d the expenses of her funeral, and frequently after that came to see
us, to inquire, as he said, how we were getting on.

We had not heard from brother Jack since he went aboard the _Lapwing_.
Mother thought that he might have got some one to write for him, though
he was no great hand with a pen himself. All we knew was that the brig
had gone out to the East Indies, which being a long way off would have
accounted for our not often getting letters from him; but just one
father hoped he would have contrived to send after he had been a year
away; now nearly three years had passed since then. Had the _Lapwing_
been fitted out at Portsmouth, we should have got news of him from
others, but as none of her crew hailed from our town, there was no one
to whom we could go to ask about him. Father had taken lately to talk
much about Jack, and sometimes regretted that he had let him go away.

"You acted for the best, and so don't be blaming yourself," observed
mother, trying to console him. "There's One aloft looking after him
better than we can, and He'll bring our boy back to us if He thinks
fit."

Mary and I little knew all the trials father and mother had to go
through. Mother's trade was bad, and father was often out all day
without bringing a shilling home. Younger men with more gaily-painted
boats--he would not acknowledge that they were better--got fares when he
could not manage to pick up one. Sometimes also he was laid up with the
rheumatics, and was unable to go afloat. One day, while thus suffering,
mother fetched Dr Rolt to see him. Father begged the doctor to get him
well as soon as he could, seeing that he wanted to be out in the wherry
to gain his livelihood.

"All in good time, my man," answered the doctor. "You'll be about again
in a few days, never fear. By-the-bye, I saw our friend Mr Gray
lately, Mrs Trawl, and he was inquiring for you. He would have come to
see your husband had he known that he was ill, but he went away to
London yesterday, and may, I fear, be absent for some time. Many will
miss him should he be long away."

Sooner than father expected he was about again. I had gone down with
father and mother to the Hard, mother to board a ship which had just
come in, and father to look out for a fare, while Mary remained at home
with Nancy. It was blowing pretty fresh, and there was a good deal of
sea running outside, though in the harbour the water was not rough
enough to prevent mother