The Shipwreck Part 1

The Shipwreck.

by Joseph Spillman.

CHAPTER I.

Two Young Friends.

At the mouth of the great river of Canton lies a maze of islands large and small, of which the most important is Hongkong on account of its fine harbor. More than half a century ago the English seized upon this island and forced the Chinese to cede it to them. Then it was little more than a barren rock with a low swampy sh.o.r.e on which were a few villages inhabited by poor fisher folk. The swamps have been drained, gardens planted, and villas built, until now the once barren heights vie in beauty with the gra.s.s-grown slopes of the hills at the foot of which in the shade of great trees nestle pleasant little fisher hamlets. On the north side of the island stands the capital city, Victoria, in which tier above tier, stair-like the rows of houses and splendid buildings rise one above another up the side of a hill.

Beautiful quays, broad streets lined with shade trees, churches, barracks, theaters, hospitals, hotels, and shops with great show windows take one back in thought to the European capitals; and as the elaborately decorated paG.o.das are not near to the Christian churches, and, as there are not many more Chinese than English people in the streets, one can almost forget that he is within the confines of China and a tropical land.

In this great capital city nearly all the missionary societies of China have settlements, and in each of the missionary seminaries the stranger finds a hospitable welcome, but the one we like best of all to visit is the beautiful College of the Holy Saviour in Mayland. It stands in the very shadow of the cathedral, the tall spires of which, towering to the heavens, tell us in which direction to turn our steps to find it. We know full well that the door-keeper, the old Italian Brother with snow-white hair and coal-black eyes, will greet us cordially, and show us the garden and the grounds on which blonde-haired European boys play in brotherly fashion with pig-tailed Chinese youths. When Brother Onufrio--for this is the name of the door-keeper--is in very good humor and has the time he tells us stories of his experiences in the College of the Holy Saviour in which he has been in active service since its foundation. One of these is the wonderful history of the small Irish lad, w.i.l.l.y Brown, the son of a sea captain, and his friend, the Chinese foundling, Joseph. We shall tell the tale just as Brother Onufrio would tell it, beginning with the day in the first year of his residence in Hongkong when the crosses were placed on the spires of the dome of the cathedral.

A few days before the Chinese New Year in 1858 the work on the cathedral had progressed so far that the great golden crosses could be erected. Securely fastened with strong ropes they lay at the foot of the scaffolding ready to be drawn up into place, and standing about in a half circle were missioners, pupils, and workmen. The Apostolic Prefect, dressed in festal robes, and attended by the small acolytes, w.i.l.l.y Brown and the Chinese Joseph, had blessed the crosses. Then at a signal the workmen pulled the ropes and, as they rose on high, the clear, piping voices of the boys rang out in the splendid old hymn:

The Royal banners forward go, The Cross shines forth in mystic glow; On which the One Who in our flesh was made Our sentence bore, our ransom paid.

When the crosses had been put in place the Prefect made a speech, saying among other things, "Now afar over Hongkong and its harbor where it may be seen not only by all the people who dwell here but also by those who come in ships from far distant ports shines the sign of Our Lord." Of all that the head of the order of missioners said on this occasion this impressed little w.i.l.l.y most, and when the celebration was over the small acolyte went to Father Somazzo and said: "Father, the Apostolic Prefect said that the cross on the cathedral could be seen from all the ships that come into the harbor. From the cross can you see all the ships?"

"Yes, certainly, w.i.l.l.y," he answered. "From all the ships, streets, open squares, and hills round about from which the cross is visible, any and all those places are visible from the dome on which the cross stands."

"Oh, then, Father, let me climb up. It is not dangerous. The ladders are fastened tightly to the scaffolding, and the scaffolding is so strong that it will hold big men. Yesterday at recess Joseph almost climbed up; he would have gone to the very top, if the Prefect had not seen him and called him down. O Father, don't frown so at me, but let me go. I want so much to see whether my father's ship has come. He wrote that he would be here before the New Year, and I would know his ship at a glance from the golden picture of holy Saint George that's on the bow. Please, Father, please."

Father Somazzo shook his head and said: "The ship is too far away for you to see what is painted on the bow, and besides it is too dangerous for you to climb up there. You might get dizzy and fall, and what would your father say if he were to come here and find you a corpse, or with your legs and arms broken?"

"Oh, but Father, I do not get dizzy. I have often been up on the rigging of the 'Saint George', in the crow's nest, and even on the very highest yard. I know every bit of the rigging of the ship. O Father, let me climb up right now."

The teacher looked at w.i.l.l.y earnestly and raised his finger chidingly.

