me hours before; bearing but small resemblance in
their general cut to the dainty figures which had run the gauntlet of
Aunt Catharine's eagle eyes as they sat opposite to her at breakfast
early that morning.

Soon after the children's arrival at Firgrove, Miss Turner had gone
carefully through their clothing,--adding a number of fresh garments to
their stock, discarding others which had been purchased according to
Perry's idea of fitness as being entirely unbecoming or unsuitable,
laying aside for distribution among her poor a goodly quantity that had
grown either so small or so shabby as to be altogether unfit for further
wear--by Captain Dene's children and Miss Turner's young relatives, that
is to say.

Upon this store Darby had drawn; for with an eye to thrift which would
have done credit to Aunt Catharine herself, and expectation of the fresh
and beautiful rig-out awaiting them in the land for which they were
bound, he considered that it would be sheer and sinful extravagance to
carry away with them any clothes, except what they could with an easy
conscience cast aside--as Christian left _his_ rags behind when by the
Shining One he was dressed anew.

Picture them then, please!

Darby wore a velveteen suit which had once been black, but now, from
stress of wear and weather, had turned a sickly green. From the scrimpy
legs of the knickerbockers his knees shone bare and brown. Out of the
sleeves, that reached only half-way below the elbows, his arms stuck
freely, showing a broad band of untanned wrist between the button-less
cuffs and the chubby, sunburnt hand. A pair of sadly-scuffed shoes,
which originally had been nut-brown calf, were held upon his feet by one
solitary button and a piece of string; while his headgear consisted of a
sailor-hat, with battered brim, and blue ribbon band so stained and
faded that only with difficulty one could make out the name upon its
silken surface--H.M.S. _Dreadnought_--a most appropriate one for the
ship in which this dauntless mariner sailed, for he had in truth a brave
and fearless spirit!

As for Joan, she appeared to be even more after the tinker type than
Darby. Her cotton frock had once upon a time been pink and pretty as a
double daisy. Now it was washed-out, worn, and, sad to say, in several
places torn. At different points the skirt had rebelliously escaped from
the confinement of gathers round the waist; the back gaped open where in
sundry spots the hooks and eyes