Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-12-30
lie Ran Away
to Sea
A Story Of a Fire on the
Ocean
BY LILLIAN WATERMAN

f Ocean +
+ By LILLIAN WATERMAN
Observation-Disclosures
In the oIden time. before steam TOOK
the romance out Of sailing on sait
water, there were frequent cases OF
boys who had been reading stories OF
life on the ocean running away from
home and going to sea. These iaos
were sometimes the sons OF refneo
parents. Usually such boys came BACK
in a few months or year or two. but
occasionally one. too proud to 90 30
or having nothing to return to, would
spend his life In the career In which
he had started.
Ben Laraway at sixteen was as hard
to keep down In a proper gait as the
cover Of q boiling pot. he was ener-
vescing with number OF sensations
Two of these seemed to be incompat
ible. he was in love, and he wished
to 20 to sea. Winifred Carlisle. ageo
fifteen, was the object Of Ben's a1ec'
ton, and, to make matters worse. sne
considered herself very much In love
with Ben. To tell the truth. Ben was
especially attractive to the girl. bis
face was one that artists would love
to paint He had no sense OF rear
and was the leader Of all the mischief
practiced in the town where he lived
Anything serious between boy OF
sixteen and a girl Of fifteen. except
among barbarous nations, being out OF
the question. Ben's love for Winifred
was overtopped by his love for the sea
that is. for the time being. He had
the sense to know that marriage was
part of love in all civilized communi-
ties and II he wished to possess Win
fired he must make a career for him.
self. he was acquainted with the cap
tain of a vessel, who had family.
and argued that II he went to sea he
might also In due time become a cap
tain.
Ben was known to have such strong
prediIections for a sailors life that
his parents had some fear he might
follow the example Of certain boys OF
the time by running away to become q
sailor. His father therefore laid his
plans for taking him into his business
with him.
The idea Of a commercial life was
especially repulsive to Ben. The even
ing before he was to enter his fathers
counting room he had meeting with
Winifred. In which the two went
through all those emotions, pledges OF
undying affection and hopes and fears
Of lovers old enough seriously to think
about such things. However. theirs
was a case Of real love and one -des-
tined to last with both Of them, for
neither ever loved any other. Ben told
Winifred that he was going to run
away and 60 to sea: that he had heard
that in few years good sailor might
become a mate and after awhile cap
tain. Then he would come home and
take her as his wife on long trip.
The morning after this interview.
when Ben's mother went to his room
to waken him that he might be prompt
on the first day of his going to bust
ness, she found It empty. The blow
had fallen-Ben had decamped. There
was a stormy time in the house for
awhile: then the family settled down
to the belief that the boy had run
away to sea-" and his father was not
sure but that 1t would be of service to
him. When he had suffered the hard
knocks of q cabin boy for awhile he
would write home for money on which
to return. and, after having the non.
sense beaten out Of him. he would be
satisfied to live an ordinary life.
But Ben Laraway was not that kind
of boy at all. he was not fitted for
a humdrum life and had a natural pre-
disposition for rowing. He loved the
immensely Of the ocean, the rising and
falling Of the ship. the pure air IN
contaminated with smoke and smells.
he took the hard knocks cheerfully till
one Of the sailors went too far: then
Ben fought a battle that excited the
admiration of his shipmates. 1t was
not either his strength or his skill
that was noticeable. but that through,
out the encounter. from start to finish.
Ben maintained wonderful coolness. II
was a drawn battle. but furnished a
warning to others that Ben would not
prove a good person to tamper with.
More than this. sailors early recog-
nize the quality which In commander
is more valuable than any other and
without which he cannot successfully
command. That was Ben's wonderful
self control. All saw that when the
boy became q man during those crises
at sea when crew looks instinctively
for a leader Ben would step to the
front.
Laraway served two years before
the mast" then was made third mate
Of a vessel sailing between New York
and China. AS an officer he was I'm bis
element. When be gave an order. eA.
cept when in great haste, he spoke as
quietly as at other times. He sympa
thized with the men under him and
would do their work when they were
unable 10 do II themselves. Conse-
uuently he had great influence with
them.
Ken did not write home till he had
.,een at sen long enough to feel sure
that he had chosen permanently sail-
ur's life: then ne wrote to his father q
letter explaining that he could not IN.
der the circumstances have bettered
the manner of his leaving home. Had
be- iEtimated what he was about to do
1t would have resulted In family CON-
motion TINT would have been unpleas-
ant 10 all concerned without altering
the result. He had chosen a sailors