ing his pipe and
basking in the sun.

"Hallo!" said he again.

"Well," said I.

"Wot d'ye mean, youngster, by goin' on in that there fashion all the
mornin', a-botherin' everybody, and makin' a fool o' yourself like
that? eh!"

"What's that to you?" said I savagely, for my heart was sore and heavy,
and I could not stand the interference of a stranger.

"Oh! it's nothin' to me of course," said the sailor, picking his pipe
quietly with his clasp-knife; "but come here, boy, I've somethin' to
say to ye."

"Well, what is it?" said I, going up to him somewhat sulkily.

The man looked at me gravely through the smoke of his pipe, and said,
"You're in a passion, my young buck, that's all; and, in case you
didn't know it, I thought I'd tell ye."

I burst into a fit of laughter. "Well, I believe you're not far wrong;
but I'm better now."

"Ah! that's right," said the sailor, with an approving nod of his head;
"always confess when you're in the wrong. Now, younker, let me give
you a bit of advice. Never get into a passion if you can help it, and
if you can't help it get out of it as fast as possible, and if you
can't get out of it, just give a great roar to let off the steam and
turn about and run. There's nothing like that. Passion han't got
legs. It can't hold on to a feller when he's runnin'. If you keep it
up till you a'most split your timbers, passion has no chance. It
_must_ go a-starn. Now, lad, I've been watchin' ye all the mornin', and
I see there's a screw loose somewhere. If you'll tell me wot it is,
see if I don't help you!"

The kind frank way in which this was said quite won my heart, so I sat
down on the old cask, and told the sailor all my sorrows.

"Boy," said he, when I had finished, "I'll put you in the way o'
helpin' your mother. I can get you a berth in my ship, if you're
willin' to take a trip to the whale fishery of the South Seas."

"And who will look after my mother when I'm away?" said I.

The sailor looked perplexed at the question.

"Ah! that's a puzzler," he replied, knocking the ashes out of his pipe.
"Will you take me to your mother's house, lad?"

"Willingly," said I, and, jumping up, I led the way. As we turned to
go, I observed that the old gentleman with the gold-headed cane was
leaning over the rail of the pier at a short distance from us. A
feeling of anger instantly rose within me, and I exclaimed, loud enough
for him to hear:

"I do believe that stingy old cha