t lay entirely out of the
track of "refinement," if indeed she had then begun her march.

Accordingly things were permitted to go on just as though consent had
been asked and obtained; the young couple walked together, sat together,
and Kelson being "free of the house," talked together upon almost every
subject but love. Was there to be a fishing or sleighing party, or an
excursion into the neighboring woods, Tom Kelson was invariably and by
quiet agreement Mary Bowline's escort; was there a ball, no one,
"louting low with cap in hand," solicited, or thought of soliciting, the
honor of her company; that felicity was always supposed to be reserved
for Tom Kelson; still, with all this constant and close intimacy, the
young seaman had never talked of love, never offered himself as a
husband, and Mary, the gay and light-hearted Mary, had never, as the
New England saying is, "thought a word about it." Had Kelson suddenly
presented himself to her with "Mary, shall we be published next Sunday?"
she would have answered "Yes;" without the slightest hesitation; nor
thought her assent worth the trouble of a blush or a simper; and such, I
believe, will be found the case in most of our country courtships.

Captain Kelson, for he had attained that title some time previous, had
been on _terra firma_ some months; partly for want of a vessel, but
chiefly in compliance with the earnest entreaties of the lovely Mary,
who was terrified at the thought of his again encountering the frightful
calamity that had so nearly proved fatal to him on his last voyage. On
his return from St. Petersburg with a full cargo, he had experienced a
tremendous gale near the Grand Banks, during which his vessel was struck
by lightning and consumed. After undergoing most dreadful sufferings in
their boats, the exhausted remnant of the crew were most providentially
picked up and brought safe home. In consequence of losing his vessel,
the owners had received him with coldness, as is invariably the case, as
though a deep loaded brig, lying-to in a gale of wind, could dodge a
flash of lightning! I have known many a good seaman kept "lying out" of
a vessel for months, merely because the owners had thought proper to
send him to sea in a _craft_ whose bottom had "dropped out," as the sea
phrase is, as soon as she had encountered bad weather.

Captain Kelson had accordingly remained on shore from April, till
September; the time when we have thought proper to commence o