Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1901-08-30
A SEA CHANGE.
90.
1t Was OoCasloned by a
Small Boy.
Observation-Disclosures

j 1t Was OoCasloned by a !
3 Small Boy. 3
ACCOMPLISHMENTS :-i-i.3,.-l-rots.t-.
He sat on the lower deck, his black
ened hands clasped about his drawn up
knees and his head dropping upon his
barred and grimy breast. Beneath his
lowering brows he looked out toward
the sea at the purple. white trimmed
rollers, at the innocent blue sky, at the
ever fair, yet changing In beauty by
day from clear lavender line to a
gray and misty shore. from mountains
Of gold and red to the alaDaster walls
Of sea girt palaces.
He frowned at the sea and sky, for
the glare of the furnaces was still be-
fore his eyes. Though the spicy sea
wind blew upon his breast yet the
smell OF the blue figure was In his nos
trlls, and the blasts of hot air still en-
velopcd him, Now he turned his head
impatlently and glanced at the upper
deck. where the few passengers tho
steamship carried were sitting, talking
and reading at their ease. II was so In
life. Some were always floating easily
on at the expense OF others. lie felt a
dull rage TO think that he should be be-
low looking up at them. II was his
own fault. Once he might have made
his life different thing but now his
place was fixed. He could never grow
away from II.
lie lounged to the rail and looked
down ut the waves climbing coura-
geously upward. only to fall again. as
II to mock lIfe's vain endeavors. How
cool and soothing the water would
seem to his Overheated brain and bodyl
There was sneer upon his hard lined
face as he looked again toward the up
per deck. What did any life amount
to, theirs as well as his2 Yet how they
would lament If they thought 1t all
would soon come to an endl
Then his eye was caught by the fig
ure of small boy with upturned face
and hands In his pockets standing be-
side a man. And suddenly the ship
and sea faded from his eyes, and he
saw another boy In big. tapping
straw hat and brown overalls. with
bare feet. coming down n still. dusty
road that wound In dull complacency
between blackberry and strawberry
vines. apple trees and wild cherry
bushes The boy climbed to the bound
ary. half fence. half stone wall, Of the
orchard md felt sudden twinge I'm his
toe as he pushed hts bare feet through
the long bush grass and stumbled on a
red striped apple. lie sat again on the
fiat stone step without the kitchen
door. and his mother came up behind
him with blue and white cracked cup
full of sweet milk and dropped n warm
dOuglnut into his upturned hand.
Look out; us h0tP' ne could hear her
say, and II aroused him with n start.
He looked down at the old trousers and
filthy shirt. They seemed to contain
more than physical. n moral, contami-
nation. That country boy had come to
this From the peaceful snmcncss OF
that quiet lie to the ugly monotony OF
this earnIng mean living by the
mcnncst Of labor and spending those
earnings for not merely mean, for de-
baslng. objects.
The labt time he had been In America
he had gone TO n sailors bethel and
had thought that after this voyage be
would 90 away into come iaraway
country plncc and do better. where
fields were green and n living might be
wrcstcd from earth, not fire. But at
Liverpool good resolves went with the
earnings Evidently this was what he
was born for, ten days Of misery he
could not get used TO the furnacesa
week Of what some men called pleas
ure and then the furnaces again And
so IL would go on until He turned
again and looked down on the waves.
How easy II would bel There would
be one stOkcr the less. and 1t would
give him distinction for the first no,
the secOnd-time In his life. The first
time had been when he left his country
home to make his fortune. lie had
made # well. lie sneered again. that
bltterest Of sneers. at oneself Then he
walked around the wheelhOuse at the
stern and leaned against the rail AT the
back and looked down at the water
swirling In widening. roughened
path from the beating Of the screw. 1t
was pale blue with flmy ruilies or
white and here and there fold OF deli
cate green. Then as he gazed the wake
seemed live thing. rather many
things. and their little lips Of foam met
and whispered. Come" and laughed
at him as a fool because he hesitated,
with his hand on the rail Not that he
was afraid. Oh, mol
"SayT The man started. lie chung
TO the rail az n TO steady himself.
"say-hello! Anything the matterT
II was the small boy he had seen on
the upper deck few minutes before.
mo-" growled the man, leaning again
over the rail.
The boy moved nearer and leaned
over beside him. waters pretty, isn't
tT
There was no answer. After mo
ment the boy began again. Say, isn't
itT
"S'pose 80"
Again there was silence. Near tho
man was fastened TO the rail a small
dial, with tiny revolving wheel. and
from this twirlIng string led far out
into tho ,yator hahind