The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1903-07-10

the old man to put her ashore al
some fishing village"
''That won't do" answered the
mate, after a pause. Poor little
thing. We can't do that"
Something's got to be DONE" said
the other.
The little Japanese had followed
the expression of their faces, and
with timid assurance she whispered:
"You keep on ship. / be good
know how to be good English fashion.
1 missionary girl
There was no answer to her ap.
peal, and with cry of despair she
sat up. Il good missionary girl" she
pleaded. Il love God. l sing"
Softly and clearly she sang:
HE has taken my feet
From the mire and the clay
And set them on the Rock up Edgeways."
"That settles it, said Stallard,
huskily, when the plangent voice had
ceased. 'She's mine. I'll adopt her.
Little one. you be good girl, and I'll
look out for YOU"
1t was with much diffidence that
the mate sought the captain. To him
he explained the situation bluntly and
without sentiment. simply a case
of have-to," he concluded. Cant put
kid like that ashore in a strange
place. She's been ill-treated enough
and worse is ahead of her. I'm a
married man and guess can adopt
her"
You're crazy, Stallard," said the
skipper warmly. "You get infatuated
with a little coal girl and want to
adopt her. What will your wife
say?"
The mate flushed. 1--WE haven't any
kid, sir, and I give you my word that
little girl. She's out of a ditch, 1
know, but she doesn't know what
sin is, and / think, sir, that maybe l
can bring her up to be what a girl
should be-
Nonsense" said the captain. "You
ought to be acquainted with her sort
better. They're no good"
Trust = me, sir" said the mate
doggedly.
The captain pondered great
while. Finally he rose and pulled
down the log-book. ''We"ll make it
ship-shape. You sign the log, saying
you adopt her and I'll certify to it,.
Stallard, don't like this business at
all, but it seems the best way out of
| it,"
'There is no need" the mate
suggested, ''of telling the rest any
more than that I've taken her to edu-
| cate?"
"We'll put the whole thing in the
| log" said the captain. you can
| tell 'em what you like outside"
So the entry was made and signed
and the girl, now christened Moro
ran, after her birthplace, was in
| stalled in vacant cabin. Few cared
| to inquire into the matter, beyond
| the details which the mate saw fit
to divulge.
The very first night Mororan sta
toned herself unobtrusively behind
the mates seat at table and served
but threats and promises were of no
avail, and he had finally to accept it.
Within a week little Mororan was
| perfectly at home, and no smile was
| provoked when the mate referred to
my daughter" For at sea the I'M
| usual is the inevitable.
When the Aztec had worked her
slow way down into warmer seas
| the stalwart mate spent most of his
| spare time on the after-deck with
| Mororan beside him. In his awkward
way he strove to tell her the things
he thought a good girl should know.
She listened, accepted and practiced
dutifully. 1t was not long before
| Stallard found that he was the pupil
and she the teacher. She taught him
the fancies and longings and purities
| of a maiden's heart. There was but
| one aspect of her mind that was al
ways dark to him. missionary grip
| she evidently was; she talked that
| kind of English. Her creed was or
thodox so far as he knew, but her
idea of the God she worshipped
seemed so changeable, so misty, yet
so human that he failed to recognize
| any OIL HIS own cOucepU1OnS. he UTleu
to fathom her thought, but it always
ended in fixing her eyes upon him
and singing:
| HE has taken my feet
| From the mire and the clay
And set them on the Rock up Edgeways."
"Who has taken your feet from the
mire and clay?" he would ask.
God" she always answered, look
ing at him solemnly.
'Who is God?"
Then she would look at him with
eyes that he could not read, and the
catechism was finished.
One day she varied the usual for
mula, and when he asked her ''Who
has taken your feet from the miro
and the clay?" she answered him with
sob.
He had never seen her cry before,
and with an uncomfortable impulse
he lifted her into his arms. She lay
there choking with emotion. Suddenly
she checked herself, and with closed
eyes kissed him gently. 1t was the