amid the
clang of bells and the scream of whistles, the floating wonder swung out
from her wharf into the yellow tide of the Ohio.

Scores of people crowded her decks for the pleasure of a ride ten miles
down the river to return in their carriages.

The Captain of the _AEtna_, Robinson DeHart, held the Boy in a spell by
his lofty manners. He had been a sailor on board an ocean-going brig. To
him the landing of his vessel was an event, no matter how often the stop
was made, whether to put off a single passenger, or take on a regiment.
In fact, he never landed the _AEtna_, even to take on a cord of wood,
without the use of his enormous speaking trumpet and his big brass
spy-glass.

A beautiful, slow, uneventful voyage on the Father of Waters landed the
Boy in safety at the Woodville stopping-place. He leaped down the
gang-plank with a shout and clasped his Big Brother's hand.

"My, my, but you've grown, Boy!"

"Haven't I?"

"Won't little mother be surprised and glad?"

"Let's fool her," the Boy cried. "Let me go up by myself and she won't
know me!"

"All right--we'll try."

The brother stopped at the village and the young stranger walked alone
to his father's house. How beautiful it all seemed--the big log house
with the cabins clustering around it! A horse neighed at the barn and a
colt answered from the field.

He walked boldly up to the porch and just inside the door sat his lovely
mother. She had been one of the most beautiful girls in all South
Carolina in her day, his father had often said. She was beautiful still.
She had known what happiness was. She was the mother of ten strong
children--five boys and five girls--and her heart was young with their
joys and hopes. A smile was playing about her fine mouth. She was
dreaming perhaps of his coming.

The Boy cleared his throat with a deep manly note and spoke in studied
careless tones:

"Seen any stray horses around here, ma'am?"

The mother's eyes flashed as she sprang through the doorway and snatched
him to her heart with a cry of joy:

"No--but I see a stray Boy! Oh, my darling, my baby, my heart!"

And then words failed. She loosed her hold and held him at arm's length,
tried to say something, but only clasped him again and cried for joy.

"Please, Ma, let me have him!" Polly pleaded.

And then he clasped his sister in a long, voiceless hug--loosed her and
caught her again:

"I missed you, Polly, dear!" he sighed.

When all the others had