Part 1 (1/2)
The s.h.i.+pwreck.
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 fas.h.i.+on 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 s.h.i.+nes 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 s.h.i.+ps from far distant ports s.h.i.+nes 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 s.h.i.+ps that come into the harbor. From the cross can you see all the s.h.i.+ps?”
”Yes, certainly, w.i.l.l.y,” he answered. ”From all the s.h.i.+ps, 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 s.h.i.+p has come. He wrote that he would be here before the New Year, and I would know his s.h.i.+p 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 s.h.i.+p 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 s.h.i.+p. 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 s.h.i.+ning 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 s.h.i.+p, 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 fas.h.i.+on 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 s.h.i.+p. That cannot be against the fourth commandment,” said the sinful distorter.