LITTLE HEROES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LIX, Issue 6872, 9 March 1883, Page 7

LITTLE HEROES.

5%e herowni of men a»d women U often chronicled and rewarded} but the * atMOM of courage and presence of mmd diehr the iitUe beror* of the world which frJeoudlr deserving of recognition. The f!d*Uf the Royal Humane Society might. tor instance, be lore worthily bestowed than ga the child of four year# of age, who deserted it for performing a courageous act at Daaham-Maseoy. On® day, he and »ome other children were playing on the bank* of the can«l near Bay Malton, when a girl aged •aren fell into the rater. Who® »h® came to the surface, the little fellow threw himeslf at full length and seised her by the hair. The oriel of the children attracted the attention of a pasting bicyclist, who earns to their ft«and polled the girl out of ihe canal. Had r. not been for the pretence of mind of this courageous little fellow, the girl would in all probability bare been drowned. From Dover eomes an account of a similar plucky rescue by another boy. It appesra that a little girl, aged about four yean, was playing in the surf on the sea shore, when aha was knocked down by a ware before she bad time to get out of, Hie way. The little fellow, named Ittend, whole onlr about seven or eight years old, was also playing on the beach i and teeing the danger in which Hie girl was placed, with great presence of mind, although not without risk, ran in and pulled her cut. A coastguard came up immediately afterwards, and the girl was removed home very much exhausted. Devonshire has the honour of producing the youthful heroine, Mies Esther Bowden, who courageously eared the life of her governess, and received the Boyai Humane Society's medal and s hands .me testimonial recording the circumstance. So far as we can; recollect the particulars, it eeeme that while taking a country walk, the governess, in attempting to reach some Sowers, fell into a deep pond. Oar little heroine, of only eight jeers of age, caught her by the hair, and though dragged out of ter depth herself, courageously continued her hold, and seising some overhanging roots, called for help, until both were rescued bj some one opportunely arriving on the seme. At a pond in Bast Dulwich, an accident occurred, which, but for the gallantry of a hoy aged eleven, named Otto HeJstern, would have had fatal results. Soma children were playing about the margin of the pond, when one of their number, only seven years of age, eras seen to slip from the embankment into the water where it was some six feet deed. An alarm was raised by the terrified ehddrva, when our youthful hero, who bad been bathing, and vac proceeding home, ra- j turned to find the poor little fallow nuking for the second time, bead downward*. Without waiting to divest Mmself of any clothing, tiie brave lad plunged In, and with some difficulty, owing to the mud, brought the drowning bey to laud, where by this time several persons bad arrived to render aid. The rescued boy remained insensible for some time, but by judicious treatment wae gradually restored to consciousness, and enabled to proceed home. Two brothers were skating in Cincinnati, and tools through the ice. While they were dinging desperately to the edge of the ice, and efforts were being made to naoh them, the elder one cried out: “Be sure and take Willie oat drat.” Bat both Willis and his gcaorou# toother were drowned. A gallant rescue in the river Severn was affected by a hid of twelve. His companion, a boy somewhat older than himself, bathing in that river, was floating on hie bock, when lie current earned him oat into mid-stream. On findieg he wae out of his depth he lost nerve, and rank in twelve feet of water. His yenng friend, on aeeing him sink, at once swam to the spot, dived into the deep water, and succeeded sot only in fetching him up, though in an unconscious state, but m swimming with him to the shore, where, amistance being at hand, the lad was brought beck to toasdonsness. An act of courage and devotodne*t on the part of another boy merits a record amongst deeds of bravery. Iwo children of the ae<« of .five and seven yean, fell into the Lake of Geneva from the end of a pier. A third child, named Bstafflard, thirteen yean of age, who happened to be near the spot, immediately threw off bis clothes, plunged Into the lake, and diving, had the happiness of bringing both the drowning children safely to land. There are many example# of youthful heroism in peril* of land at in perils of water. When Farts was attacked by the allied armies, it was the pupils of lie school who served the artillery on the heights of Montmartre, and by their well directed fire filled the approaches to the positions with dead bodies cf the enemy. Many ft drummer, bey, as is well known, bae acquitted himself as creditably in the hour of danger as any old campaigner. Louis Pa jot, a drummer in a Funoh battalion, was in some of the hottest affair* between the French armies and the allies. In the engagement before Tsleneiennee, cut of twenty drummers who beat the charge, nineteen were killed. Fajot alone aarvmd, but severely wounded. In spite of this, bo continued beating Ihe charge till the enemv were routed, which wee not till about four hours after receiving his wound. Thi* little hero was if anything surpassed by a boy aged thirteen, the sole child of a widow. Equipped as a drummer, he marched at the beau of a Krpublieau regiment. He wae cat off end surrounded by two hundred royalists. To give the alarm, be continued beating hit drum. « Cry Vire It Hoi i" said the royalists. He preserved tiler.es. The soldiers’ guns were levelled at him. “ Cry Vine It Roi ?' was again demanded. Be beat rapidly the drum, and placing the sticks above hi* bead, shouted: “ Vive la Ripvhlv[ue la a second ho wsa a corpse. 1