A Sailor's Lass

oke, and the old fisherman turned over and snored on, as though t

ining as though the next gust of windwould certainly carry them out to sea or drive them up the river, where they would inevitably be swamped in a very short time, for their boat-home was leaky at the bottom-had been a water-logged boat before the fisherman took possession of it and turned it into a

man might well be excused for growing more alarmed as the minutes went on and the gale increased, until t

tarting up in bed; for a sound more dreadful than the children's

e; I can hear the guns!" screamed his w

next minute he was on his feet, and working himself into his clot

the children's screams redoubled, while Mrs. Coomber hastily scra

r husband, in some surprise; "women

ing herself; "the boat will soon be adrift with this wind

ght you here, and you think she wouldn't have broke away before t

children. I ain't afraid for mys

said the fisherman; "you go in and stop their noise, while I g

"there ain't a boat besides ours at Bermuda Poin

a sea as this; but he shall go with me to Fellness

answering shout from

can; we must be off to Fellness; ther

mother call yer, and thought you

stepped out of the boat-house door, to meet the full fury of the blast, that threatened at first to carry them off their legs. The three miles' walk to the little fishing village of Fellness was no easy task such a wild night as this, for although the r

ed to go with Coomber and help man the boat. Then the four plodded silently along the slushy road, for talking was nex

hed Fellness, and, as they expected, found most of th

Point," said one, as the new-come

shouted Coomber, in some impatienc

t on this coast for such a trip, and we've made three tries in her, but it's no good; nothin

ship-I've got a boy in that, or another, if he ain't gone to where there's no more sea," said the old fisherman, with a

hey said, in quiet b

; "them as has got wives ain't no call to go on such a trip as this. There'll be e

ife, Coomber?" interr

me if I save her boy. Now, lads, look here; s

en, with a loud cheer from all who stood on the shore, the seven brave men bent to their oars, and during a slight lull in the wind, they made a little headway towards the wreck. But the next minute they were beaten back again, and the boat well-nigh swamped. Again they pushed off, but again were they driven back; and five times was this repeated, and thus an hour was lost in t

the darkness, trying to descry the hull of the vessel. They h

another, sadly; "we may as well go ba

is here; perhaps some of them are holding on to the floating timb

nd after waiting about for some time, and going as near to the dangerous sands as they dared, they at length reluctantly turned their boat towards

they paused in their rowing to concentr

it's coming this way, and we'll pick it up;" and in another minute Coomber had reac

as he carefully laid the bundle in the bottom of the boat. They could do nothing for it here, not even ascertai

omrades, who were watching anxiously for the return of the boat. There was disappointment, however,

d one of the men, as the

hat may be dead," sh

tter hands at such jobs than we are;" and as soon as he could leave the boat, he picked up the white

nd they saw it was a little girl about five years old, fair and delicate-looking, decently, but not richly clad, with a small silver medal hung round her neck by a black ribbon. At first they feared the

restore animation, not daring to join in the vigorous chafings and slappings adm

our was rewarded by a faint sigh, and a slightly-drawn breath parted the pale lips, she heard a grun

r Mrs. Peters during the last ten minutes. "Ha' you been a-standing there like a post all

; but I'll do anything for you that I can," whispered

the tub in the backyard, and the kettle's near on the boil. Look shar

themselves. Coomber, in his boat-home, having no such convenience or inconvenience in general use, found the ascent anything but easy, and the dame's sharp voice was heard calling for the blanket long before he had groped his way to the bed

he woman, as she lifted the little girl out

lk?" said Coomber, scrat

her? You say there ain't none of the people sa

m saved, so I think I'll ta

u think, to another mouth to fill, when there's barely enough now fo

other unless I takes this one," said Coomber, with a little more courage,

ers'll take her by-and-by. Her clothes ain't much, so her belongings ain't likely to trouble themselves much about her. Yer can see

re of her for an hour or two, while I go home and get off these duds, and tell her about