Little Miss Joy

from the sound of her angry words, and from the sight of his mother's grieved face-that face,

I won't go aboard a smack or trawler; I should not care for that life-handling fish, and out all weathers, north of the

of an old boat on the beach, and there

arting up, just distinguished in the dim light the shape of

away like me?" he asked. "Ha

t out of his shelter on to the soft san

ping on him, and seemed to want t

ngthening dawn which was breaking over the sea he saw a dark mass of something at so

d no sound but the gentle murmur of the tide just turning.

rew more and more frantic in

g and crying as if in great pain. The dog ran to him, and leaping on his prostrate figure, and then back again to Jack, show

wn over the

matter? Ar

the captain is a jolly fellow-but oh, this leg!-all along of my catching my foot in a net. Toby here and I were coming along the beach from my old step-mother's, over t'other side of

arm and pull him into a sitting posture, he saw a sad, pensive face turned up to h

you off to,

t aboard any ship,

been crying and groaning like a baby; that won't do. No, Dick Colley, you mu

nt's silence

ut down the right leg, and make yo

groan again, and then th

, and I'm blessed if I ain't beaten over and over again. This pain will-- Don't you think, boy, I consider it a fine thing to swear, and take the Lord's name i

et, and by the support of Jack's strong sh

ster's side with a dejected air, his stubby tail between his

bad; but I can't afford to lose this voyage; it's a long one, and

id Jack. "Here's

our shoulder-blade. I shan't forget you, y

o sea just for a bi

first, before I can prom

at last, and it was

was no bustle or noise. The cargoes had been shipped ove

th. You help me aboard, and

crew, who was turning a loose cable round and round into a co

prained my ankle. This youngster helped

off to the river's mouth in a twinkling.

nd down below, where the ship's surgeon bandaged

, no one noticed Jack, or if they noticed him, concluded that he

t to sea that the captain, coming

oungster aboard with the cu

sed I'd say a word for him. He just helped me across the sand,

ed on his heel,

me foot, eh? Well, he hasn't come here to eat

ptain kept

cloudless sky that morning-had set behi

hat first bright day, when to sail over the blue calm sea, with the crisp

measurable depths; and Jack, lying on a bench, with his ar

his aunt's roof for ever, he had relented, and even at his mother's instigation a

ht before, and his aunt had rec

ing you are sorry you make it all r

hardened the boy's heart against his aunt. Still more so when, from the ot

puts up with you for a single hour. Only a good

ad been Jack's retort; and all the real sorrow he had fe

w instinctively he turned from him

of the summer night, it was not of Skinner that he thought, not

s upon his forehead as he was sinking off into the sound sleep of childhood. Many a time he

ht-"little Miss Joy, and she wi

d left behind him came before him, tears rose all

kick from a man's

," he said; "get along with you and go wher

's the

g. There ain't much the matter with him, that's my

ting his foot on it with the cautious air of the uninitiated, a rude push from be

voice, "to treat

canting no end, you'll see! For my ow

anything," was the reply; "and I pit

air, and, half-stunned and bewildered, was climbing up the stairs ag

't go and give

d seen Jack fall, and ha

wn on my locker, and we'll spin a yarn. You've run away, haven't you? I was so

the b

nto port after the first voyage, I went to the old place to find him dead. Now, how do you think I felt? Why, ready to kill myself with remorse. What if you find your mother dead, when we put into port ag

ld only make more trouble by going back. That old aunt, who made my life miserable, wou

easy one! I'd like to tell you how I made mine, and I will some day; bu

to turn in?"

b up there, and sleep till I call you. T

ke everything else, it requires practice; he took off his

ou turn in without waking a fellow from his sleep? Get along with y

king off his jacket he made a pillow o

ung up, and the Galatea curtesied on the crest of the waves, and the water made a sp

ssful attempt to get into his berth, turned out at three o'clock

h you!" And taking Jack roughly by one arm and leg, he tosse

e wanted, and be thank

say that all rules have an exception to prove their truth. But it is seldom in

sh reap corruption"; and many a bitter tear of self-reproach is caused by the crop our own hands have sown, w