this waterway of the ne
tions does. Danger is imminent
everywhere, and the most careful
seamanship is no guarantee of safety.
So 1t was now. A hoarse shout came
from the man OH the lookout. The
Captain sprang to tic telegraph, and
as Full speed astern" rang out q
large sailing ship took form in the
fog. and in few seconds crashed in
to the steamer in front Of the bridge.
The Pride Of Asia shook from stem
to stern. hceicd over to starboard
and then began 10 forge ahead, while
the other went pounding along hel
side. wrenching tie port boats from
her davits and stavinS them in with
her bow-sprit. lben she passed away
as q ghost in the fog.
The Pride oi Asia had met her death
wound. At oacc all was noise and
confusion. Tie emigrants came pour
ing up on deck. screaming and shout
ing with terror. Some Of the sailors
rushed to clear the boats. but sharI