Owen Hartley

Among ropes, ship stores and sailing notices, a boy of about twelve waits for an impatient businessman to hear him. Farmer Rowe has sent Owen to the office, where busy clerks and a harsh welcome make his errand uncomfortable. The opening then recounts his parents' life in Lincolnshire: a clergyman and his wife serving their parish on a small income while illness steadily strains their household.

William Henry Giles Kingston's adventure for younger readers connects these family hardships with the demands of life at sea. A later passage places Owen among shipwreck survivors threatened by rising water and a fierce gale. He helps save their boat, then turns cotton cloth, a kettle and empty casks into a way of collecting rainwater. Such practical details give the survival scenes their interest. Prayer and warnings about drink run alongside the action, as Owen's quick thinking becomes essential to the companions sharing his dangerous refuge.