Sad Tidings.
A very few moments after Willy 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 Willy Brown.
"Yes, Willy 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 Willy."
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, Willy'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, Willy, 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
institution, especially as Willy 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 Willy
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 passion 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 Willy'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 Willy," 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,"
said the man with a stiff bow. "How is my nephew? Is he doing well?
Is he advanced sufficiently so that he can take business training or
have the schooling of life at sea prove of value to him?"
"We are much pleased with Willy and the progress he is making,"
answered Father Somazzo, inviting the stranger to be seated. "He is a
good, pious child, only somewhat stubborn and capable of playing mad
tricks at times. Just now he has been guilty of disobedience for which
we would punish him, were it not that he must be told of the death of
his father. That, of course, drives away all thought of harsh
treatment."
"What has my nephew been doing?"
"Oh, nothing so very bad. He climbed to the dome of the Cathedral on
the scaffolding, or, rather worse than that, he went after being
expressly forbidden to go. Of course, he did it--he can in a measure
be excused--out of love of his father, whose ship--"
"Is that the careless way in which you watch over the boys in this
institution?" interrupted the Captain. "On a bright day like this can
your pupils climb the scaffolding on that dome at will without being
stopped? Now, what if my nephew, for whose welfare I, as guardian,
have a care, had fallen headlong and been killed or crippled for life?
My dear Father, that decides me right now to take my nephew out of your
institution immediately."
"Captain Brown, before I give the boy over to your care you must give
proof of being his guardian. And, then, too, before taking such a rash
step you ought to consider well what is for his best interest. His
revered father would have sanctioned no such thing as this; your
reasons for taking him away from here are groundless. He is neither
ready to go into business, nor into training on shipboard, and what is
more has no desire for any such thing. Of that I'm very sure."
Father Somazzo spoke very quietly and firmly, yet not without anger, as
he scrutinized the man before him, and pictured what Willy's life would
be on board the "St. George."
Captain Brown gave the priest a wicked look and said sarcastically:
"Indeed, my ward is to be neither a sea-faring man nor a business
man--but a priest, I suppose, in which case you would inherit the not
unimportant property which has been left him by his father?--Oh, do not
look so angry--holy intentions of such a sort as that are not unheard
of. That is another reason for my taking the boy away from your
influence. Here is the official proof that I am his guardian, and I
wish him given over to me at once."
Father Somazzo examined the paper. It was legal, therefore he could
not refuse the request, but he asked permission to keep the child until
the following day to comfort him as much as he could over the death of
his father. The Captain objected and Willy was sent for. Frightened
and with tears streaming from his eyes he was led into the
reception-room by Brother Onufrio. At sight of his uncle he screamed,
"I won't go, I won't go with him," and buried his face in Father
Somazzo's skirts. "Father, send the bad man away that says he is my
uncle, and that my father is dead. He doesn't tell the truth. I have
no uncle. My father never told me anything at all about having an
uncle. And see what wicked eyes he has. I don't want to, and I won't
go with him."
With difficulty Father Somazzo quieted the child, saying:
"God knows that I am willing to keep you here, Willy, but your
uncle--the Captain is your uncle, even though you never have seen or
heard of him--has control over you, and you owe obedience to him in all
things which are not sinful. Go with him, and may God and his guardian
angels watch over you. We will pray to the Blessed Virgin for you, and
I hope she will safely bring you back to us. Perhaps you will come
sooner than you think for."
Blessing the boy the priest sprinkled him with holy water and then gave
him over to the Captain, saying:
"Only because I am compelled to, Captain, do I give this boy into your
care. He is good and innocent. Bear in mind that from now on you are
accountable to God for his soul."
The Captain muttered something which could not be understood and tried
to make an end to the scene. He took the boy by the arm, made a stiff
bow, and stepped to the door. Here, on hearing the news that Willy was
about to leave the school, most of his companions had assembled to bid
him good-bye. Many shed tears, and Peppo, at the last moment, came
flying in breathless. "Oh, Willy, Willy," he cried embracing him,
"never, never shall I forget how good you were to me. Who will protect
me now when they all tease me?"
"Oh, but you are all here together and like each other so much,"
answered Willy. "Who is going to protect me from this bad man?" The
last words he whispered in the ear of his little friend.
"Your holy guardian angel," he answered, "and we will all pray for you."
"Come on, nephew, I don't want to stay here any longer," urged the
Captain, and a moment later the two had left the College of the Holy
Saviour and were out in the street.
Immediately after their departure Father Somazzo called his pupils into
the chapel and there they commended their small companion to the
Blessed Virgin and the holy guardian angels. Of all there assembled
small Peppo prayed most earnestly.
"O holy guardian angel, thou who art my protector," he said in his
childish simplicity, "Willy will now have need of two guardian angels
instead of one, if God will permit, go and help Willy's guardian angel
to protect him from the bad man who has taken him away. You see here
where I am the good Fathers will watch over me, and it will be enough
if each day you but look at me and then fly away to Willy. But, dear
angel, come to me when I am in danger and call for help."
After this the boys returned to the schoolroom, and as soon as they
were at work, Father Somazzo took his hat and walking-stick and went to
the city to consult Mr. Black, an English lawyer. To him he stated the
case assuring the learned gentleman that the father would not willingly
have placed his child under the guardianship of this younger brother,
who was a gambler and a spendthrift, and asked if there was any way of
getting the boy a way from him. Mr. Black said that according to law
the uncle, as next of kin, could claim the guardianship of his
brother's children, and unless sufficient proof that he was not a fit
person to have such guardianship could be secured immediately, months
might elapse before he could be taken from him. At the time of our
story Hongkong was not connected with Europe by telegraph, as it now
is, and it took from eight to ten weeks to communicate with people in
Dublin.