The Shipwreck Read online

  E-text prepared by Al Haines

  THE SHIPWRECK

  A Story for the Young

  by

  REV. JOSEPH SPILLMANN, S. J.

  Translated from the German

  Mary Richards Gray

  Second Edition

  St. Louis, Mo., and Freiburg, (Baden)Published by B. Herder,1910.

  TALES OF FOREIGN LANDSA Series of Stories for the YoungEdited by Rev. Joseph Spillmann, S. J.Vol. VII.The ShipwreckSecond EditionSt. Louis, Mo., and Freiburg, (Baden)Published by B. Herder,1910.Copyright 1906byJoseph Gummersbach.

  CONTENTS.

  Chapter.

  I. Two Young Friends II. Sad Tidings III. Aboard the "St. George" IV. With the Priest of the God of the Golden Fish V. In the City VI. The Chinese New Year VII. The Unexpected Departure VIII. A Very Real Danger IX. A New Plan X. The Hurricane XI. Stranded XII. At Last

  To

  ANN ELIZA SMYTHE OF CHICAGO

  The translator dedicates her part of this little volume.

  THE SHIPWRECK.

  CHAPTER I.

  Two Young Friends.

  At the mouth of the great river of Canton lies a maze of islands largeand small, of which the most important is Hongkong on account of itsfine harbor. More than half a century ago the English seized upon thisisland and forced the Chinese to cede it to them. Then it was littlemore than a barren rock with a low swampy shore on which were a fewvillages inhabited by poor fisher folk. The swamps have been drained,gardens planted, and villas built, until now the once barren heightsvie in beauty with the grass-grown slopes of the hills at the foot ofwhich in the shade of great trees nestle pleasant little fisherhamlets. On the north side of the island stands the capital city,Victoria, in which tier above tier, stair-like the rows of houses andsplendid 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 showwindows take one back in thought to the European capitals; and as theelaborately decorated pagodas are not near to the Christian churches,and, as there are not many more Chinese than English people in thestreets, one can almost forget that he is within the confines of Chinaand a tropical land.

  In this great capital city nearly all the missionary societies of Chinahave settlements, and in each of the missionary seminaries the strangerfinds a hospitable welcome, but the one we like best of all to visit isthe beautiful College of the Holy Saviour in Mayland. It stands in thevery shadow of the cathedral, the tall spires of which, towering to theheavens, tell us in which direction to turn our steps to find it. Weknow full well that the door-keeper, the old Italian Brother withsnow-white hair and coal-black eyes, will greet us cordially, and showus the garden and the grounds on which blonde-haired European boys playin brotherly fashion with pig-tailed Chinese youths. When BrotherOnufrio--for this is the name of the door-keeper--is in very good humorand has the time he tells us stories of his experiences in the Collegeof the Holy Saviour in which he has been in active service since itsfoundation. One of these is the wonderful history of the small Irishlad, Willy Brown, the son of a sea captain, and his friend, the Chinesefoundling, Joseph. We shall tell the tale just as Brother Onufriowould tell it, beginning with the day in the first year of hisresidence in Hongkong when the crosses were placed on the spires of thedome of the cathedral.

  * * * * * *

  A few days before the Chinese New Year in 1858 the work on thecathedral had progressed so far that the great golden crosses could beerected. Securely fastened with strong ropes they lay at the foot ofthe scaffolding ready to be drawn up into place, and standing about ina half circle were missioners, pupils, and workmen. The ApostolicPrefect, dressed in festal robes, and attended by the small acolytes,Willy Brown and the Chinese Joseph, had blessed the crosses. Then at asignal the workmen pulled the ropes and, as they rose on high, theclear, 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 whereit may be seen not only by all the people who dwell here but also bythose who come in ships from far distant ports shines the sign of OurLord." Of all that the head of the order of missioners said on thisoccasion this impressed little Willy most, and when the celebration wasover the small acolyte went to Father Somazzo and said: "Father, theApostolic Prefect said that the cross on the cathedral could be seenfrom all the ships that come into the harbor. From the cross can yousee all the ships?"

  "Yes, certainly, Willy," 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 crossstands."