"w.i.l.l.y," he said, "you've got that stubborn little head of yours set again. How often have I told you that it is not becoming for you to insist on having your own way. No, you cannot climb up to the dome under any circ.u.mstances. I forbid it."

With that Father Somazzo left the small boy standing in the garden and followed the other missioners into the house. w.i.l.l.y looked about him, half frightened, half defiant, and giving his cap a jerk down over his curly yellow hair muttered, as he glanced at the shining cross: "I will climb up there, and he can punish me if he likes. Let him catch me first."

w.i.l.l.y Brown was really not a naughty boy, but he could be very willful at times. Irish by birth and accustomed to more liberty than the Italian teacher was wont to give his pupils in Hongkong, he did not always submit readily to the rather strict discipline of the school, but aside from this was an exemplary child. In order to break him of his habit of being so stubborn his teacher often commanded or forbade him to do things which otherwise would never have been thought of a second time. Just now the one desire of w.i.l.l.y's heart was to see his father's ship, and to him the climbing of the scaffolding seemed so wholly without danger that he looked upon the command which he had received as an act of tyranny, and resolved to disobey. His conscience said to him, "It is a sin to disobey," but he heeded not the small voice within him. Before going up he sought out his favorite companion, a little twelve year old Chinaman. The boys were of an age and were to receive their first communion at the same time--facts which created a bond of sympathy between two children almost as totally unlike as it was possible for children to be. The young Chinaman was a foundling. His parents after the fashion of many of the Chinese had exposed him when but a few days old, thus consigning him to death, although their heathen religion forbids the practice, and if the Sisters of Mercy had not found and cared for him in the orphanage he would have perished. There the boy was baptized and brought up in the Christian religion. And when the years pa.s.sed by, as Joseph--this was the name given him at baptism--showed decided talent, he was put in school, and finally given over to the missioners in the college, to be trained for the priesthood, if G.o.d called him to the work.

At the very time that w.i.l.l.y was seeking for Joseph, Joseph was seeking for w.i.l.l.y, and, when he heard the voice of his red-cheeked companion, his black slanting eyes danced and his yellow face flushed with pleasure.

"h.e.l.lo, Peppo," said w.i.l.l.y, addressing him by the nickname which old Brother Onufrio had given him.

"Come with me behind the camelia-bush where Father Somazzo cannot see us."

"But why must he not see us? You are not going to do anything wrong, are you?" asked the small Chinaman trembling.

"What? Anything wrong? I'll play him a trick or two--the tyrant--and that will not be wrong, I say. Is there anything wrong about my looking to see whether my father's boat is here? Come with me right now." Peppo hesitated. "Come this minute or I'll drag you along by your pig-tail the way naughty Freddy used to do before I took you in charge."

Joseph went with his protector without more ado, but did not approve of the plan disclosed to him behind the camelia bush.

"Don't do it, w.i.l.l.y. It will be disobedience, and it's against the fourth commandment."

"The fourth commandment of G.o.d tells me to love my father, and for love of my father I want to climb up and look for his ship. That cannot be against the fourth commandment," said the sinful distorter.

The sophism did not enlighten small Peppo. "I believe, w.i.l.l.y," he said, "that it is against the fourth commandment, because the Father has forbidden it. He will be very sorry to have you do this, and will give us a dreadful punishment. Only think! the day after tomorrow will be the Chinese New Year, and then in the evening we shall be allowed to go to the marketplace and the harbor to see all the lights,--and the fireworks,--and the Punch and Judy show, if we are good boys. You have never in all your life seen anything so beautiful,--green, and red, and blue, and yellow lanterns,--and all the people,--and the sky-rockets,--and the puppet show. Wouldn't you be sorry to have to stay at home for punishment while all of us boys go to the show?"

w.i.l.l.y was almost persuaded and hesitated a moment; then he struck his heels into the ground defiantly and said:

"Never mind, Peppo, Father Somazzo won't catch me, and, if he does, I won't tell on you. Now you've got to help me over the wall, and I'll climb up on the other side where he can't see me from the house. Come, now hurry up, Peppo, if you want to be my friend."

Unwillingly the young Chinaman yielded to his comrade's command. He felt it was wrong to lend a helping hand to one who was disobeying, but he did not wish to lose his best friend, the one who had so often defended him from the teasings of his companions. He slipped along with w.i.l.l.y in the shadow of the bushes, then helped him climb the wall, but even when the youthful sinner had swung himself from the wall to the scaffolding he remonstrated, saying:

"w.i.l.l.y, don't do it. Come down."

