ay! S
irway, and seemed to pierce the ears of the young girl who sat unde
ed her, then dropped them, straightened herself resolutely, and answered
, mot
ded right away, he says, an' my han's is
slipping a bit of paper between the leaves of her book, before she la
r turned from the hopeless-seeming tangle of soiled and torn netting on the floor bef
t into a bad sort o' mess here, an' we may
on the floor crept to her feet and set up a wail; but her smile, and a replaced toy, s
soiled fish- net towards her, looking with dismay on the
big haul, father, t
's jest breakin' up now, and it's monstrous jagged-lik
, fa
apidly in and out. But while her young stepmother went and came, talking a good deal, and the baby p
he Round Top of her life! All events dated from before or since her "school-time." All paths with her led t
rs since, to the little fishing-village of Killamet (now Sara's home), where she w
rness. When, at the birth of the twins, nearly seven years later,-two infants h
care for books, and she'll need it more than ever, now-promise me, husband!" and the good man w
mmense and needless advantages, though it had been difficult enough to find the ways and means for these. Even after the usual annual three m
as, perhaps, partly to make it possible for Sara to leave home, that he had married the young woman of the shrill voic
wisdom, but one sip from the inexhaustible stream of learning, and, back once more in her ch
nd sister, and much of the baby, while not a few of the household duties devolved upon her. But she undoubtedly was apt to hurry through her tasks, and disa
tumbling in, two lively youngsters nearing eleven years, whose b
excitement, Mary, as usual, in advance, "is it true you're going out for
ted upon them with an indulg
's a bit o' news in t
I'd like to find it! Yes
oughter know, bein' as
e to finish up the
early to start, father? The i
portin' men to go out jest for fun; they might leave cod an' herrin' to them what makes a business o' catchin' 'em, seems to me; but there, 'tain't so easy to keep a mortgage on the sea!" and he laughed good-humoredly. Mean
alcove-or rather square projection-at one side, its fireplace at the end, and crad
ported spears, oars, and paddles, while one wall was prettily tapestried wit
but the fire shone merrily, and gave light,
o a bit of shed just back; and though at first the young mother had fretted at the innovation, she found i
upper, they all drew closer about the drift-wood fire, an
rugged face of her father, and each time she s
which they played with horn buttons on a bit of board, marked off with chalk into the necessary squares. Once the baby gave a sweet, low laugh in the midst
suthin' for him to do not quite so tough as facin' March sou'-west
er; he's a
ood across the room reeling off twine, and, hitching his
left to you to look arter, all three on 'em, w
I would,
to be shore, so I jest thort I'd ask, thet's all, Sairay." He nodded at her once or twice in a conciliatory way, t
le. Guess likely Nick Hornblower ain't good fer much to-night;
unting her conquered foe, was glad to make a digression by bringing both the hip-boots and a lo
the sparks flying upwards like a covey of fire-flies, and
ot a licki
n! Wha
a, he don't; and I can't help grinning in his face whe
wrong, Morton.
ou tell me a river runs west I ain't a-going to
smi
! you're on Russia, aren't you? I was just reading something about that country myself. Think of its being so cold they chop up the fr
on a low seat, which was simply a square block of wood in the chimney- c
ulty of making them more interesting than fiction, as she told them in simple
mother, who now sat knitting before the fire. The wind had risen outside, and
the movement. "When the wind hes thet sorter long scream in it, it
esides, didn't ye notice the windin' sheet in the candle las' nig
ook. She had heard these superstitions from babyhood, till they had bec
howls every time they go away and leave him alone. It seems to me, if God is so great that even the winds and the sea obey him, he might warn us in other finer, higher ways if he wished t
es, I guess ef the Lord ain't too good to count the hairs of our heads, he can even take notice of a dog's howl!" and Sara, who had the reverent soul of a l
the sleety rain from his tarpaulin. "Waal, this fire's a purty sight, I vum, for it's a dirty night out, an' no mistake. But we
at old tub? I thought you s
twise thet's whar I'm to go, so it can't be helped, thet's sartin. Now, wife, ef you'll git out my kit," and he turned with some directions concerning his departure,
tever storms and dangers her father and friends must and would, doubtless, meet on
s of any impending change; and soon the women stood, with their shawls over their
ce infancy. As she stood now, near but hardly a part of the noisy throng, she was about midway in the cres
ght warned of treacherous rocks jutting out in bold headlands and rugged cliffs, while the western served to guide the mari
hooners, getting up sail, and shipping some last half-forgotten supplies,
gesticulating, while back on the higher ground could be seen the small, straggling village, of but little more than one street, where nearly all
ral features were the long, open sheds, used for cleaning and packing fish, and a bald, bare meeting-house, set like conscious virtue on a hill,-the only one
off to the east beyond the Cliff light, where the sky was brilliant with the first crimson blush of the morning, a ma
he last start was dreadful! I cried all the next night, for, don't you remember? the wind kept rising till it was a perfect gale, and I couldn
ghed c
en rib perhaps, or a finger. I've had three falls from the rigging, and one wreck, and I'm pretty lively yet!" A g
ood-by,
ather? That is, he's getting old, you
on the Sea Gull, but I'll s
rt her, then turned, and went with great strides towards his father's long-boat just about pushing off; for this was
oung man's hand-clasp
goes with us, ef a man kin jedge by the
the white-winged vessels glided smoothly out toward the open sea, and suddenly her face grew bright, and she caught her breath in excitement, for just as the leader rounded the lighthouse, the tips of the masts caught the first rays of the rising sun, and gleamed almost li
ve doubts of howling dogs and dripping candles, this seemed an omen that