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

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

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

  The teacher looked at Willy earnestly and raised his finger chidingly."Willy," he said, "you've got that stubborn little head of yours setagain. How often have I told you that it is not becoming for you toinsist on having your own way. No, you cannot climb up to the domeunder any circumstances. I forbid it."

  With that Father Somazzo left the small boy standing in the garden andfollowed the other missioners into the house. Willy looked about him,half frightened, half defiant, and giving his cap a jerk down over hiscurly yellow hair muttered, as he glanced at the shining cross: "I willclimb up there, and he can punish me if he likes. Let him catch mefirst."

  Willy Brown was really not a naughty boy, but he could be very willfulat times. Irish by birth and accustomed to more liberty than theItalian teacher was wont to give his pupils in Hongkong, he did notalways submit readily to the rather strict discipline of the school,but aside from this was an exemplary child. In order to break him ofhis habit of being so stubborn his teacher often commanded or forbadehim to do things which otherwise would never have been thought of asecond time. Just now the one desire of Willy's heart was to see hisfather's ship, and to him the climbing of the scaffolding seemed sowholly without danger that he looked upon the command which he hadreceived as an act of tyranny, and resolved to disobey. His consciencesaid to him, "It is a sin to disobey," but he heeded not the smallvoice within him. Before going up he sought out his favoritecompanion, a little twelve year old Chinaman. The boys were of an ageand were to receive their first communion at the same time--facts whichcreated a bond of sympathy between two children almost as totallyunlike as it was possible for children to be. The young Chinaman was afoundling. His parents after the fashion of many of the Chinese hadexposed him when but a few days old, thus consigning him to
death,although their heathen religion forbids the practice, and if theSisters of Mercy had not found and cared for him in the orphanage hewould have perished. There the boy was baptized and brought up in theChristian religion. And when the years passed by, as Joseph--this wasthe name given him at baptism--showed decided talent, he was put inschool, and finally given over to the missioners in the college, to betrained for the priesthood, if God called him to the work.

  At the very time that Willy was seeking for Joseph, Joseph was seekingfor Willy, and, when he heard the voice of his red-cheeked companion,his black slanting eyes danced and his yellow face flushed withpleasure.

  "Hello, Peppo," said Willy, addressing him by the nickname which oldBrother Onufrio had given him.

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

  "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--andthat will not be wrong, I say. Is there anything wrong about mylooking to see whether my father's boat is here? Come with me rightnow." Peppo hesitated. "Come this minute or I'll drag you along byyour pig-tail the way naughty Freddy used to do before I took you incharge."

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

  "Don't do it, Willy. It will be disobedience, and it's against thefourth commandment."

  "The fourth commandment of God tells me to love my father, and for loveof my father I want to climb up and look for his ship. That cannot beagainst the fourth commandment," said the sinful distorter.

  The sophism did not enlighten small Peppo. "I believe, Willy," hesaid, "that it is against the fourth commandment, because the Fatherhas forbidden it. He will be very sorry to have you do this, and willgive us a dreadful punishment. Only think! the day after tomorrow willbe the Chinese New Year, and then in the evening we shall be allowed togo to the marketplace and the harbor to see all the lights,--and thefireworks,--and the Punch and Judy show, if we are good boys. You havenever in all your life seen anything so beautiful,--green, and red, andblue, and yellow lanterns,--and all the people,--and thesky-rockets,--and the puppet show. Wouldn't you be sorry to have tostay at home for punishment while all of us boys go to the show?"Willy was almost persuaded and hesitated a moment; then he struck hisheels into the ground defiantly and said:

  "Never mind, Peppo, Father Somazzo won't catch me, and, if he does, Iwon't tell on you. Now you've got to help me over the wall, and I'llclimb 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. Hefelt it was wrong to lend a helping hand to one who was disobeying, buthe did not wish to lose his best friend, the one who had so oftendefended him from the teasings of his companions. He slipped alongwith Willy in the shadow of the bushes, then helped him climb the wall,but even when the youthful sinner had swung himself from the wall tothe scaffolding he remonstrated, saying:

  "Willy, don't do it. Come down."

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

  "Willy,----he does not hear me. I wish I had not helped him," sighedPeppo, as he slipped away to his companions with an uneasy conscience.