CHAPTER III. JOHN MAKES SOME ACQUAINTANCES.

JOHN had not walked far when he saw a horse galloping¹ down the street: the people shouted, which only made the horse[13] run the faster; but just as he reached the corner, John made a spring, and, catching² the rein³, in a moment he was on his back. John’s time, when he lived at the fishing village, had been divided between riding ponies⁴ and paddling boats; but he had never ridden so fine an animal as this,—his skin shone like satin, and his saddle and bridle⁵ were so handsome, that the little boy concluded he must belong to some very rich captain indeed.

Directly a ragged⁶ boy came up to him with ‘Halloo! there, what are you doing with my horse?’

‘I caught him,’ said John, ‘but I don’t believe he belongs to you;’ so, touching⁷ his side with his heel, the spirited horse set off at full speed, and did not stop till he reached a handsome house, on the steps of which stood a gentleman with a whip in his hand, just ready for a ride. He[14] was pleased to get his horse, and put a shilling in John’s hand for his trouble.

So large a piece of money astonished the child; his eyes glistened⁸, and, without knowing it, he spoke⁹ his thoughts: ‘Oh, mother, you need not have cried so!’

The gentleman was preparing to mount his horse, but hearing these words, he said, ‘What was the matter with your mother?’

‘She had no money to buy us bread, sir.’

‘Has she no work to do?’

‘We have just come here, and mother does not know any one.’

‘Why did you come here, boy?’

John thought this was a foolish question, but he answered, ‘Father was drowned, and mother couldn’t fish, and she was afraid we should starve in the village; but I am more afraid of it here.’

The gentleman smiled and said, ‘I do not think there is much danger of that.’

[15]But John looked in his face with a serious countenance¹⁰, and said, ‘People are obliged to starve when they have no money. I asked the shopkeeper for one biscuit for the baby, and he said he would whip me.’

‘The hard-hearted fellow!’ said the stranger to himself; then, looking at his watch, ‘I am hurried now, but bring your mother here this evening.’ As he spoke he rode away; but checking his horse, he called to John, ‘My little lad, have you had your breakfast? Ah! he is gone; I should have thought of that before.’ But happy John was already half way home. As he passed he saw Captain Sam seated before his door, lighting¹¹ his pipe; and he determined¹² to stop and speak to him. John began to think better of the towns-folk, as he called them; and the thought of having some money in his pocket gave[16] him more confidence, in which our fisherman’s boy resembled people much older and wiser than himself.

When John came near to the captain, his heart began to beat quickly, and he made the best bow that his country education had taught him. It would have been a hard heart that could not feel for him, as he stood with his straw hat in his hand, his brown curling hair setting off his honest countenance, which, young as it was, wore an expression of care. It is sad to see trouble clouding the brow of childhood; but He who sends affliction, will send strength to bear it, if we ask Him. Though John’s father had been dead but a few weeks, he had thought more in that short time than in his whole life before. While he read God’s precious promises to his mother, he learned to pray to that merciful God, and love the kind Saviour¹³.

[17]No doubt it was the Lord’s kindness which turned the heart of the old captain toward the little fatherless boy. No sooner did he see John’s modest bow and serious face than he felt an interest in him.

‘Sit down on the steps, my little man, and tell me your name. I suppose you live in one of these cottages?’

John’s simple story was soon told. When he mentioned his father’s name, the old sailor called to his wife, ‘I say, Sally, come here; this is Richard Leddam’s son: many’s the job your father has done for me, child. Wife, give him something to eat; I suspect the locker¹⁴ at home is empty.’

John’s heart had been so full that he did not know how hungry he was, till Mrs. Newton set before him some bacon and bread. They smiled to see him enjoy his meal; but all at once he stopped eating,[18] and said, ‘Please, sir, let me take this to the children, they are so hungry!’

‘Sally,’ said the captain, ‘put some more on the plate; as it’s but a step, we will walk along and see poor Leddam’s little ones.’

How pleased the children were when they saw their brother, and the good breakfast which he brought them! My young reader, would you know the worth of money? go feed the hungry and clothe the poor orphan¹⁵.

‘Have you been to school, John?’ said Captain Sam.

‘Father taught me to read, sir.’

‘He could not have done you a better turn, my lad; but you won’t be a land-lubber, hey!’

‘I would like to be a real sailor, sir, like those I saw in the big ships in the bay. Henry wants to be a sailor too.’

[19]‘Ah!’ said the captain, ‘if you were only a little older; but we will see.’

Just then the door was opened, and Mrs Leddam returned. She was pale and sad, but her heart seemed to revive when she heard her visitor speak kindly¹⁶ to her. ‘It is a great comfort,’ she said, ‘to know that there is one person in this strange place that feels for these poor children. John has been talking of you, sir, ever since we came here; he is so bent¹⁷ on being a sailor.’

‘And a sailor he shall be,’ said the captain, slapping his hands together. ‘I hope you will live to see him sail his own vessel¹⁸.’

When their new friends were gone, John told his mother of the message from the strange gentleman, and gave her the money he had received for catching the horse.

[20]‘You have done a better morning’s work than I have,’ she said.

‘Did you go to many places, mother?’

‘I will eat some of this good bread, my son, and then tell you.’

1 galloping   

adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The horse started galloping the moment I gave it a good dig. 我猛戳了马一下，它就奔驰起来了。
• Japan is galloping ahead in the race to develop new technology. 日本在发展新技术的竞争中进展迅速，日新月异。

2 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。

3 rein   

n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治

参考例句：

• The horse answered to the slightest pull on the rein.只要缰绳轻轻一拉,马就作出反应。
• He never drew rein for a moment till he reached the river.他一刻不停地一直跑到河边。

4 ponies   

矮种马，小型马( pony的名词复数 )； ￡25 25 英镑

参考例句：

• They drove the ponies into a corral. 他们把矮种马赶进了畜栏。
• She has a mania for ponies. 她特别喜欢小马。

5 bridle   

n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒

参考例句：

• He learned to bridle his temper.他学会了控制脾气。
• I told my wife to put a bridle on her tongue.我告诉妻子说话要谨慎。

6 ragged   

adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的

参考例句：

• A ragged shout went up from the small crowd.这一小群人发出了刺耳的喊叫。
• Ragged clothing infers poverty.破衣烂衫意味着贫穷。

7 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

8 glistened   

v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Pearls of dew glistened on the grass. 草地上珠露晶莹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Her eyes glistened with tears. 她的眼里闪着泪花。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

10 countenance   

n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同

参考例句：

• At the sight of this photograph he changed his countenance.他一看见这张照片脸色就变了。
• I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.我脸色恶狠狠地，仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。

11 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。

12 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

13 saviour   

n.拯救者，救星

参考例句：

• I saw myself as the saviour of my country.我幻想自己为国家的救星。
• The people clearly saw her as their saviour.人们显然把她看成了救星。

14 locker   

n.更衣箱，储物柜，冷藏室，上锁的人

参考例句：

• At the swimming pool I put my clothes in a locker.在游泳池我把衣服锁在小柜里。
• He moved into the locker room and began to slip out of his scrub suit.他走进更衣室把手术服脱下来。

15 orphan   

n.孤儿；adj.无父母的

参考例句：

• He brought up the orphan and passed onto him his knowledge of medicine.他把一个孤儿养大，并且把自己的医术传给了他。
• The orphan had been reared in a convent by some good sisters.这个孤儿在一所修道院里被几个好心的修女带大。

16 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

17 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

18 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。