The Lighthouse

by numerous friends, and his arrival would speedily have reached the ears of the officers of justice, who seem to be a class of men specially gifted with the f

a large ship trading between Hull and the Baltic. Returning from one of his voyages with a pretty good sum of money in his pocket, he resolved to visit his mother and give it to her. He therefore went aboard an Arbroath s

nabled them to live in comparative comfort. It happened, however, that the last of these remittances had been lost, so that Mrs. Brand had to depend for subsistence on Minnie's exertions, and on her brother's liberality. The brother's power was limited, however, and Minn

into her lap, and for this purpose had, while in Hull, converted all his savings into copper, silver, and gold. Those precious metals he s

nd, Minnie Gray, and Captain Ogilvy were seate

e captain had called,

f livin' a solitary bachelor life, all by m

sewing near the window, dropped her hands and work on her lap, a

"you don't mean to tell me that you're

hat? M

d face relaxed into a broad grin, and he sat down on a chair and chuckled, wiping the perspir

not going to marry; di

ng tired of a bachelor li

at we poor men are wantin' to marry you. Well, pr'aps you ain't far wrong

wastin'

why? a wom

not rightly quoted," cried

hat put out; for he did not like to

en are not rare

," said the ca

hat's not th

sternness, for, although by nature disinclined to admit that h

an's f--," said Mi

?'" guessed

ny'," cried Minnie

unny' don't rhyme with 'despair'; besides, lots o' women ain't funny a bit, an' i

mile, as she passed her fingers through t

ant captain, with a burst of sincerity whic

and you are so stupid that it's

p anxiety on her meek face, for she could not get rid of her first ide

it to be,

what to b

he mar

t turned sixty-four, shouldn't marry, is more than I can see. You know the old proverbs, lass-'It's never

" suggest

an old man. But no, I'm not goin' to marry; I'm only goin' to giv

e!" ejaculat

p; it's a good enough sleepin' and smokin' cabin, an' we'll all live together in the kitchen. I'll throw the whole of my _tree_mendous income into the general purse, always exceptin' a few odd coppers, which I'll retain to keep me a-goin' in baccy. We'll

et us be ha

re's a will t

care a rap fo

here's nothi

y, 'so long as there's someth

improvin' things. I'm a stanch old Tory, I am. I'll stick to the ol

ost every line he ever quoted; but the reader is no doubt acquainted wit

d Captain Ogilvy, "what

er," replied Mrs. Bran

ou come

ght bells," answered

ning he conveyed such of his worldly goods as he meant to retain possession of to his sister's cottage-"the new ship", as

ible in which the names of his father, mother, brothers, and sisters were recorded; and a brown teapot with half a lid. This latter had belonged to the captain's mother, and, being fond of it, as

insomuch that when he had completed the task, and led his sister carefully (for she was very feeble) to look at what he had done, she became quite incapable of expres

s a strange and incomprehensible mixture of shrewdness and innocence; but no one took much trouble to find out, for she was so lovable

threadbare, and dilapidated, was kept scrupulously clean, and arranged symmetrically. There were a few books on the table, which were always placed with mathematical exactitude, and a set of chairs, so placed as to give one mysteri

ells. There were great white shells with pink interiors, and small brown shells with spotted backs. Then there were china cups and saucers, and china shepherds and shepherdesses, represented in the act of contemplating the heavens serenely,

which the captain surveyed the chimney-piece, while the changes above referred to were being made in th

ey're pretty enough to look at, d'ye see, but they're raither in the way just now, as my second

captain made was for his hammock (he always slept in one), which was a long unwieldy bundle, l

ll I sling

rhaps," s

hammock swept the mantelpiece of all its ornaments, as co

the captain, awestruck by th

s at any rate," said Minnie,

n the locker. There's as good fish in the sea as ever come out of

the pipe of peace was s

installed in his

occurred a few days before the return of Ruby, and that they have been recorded here in order to explain clearly the

room to see that it was properly prepared for his reception, and the captain hims

er in health than she used to be. She looked so quiet and peaceful, and so fragile withal, that Ruby did not dare to

down his pipe and

exclaimed, in a

How is Minnie;

n a tone of reproof, "that you might

ndow; "I see that she is there and well,

n the house. But come, get i

equence of the great anxiety he, the captai

was quickly at his mother's feet. Almost as quickly a fair vision appeared in the doorway of the inner room, and

ive proceedings, which at once amused and astonished his nephew, and