ld not stand anything in the
nature of a shock in his present state."

"Yes, mother, but they say that joy never kills, and if--"

"Who says?" interrupted Mrs Dotropy; "who are `they' who say so many
stupid things that every one seems bound to believe? Joy _does_ kill,
sometimes. Besides, what if you turned out to be wrong, and raised
hopes that were only destined to be crushed? Don't you think that the
joy of anticipation might--might be neutralised by the expectation,--I
mean the sorrow of--of--but it's of no use arguing. I set my face
firmly against anything of the sort."

"Well, perhaps you are right, mother," said Ruth, with a little sigh;
"indeed, now I think of it I feel sure you are; for it might turn out to
be a mistake, as you say, which would be an awful blow to poor Captain
Bream in his present weak state. So I must just wait patiently till he
is better."

"Which he will very soon be, my love," said Mrs Dotropy, "for he is
sure to be splendidly nursed, now he has got back to his old quarters
with these admirable Miss Seawards. But tell me more about this sad
wreck. You say that the fisherman named Joe Davidson is safe?"

"Yes, I know he is, for I have just seen him."

"I'm glad of that, for I have a great regard for him, and am quite taken
with his good little wife. Indeed I feel almost envious of them, they
do harmonise and agree so well together--not of course, that your
excellent father and I did not agree--far from it. I don't think that
in all the course of our happy wedded life he ever once contradicted me;
but somehow, he didn't seem quite to understand things--even when things
were so plain that they might have been seen with a magnifying-glass--I
mean a micro--that is--no matter. I fear you would not understand much
better, Ruth, darling, for you are not unlike your poor father. But who
told you about the wreck?"

"A policeman, mother. He said it was the _Evening Star_, and the moment
I heard that I hurried straight to Mrs Bright, getting the policeman to
escort me there and back. He has quite as great an admiration of Joe as
you have, mother, and gave me such an interesting account of the change
for the better that has come over the fishermen generally since the
Mission vessels carried the gospel among them. He said he could hardly
believe his eyes when he saw some men whom he had known to be dreadful
characters changed into absolute lambs. And you know, mother, that the
opin