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 LANDS
A Series of Stories for the Young
Edited by Rev. Joseph Spillmann, S. J.
Vol. VII.
The Shipwreck
Second Edition
St. Louis, Mo., and Freiburg, (Baden)
Published by B. Herder,
1910.
Copyright 1906
by
Joseph 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 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 shore 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 grass-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 pagodas 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, Willy 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,
Willy 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 Willy 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, 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 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 Willy earnestly and raised his finger chidingly.
"Willy," 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 circumstances. I forbid it."
With that Father Somazzo left the small boy standing in the garden and
followed the other missioners into the house. Willy 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."
Willy 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 Willy'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 passed 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 God called him to the work.
At the very time that Willy was seeking for Joseph, Joseph was seeking
for Willy, and, when he heard the voice of his red-cheeked companion,
his black slanting eyes danced and his yellow face flushed with
pleasure.
"Hello, Peppo," said Willy, 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, Willy. It will be disobedience, and it's against the
fourth commandment."
"The fourth commandment of God 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, Willy," 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?"
Willy 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 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 to
the 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," sighed
Peppo, as he slipped away to his companions with an uneasy conscience.