EUROPE TO-DAY

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXVI, Issue 12318, 4 April 1938, Page 2

EUROPE TO-DAY

, A WINTER’S TALE This story begins about 70 years ago when a boy was born on a farm in Denmark. He was Jes Toft, ana he grew up to be a sailor. Having come to man’s estate ht tell in love and got married, but he did not give up the sea for that. He had, on the contrary, as adventurous a life as any of the old seafarers, first as captain of a Danish ship and later of an American one. In the Russo-Japanese War he broke the Japanese blockade before Port Arthur and was awarded a medal :■)' the Russian Government for his bravery and skill. In time he acquired a reputation which spread over the length and breadth of the Pacific. At the time of the great San Francisco Exhibition a rich American wished to have a Japanese junK brought over to California under us own sail, and as no one else dare so perilous a feat the job was ottered to Jes Toft. He accepted and brought the adventure to a triumphant conclusion; but the American, through a legal <| nibble, evaded nm own part of the agreement, and Captain Toft, chagrined over the meanness of mankind, went off on another long cruise and was not hear of again. . The war broke out and dragge to its weary close, and still he dl not return, so it was assumed ne must have fallen a victim to the '* boat campaign, and he was officia ) declared to he dead. . Mrs Toft, then in middle life two small girls, started a boardingl bouse. She did not have an easy time, but she won through, and baling put her two grown-up daughte » in good professions she oug . there was nothing left for her do but to wait placidly for ihc eo • But often what we take for bli alloys in life are only conceal turnings, with the unexpected Juround the corner; and the Unexpec ed came to Mrs Toft and her daughters in the shape of a sealed env * ope with American stamps on and many American banknotes 1° side, as well as a letter from Capta Toft, anouncing that he was not 0 - alive and well, but after many strug gles was fairly well off at last, a was coming home to spend his maining years with his family a nice little house in the couuuv where we shall all be happy f°S e Perhaps it will seem worth-whil® to have spent half a lifetime 31 in stress and trouble for the joy such a reunion.