The Shipwreck | Page 3

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.
CHAPTER II.
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