t it throbbed with deepest sadness as she told of Mrs Bright's
woe, and the paper on which she wrote became blotted with her tears.

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

THE HOUSE OF MOURNING.

We have it on the highest authority that it is better to go to the house
of mourning than to the house of feasting. This fallen world does not
readily believe that, but then the world is notoriously slow to believe
the truth, and also rather apt to believe what is false. It was long
before even the learned world could be got to believe that the world
itself moves round the sun. Indeed it is more than probable that more
than half the world does not believe that yet. On the other hand, much
of it very likely believes still that the world is flat. A savage of
the prairie would almost certainly entertain that fallacy, while a
savage of the mountains would perhaps laugh him to scorn, yet neither
would admit that it was a globe.

So, mankind is very unwilling to accept the truth that it is better to
give than to receive, though such is certainly the case if there be
truth in holy writ.

John Gunter had been much impressed, and not a little softened, by the
recent catastrophe of the shipwreck and of his skipper's death, but he
had not yet been subdued to the point of believing that it would be
better to spend an hour with widow Bright than to spend it in the
public-house, even though his shipmate Joe Davidson did his best to
persuade him of that truth.

"Come," said Joe, as a last appeal, "come, John, what'll our shipmates
think of 'ee if you never go near the poor thing to offer her a word o'
comfort?"

"_I_ can't comfort nobody," replied Gunter with a surly heave of his
shoulder.

"Yes, you can," said Joe, earnestly; "why, the very sight o' you bein'
there, out o' respect to David, would do her poor heart good."

The idea of anybody deriving comfort from a sight of _him_ so tickled
Gunter that he only replied with a sarcastic laugh, nevertheless he
followed his mate sulkily and, as it were, under protest.

On entering the humble dwelling they found Spivin, Trevor, and Zulu
already there. Mrs Bright arose with tearful eyes to welcome the new
guests. Billy rose with her. He had scarcely left his mother's side
for more than a few minutes since the dark night of the wreck, though
several days had elapsed.

It was a great era in the life of the fisher-boy--a new departure. It
had brought him for the first time in his young life