mpson live hereabouts?" Dick heard him
say.

"Yes, sir," said Dick. "That's our name. What do you want?"

The young man made no answer, but walked in and sat down on a chair Mrs
Kempson offered him. He looked round for a minute without speaking--
first at Mrs Kempson, then at Limping Lawry, then at little Nelly, and
then at the other children, and over and over again at Dick.

"I think that I have seen you all before; but it was years ago," he said
at last, and his voice trembled. "Some time back, as I was reading an
account of a dreadful accident which happened in one of the coal-pits
hereabouts, I saw the name of Samuel Kempson and his son Benjamin among
the list of sufferers."

"Yes, sir; those were my poor husband and son," said Mrs Kempson, with
a sigh, and the tears came to her eyes.

"Did you ever live in Suffolk?" asked the stranger. "Yes, sir; and I
wish that we had never left it," answered Susan.

"And had you a son you called Jack?" inquired the visitor.

"Yes, I had; I had a fine hearty boy, but he went away to sea, and I
fear has long since been drowned," cried Susan, lifting her apron to her
eyes.

"I don't think so," answered the stranger. "Do you think that you
should know him again?"

"I'm sure I should, my own bright boy. Oh! speak, young man. Who are
you? Don't deceive me," exclaimed Susan, starting up and taking the
stranger's hands. "Are you my son Jack?"

"Indeed I am, mother," answered Jack Kempson, for the young stranger was
her long-lost son.

He returned her embrace affectionately, and soon all his young brothers
and sisters were clustering round him. He had heard of the strike, and
of the state of affairs, and guessing that provisions would be welcome,
before he could talk further, went out with Dick and got a good supply
for supper.

While the family were seated round a better meal than they had had for
many a day, he told them how he had gone to sea in a collier running
between Newcastle and London; how he then had sailed to far distant
lands; how once, when ill-treated by the master, he had made up his mind
to quit the sea and had come to look out for work in the mines; how he
soon saw that he should not change for the better.

"Yes, we know the widow woman you spoke to, and she told us all about
the sailor lad, who had come, thinking to get work, and had gone off
again."

"That is strange," cried Dick, "that we should have been so near, and
not have seen each