"Nonsense, Peppo," he said as he began to ascend.

"w.i.l.l.y,----he does not hear me. I wish I had not helped him," sighed Peppo, as he slipped away to his companions with an uneasy conscience.

CHAPTER II.

Sad Tidings.

A very few moments after w.i.l.l.y with the help of Peppo had climbed the garden wall the bell called Brother Onufrio to the door. There stood a stranger. He wore a cap marked with a golden anchor and inquired for an Irish lad named w.i.l.l.y Brown.

"Yes, w.i.l.l.y is here. You are his father, are you not? For days he has talked of nothing but your coming. He will be so pleased to see you.

Come in, Captain, I'll announce your arrival to the Father Prefect, and call w.i.l.l.y."

With these words the Brother showed the Captain into the small reception-room near the door, and would have left quickly had not the stranger motioned him to wait.

"Hm,--hm,--my coming," he said, "will not give the boy so much pleasure as you think. I am not his father but his guardian. His father died suddenly last week at sea."

"Oh, how sad! And the poor child knows nothing of it," sighed the Brother. "I'll first speak to the Father Prefect in private; he must prepare him somewhat for this sad news. Wait a moment. Father Somazzo will be here immediately."

The Captain gave the gray-haired man a sinister look as he left the room, then muttered to himself: "Prepared! As if such a piece of news could have much effect on a healthy child. If it would only frighten him to death.--Well, there'd be no great damage done. Then I'd have his inheritance--which is really not a trifling sum--instead of being merely the administrator, and my creditors would not be driving me almost out of my senses. If his father had only given me a lump sum of at least ten thousand pounds, as I begged him to do before he died!--Our ship will be confiscated in Melbourne. The 'St. George'

does not belong to me but to my nephew, my ward.--Oh, if I only knew how to get myself out of this predicament! One fortunate thing has happened since the death of my brother. I have managed to get all the books and accounts out of the way, and perhaps things will go better, if I once get the boy in my power." These were the thoughts which occupied the mind of John Brown, as, with downcast eyes and sullen mien, he paced up and down the reception-room.

John Brown was the younger brother of George Brown, w.i.l.l.y's father.

Both men had received from their parents, in Dublin, a large amount of money, but they had not managed it equally well. George, choosing to go to sea had invested his in a merchantman, and in a short time through prosperous voyages to the Indian and Chinese Seas doubled his capital. In Hongkong he married a Catholic maiden, who unfortunately died, leaving a child, w.i.l.l.y, now barely eight years old. In accordance with her last wish this child was taken to the Missionary College of the Holy Saviour to be educated. Here the father had frequent opportunities of seeing him, as his trading expeditions often took him to Hongkong. The reports of the child's progress and behavior were always good, and he seemed so happy and contented that the father questioned the advisability of taking him to a larger European inst.i.tution, especially as w.i.l.l.y begged to remain where he was.

Oftentimes the Captain took his little son with him on short trips to the neighboring ports of Canton and Malacca; and for one of these w.i.l.l.y was now hoping, as his father was just returning from a voyage to Ireland. But instead of the father, there came the uncle, whom he had never seen, and of whose existence he did not even know, bringing the sad news of the death of George Brown.

John Brown was a man of an altogether different stamp, and had lived an altogether different life. Possessed of a pa.s.sion for drinking and gambling he had indulged in riotous living until he made an end of his patrimony, then appealed to his brother to pay his debts. In order to save the family name from disgrace George furnished him money, but the appeals for more were so constant that he was obliged to give no heed to them or else ruin himself. On the occasion of his last visit to Dublin he found his brother in trouble, and, to escape the charges preferred against him in the criminal courts, took him with him on what proved to be his last voyage. Captain Brown died a few days out from Hongkong and was buried at sea.

John Brown was innocent of his brother's death, and so the officers and crew of the "St. George" believed, yet the death came so suddenly and opportunely that it gave grounds for suspicion. John was left administrator of the estate of his nephew, and, directly on landing in Hongkong, had himself, as next of kin, appointed w.i.l.l.y's guardian, with the idea of taking him with him on board the "St. George." But how to get him away from the school in the middle of the term was a puzzling question.

Father Somazzo appeared in the doorway and greeted the stranger politely, but with utmost reserve. "You are the brother of the esteemed Captain Brown, the father of dear little w.i.l.l.y," began the priest, noting as he spoke the dark features of the man and the striking resemblance which he bore to his brother.

"I am the Captain's younger brother and the guardian of his son.

George died at sea last week, as the door-keeper undoubtedly told you,"