Year: 1874

In the morning they came and took me away from the little churchyard, and a man who lived near the cottage my father had hired, gave me some break fast.

 My parents were very poor; and after the funeral expenses were paid there was not cent left. I knew of no relations, knew not that l had one on earth, and was sent to the almshouse There staid till was nine years old, and during that time suffered more than words can ever tell. It wasn't bodily suffering, for had enough to eat and drink, and clothes enough to wear; but it was the suffering of the heart. I went to school part of the year; but wasn't like the other school boys. was a poor-house child, and they summed me. If they had done no more than this, I should have been content; but they taunted me with my misfor- tune, and made light of my orphanage. If they had known what pain their words gave me, I don't believe they would have spoken them; but they knew not my feelings, and why should they They had never suffered like me, and they realized nothing of the crushed spirit that was battling against the cold cruelty of their sneers.'

 "Poor Luke l! murmured Judith; and when the boy looked into her face, he found that she was weeping.

 "'At length, he continued, after he had wiped his eyes, an old farmer took me from the almshouse, and set me at work upon his farm. At first felt very thankful, but soon found that I was worse off than before for was i'll treated, and I had to work like dog. The farmers wife was hard hearted woman, and she often beat me. That was worse than all the rest, for I never deserved it, nor did I openly complain. I staid with the man over four years but matters grew worse and worse, and often, when l went up to my little bed in the garret of the barn, did pray that l might die before awoke again. But l lived on, and l lived only to suffer. At length I re- solved that I would bear it no longer. One dark, stormy night secured few crusts of bread, and after the folks had retired, stole out from the barn and ran away. For nearly a fortnight I travelled on, and although I reached the city of New York but even there l dared not remain, so l went down to the wharves to see if could not get some chance on board some ship. I found this ship was on the point of sail ing. told my story to Captain Flaton, and he took me on board. am well treated here, but yet I cannot help, at times, thinking of the scenes through which I have passed. I can see the sweet face of my mother as she breathed her dying blessing and I can sec the pallid cheek and sunken eyes of my father as he took me by the hand and made me promise that would ever be honest and virtuous. God knows I have most faithfully kept that promise, and always will

 "Little Judith wept as though she had herself suffered all she had heard but she was not the only one who had heard Luke's story for, as he closed it, MT. Adam Warren moved carefully away from the other side of the galley, where he had been standing all the while. .............

 "At this moment, Mrs. Warren came up from the cabin, in terrible furry, in search for her child.

 "Where is Judith P

 "s Here l am, mamma

 "Mrs. Warren started forward, and saw her child just rising from the side of Luke.

 "'what on earth are you doing herep'

 "sLuke has been telling me @ story, returned the little girl, as her mother led her aft. .s..5

 ".Don't you let me see you talking with that dirty boy again. It's horrible, Judith, for you to be contaminated with such low, filthy company

 "Luke heard those words, and I could see the heaving of his bosom, and tue quivering of his lip, as they fell upon his ear. He arose and went into the galley, and pulled the door to after him.

 "We doubled the Cape of Good Hope, and were standing up into the Indian Ocean. It was in the afternoon. The old ship was under double-reefed topsails and reefed courses, with the wind blowing hard on the larboard quarter. Little Judith was on the poop, holding on upon the weather mizzen topmast backstay. Her father was there, too. and he was gazing upon his child with sort of calculating pride. The mate was throwing the log, and Luke Winship had been called up to hold the reel. Just as the glass was turned and the log-lin checked, one of the men, who was looking off to the windward, uttered an exclamation of surprise, and | in turning in the same direction we saw one of those solitary mountains of water, that seem as though they had been months in collecting, rolling down upon us. Instinctively, those upon the poop grasped the rigging for support, drop ping the reel and log-line to take care of itself. Judith, I said, was at the weather backstay; but as she saw the giant sea towering above her, she iuvol untarily let go her hold and started to ward her father; but she was too late The ship was struck upon the quarter

 she ree1ed and staggered beneath the blow; Judith was dashed to leeward and on the next moment she was over

 board Her father uttered frantic cry and sprang to the lee shrouds. Int

 men gazed into the boiling surge wher, the broken sea was whirling in one wilt l vortex, but they dared not brave tn.

 mad terrors of the scene.

 "sO God My child, my child

 cried the frantic father; and while ye

 he strained his eyes upon the plac'

 where the girl was being tossed by th'

 foam-covered sea, light form brushed

 past him, and plunged into the flood

 It was Luke Winship.

 "sCut away the life-buoyl shouted

 Captain Flaton. Gut it away quick

 Both of them! Down with the helm

 Give them surge to leeward Gu

 away the boat lashings 1! All hands ol

 deck here Who'll go in the boat Spring to the head braces ?

 "All hands were quickly on deck The mate was the first in the stern boat I was the second. and five more quickl followed. We got out the oars, an l then the falls were eased carefully 0.

 till the boat touched the water. W , I..-, h-nI-nI n.,l nAn clc