e my front-door, and my wife and
family can't get out to go to meetin'.'"

"Why, do they go to meeting in the bottom of the sea?" said Moses.

"Law, bless you sonny, yes. Why, Sunday morning, when the sea was all
still, I used to hear the bass-viol a-soundin' down under the waters,
jist as plain as could be,--and psalms and preachin'. I've reason to
think there's as many hopefully pious mermaids as there be folks," said
the Captain.

"But," said Moses, "you said the anchor was before the front-door, so
the family couldn't get out,--how did the merman get out?"

"Oh! he got out of the scuttle on the roof," said the Captain, promptly.

"And did you move your anchor?" said Moses.

"Why, child, yes, to be sure I did; he was such a gentleman I wanted to
oblige him,--it shows you how important it is always to be polite," said
the Captain, by way of giving a moral turn to his narrative.

Mr. Sewell, during the progress of this story, examined the Captain with
eyes of amused curiosity. His countenance was as fixed and steady, and
his whole manner of reciting as matter-of-fact and collected, as if he
were relating some of the every-day affairs of his boat-building.

"Wal', Sally," said the Captain, rising, after his yarn had proceeded
for an indefinite length in this manner, "you and I must be goin'. I
promised your ma you shouldn't be up late, and we have a long walk
home,--besides it's time these little folks was in bed."

The children all clung round the Captain, and could hardly be persuaded
to let him go.

When he was gone, Mrs. Pennel took the little ones to their nest in an
adjoining room.

Mr. Sewell approached his chair to that of Captain Pennel, and began
talking to him in a tone of voice so low, that we have never been able
to make out exactly what he was saying. Whatever it might be, however,
it seemed to give rise to an anxious consultation. "I did not think it
advisable to tell _any_ one this but yourself, Captain Pennel. It is for
you to decide, in view of the probabilities I have told you, what you
will do."

"Well," said Zephaniah, "since you leave it to me, I say, let us keep
him. It certainly seems a marked providence that he has been thrown upon
us as he has, and the Lord seemed to prepare a way for him in our
hearts. I am well able to afford it, and Mis' Pennel, she agrees to it,
and on the whole I don't think we'd best go back on our steps; besides,
our little Mara has thrived since he came un