uff, 'Don't you see I aint got but one hand? Go to your nurse.'

"I expected to see her run right off; but she didn't, but stood as
quiet as may be, with her eyes looking up into my face.

"'Nurse can't mend spade; break again when Nina digs. Nina will hold
spade together, sailor-man tie it up strong.'

"I didn't answer at once; but I saw her lip quiver, and it was plain
she had been crying just before; so I put my hand into my pocket and
brings out a bit of string, for the stuff she'd got in her hand was
of no account; and I says, in a strange sort of voice, as I hardly
knew as my own, 'All right, missy, I'll tie it.'

"So she held the broken pieces together, and I ties 'em up with the
aid of my hand and my teeth, and makes a strong, ship-shape job of it.
I did it sitting on the bottom step, with a child standing on each
side watching me. When I had done it the eldest took it, and felt it.

"'That is nice and strong,' she said; 'thank you. Annie, say thank
you.'

"'T'ank you,' she said; and, with a little pat on my arm as a good-by,
the little ones trotted away to a nurse sitting some little distance
off.

"It may seem a little thing to you, sir, just a half-minute's talk to
a child; but it warn't a little thing to me. It seemed regularly to
upset me like; and I sat there thinking it over and wondering what was
come over me, till an hour afterwards they went past me with their
nurse; and the little things ran up to me and said, 'The spade's quite
good now--good-by, sailor-man!' and went on again. So I shook it off
and went to my work; for as the tide rose the wind dropped, and a few
boats went out; and thinking what a fool I was, was gruffer and
surlier than ever.

"Next morning I was lending a mate a hand painting a boat, when I saw
the two children coming along the sand again, and I wondered to
myself whether they would know me again, or think any more of me, and
though I wanted them to do so I turned my back to the way they was
coming, and went on with my painting. Somehow I felt wonderful glad
when I heard their little feet come, pattering along the sand, and
they sang out:

"'Good-morning, sailor-man!'

"'Good-morning!' says I, short-like, as if I didn't want no talk; and
I goes on with my work without turning round.

"Just then one of the men at the boats hails me.

"'Joe, there's a party coming down.'

"'I'm busy,' shouts I back; 'shove the plank out yourself.'

"The children stopped quiet by m