A Sailor's Lass

," said Coomber, pausing in the doorway of Dame Peters' c

ime you come back; there's no 'counting for children, and she may

as lively as you please in the boat, but as soon as she get

ew they needed attention. After looking to these, she turned to Tiny, who had dried her tears by this time, and sat watching the old woman. "D'ye like to see pictures, deary?" she asked; and

eview and British Workman had not been heard of in Fellness at the time of which we write, and so Dam

for some minutes, while Dame Peters turned out the potatoes, she ventured to lift it up and

, turning from the fireplace to see w

l?" asked Tiny, looking up in the old woman's face, h

se it is some sort of reading, as you say

. She had forgotten how to do this entirely. G O D spelt a word familiar enough to her at one time, but which of all the words she used now those letters were intended to signify, she could not remember. Again and again he

ere!" exclaimed Tiny; "he

ince you've been gone," said Dame Peters, in a half-offended tone; f

Coomber. "Well, now, are you

"Couldn't I take this home, and show it to Dick?

home!" exclaime

at it contemptuously. "Peters got this w

, he

rs bring you another?" said the fisherman, who was an

greed to sell it to Tiny for a basket of samphire, for this seaweed made a kind of pickle among the fisher-folk, and was of some ma

the value of it; and when it had been folded up and carefully stowed away in Coomber's pocket, she was quite r

ears as to begin singing. Something in the surroundings had recalled to her mind the time when she used to sing nearly every night her mother's

ace to wand

beams that

pilot's vi

far a

g quite sure of the next ver

on; don't you kn

d again the voice rang ou

pe, gleam o

oul that si

ailor's lon

far a

" asked the fisherman, eag

was meant for daddy. And she told me I must always sing it,

think about that. It's just the son

used to say-that I was a sai

t kind of a song. Now try a bit m

th, when win

il, he fli

n the billo

far a

more," said the child, a

ary; and mind, you must sing that

lap, lap of the waves at the side of the boat, until Coomber said: "Come, sing to us

without a break this time; and Tiny was a

e, oh! safe

wanderer b

ions long ha

far a

b, who was completely charmed out

exclaimed Coomber, "i

lkily responded the lad, his

his oars, and felt under the seat, and all round the boat. "I must ha' forgot it, thinkin

o back," said Bob;

Coomber, slowly and regretfully; though what he shoul

and the next minute the little voice

mself to blame that the bottle had been left behind. Before they landed the singing had worke

his arms, and stepped out upon the shore. A light was shining in the window of the o

d, as they were crossing the sands; and the moment the door was

een waiting ever so long for you." As she spoke, the poor woman cast several furtive glances at her husband, fea

me Peters wanted her to stay and have some hot potatoes; but she was in suc

Tiny, in a delighted whisper,

omber, in a disappointed tone. "Nobody at the Poi

e catch her with any of the

ance its value to everybody, she thought, since Dame Peters set such store by it solely because of the picture. And so she di

ng to the smoking plate of fish which h

utting his hand on the boys' hea

id Bob. "But what does it mean

she gazed earnestly at the print. "I d

she would have taken the picture away, but Tiny hastily snatched it up, and, carefully folding it, wrapped it in anot

her hand. "I'll take care of it," she

unt of how brave Tiny had been, and how Dame Peters thought she was growing very fast. Then Tiny had to sing one verse of "Star of Peace," after she had finished her supper-Mrs. Coomber would not let her sing more than that, for s

to the boys' room to tell Dick the wonderful news. But to her surprise she found the bed

time?" she exclaimed,

and put your clothes on, and come and

Dick?" as

too, when you've had your breakfast. Daddy wouldn't let th

the net?" asked Tiny,

urse. Daddy's goin

t is," said Tiny. "Dad

s old, you see, and we can

d I promised Dick I'd make some more letters

mber. The little girl had always been so pliant, so amenable to co

basket, and ran out, not to the sands, where the fisherman and his boys sat mending the torn net, but away to the salt-marsh, whe

et?" she asked, throwin

yet. Tom came to fetch

We're going to make some letters

ing alone, if it makes you s

ke me cross; it'

wind the string and mend the net b

, kicking and grumbling, because Dick could n

omber at last; "and I don't see how you can thin

My other mammy used to say something like that," she said, slowly. And

et; and she smiled as she thought of what her words had done. She did not know what a hard fight Tiny had had with herself before she could make up her mind to give up her own way; she only thought how pleased

n in self-control, and Dick and Tom began to master the difficulties of the alphabet; for, when the net was finished, and Bob and his father waded out into the sea on