u
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 chap has been listening to every word
we've been saying!"

I thought I observed a frown on the sailor's brow as I said this, but he
made no remark, and in a few minutes we were walking rapidly through the
streets. My companion stopped at one of those stores so common in
seaport towns, where one can buy almost anything, from a tallow candle
to a brass cannon. Here he purchased a pound of tea, a pound of sugar,
a pound of butter, and a small loaf,--all of which he thrust into the
huge pockets of his coat. He had evidently no idea of proportion or of
household affairs. It was a simple, easy way of settling the matter, to
get a pound of everything.

In a short time we reached our house, a very old one, in a poor
neighbourhood, and entered my mother's room. She was sitting at the
table when we went in, with a large Bible before her, and a pair of
horn-spectacles on her nose. I could see that she had been out
gathering coals and cinders during my absence, for a good fire burned in