of having lived an holy life,--gone to the "sailor's home," in
the skies.

The stars shone out, one by one, in the firmament, when the king of day
had descended. Calmly the night looked down, and undisturbed were
Harry's thoughts, as seated upon the taffrail, old Neptune by his side,
he once again breathed the air of liberty. Not that he rejoiced that he
was thus freed from him who had kept him in perfect slavery, for he
alone had dropped a tear over the uncoffined burial of his persecutor;
but his heart was filled with gratitude, as he looked into the peerless
night,--gratitude to Him who has given us a soul, that we may admire the
works of his hands. As Harry sat musing, turning from the heavenly orbs
to their semblance on the bosom of the placid waters, he observed, as it
were, a fallen star, mirrored therein, but rousing his dreamy senses, he
found it was a small, shining object, floating near them. He drew it
from the water; it was a block of wood, in the form of an octagon,
highly polished, inlaid with bits of pearl, forming grotesque figures,
and thickly studded with some bright mineral, representing stars, which
gave it a very handsome appearance.

"Well, if the youngster isn't picking up moonshine," remarked Sampson,
examining the curiosity. "Some poor fellow designed that for his
sweetheart, likely; but I suppose it will make but little difference
with her, if she hears he's among the missing, she can just as well set
her colors for another. These bright-winged butterflies go upon the
principle that 'there's as good fish in the sea as ever was caught.'"

"O, ho, Sampson," cried the jolly faced mate, who had now taken the
captain's berth, "you are inclined to give the fair ones no quarters. I
shouldn't wonder if they had given you the slip, in some of your
cruisings."

"Well, sir, nothing of that kind, exactly; I never had much notion for
shipping under one captain for life."

"A little frightened, eh?"

"Well, between you and I, I was a little skeery, for fear I should find
my mate at the helm."

"Yes, but you don't mean to say woman is a craft sailing without a
compass, do you? that is, minus a heart?"

"Aye, aye, but it's hard to get in their wake. I never met but one
whole-souled woman in my life, and she has gone--where such as she do
go. Ah, that was a hard time! I was the only one saved of two hundred!"

"How was that, Sampson? come, spin us that yarn."

"Land ho! land ho!" hailed the lookou