ded by most people as a sort of lord of the manor,--"Mr.
Rutherford, have you heard what has befallen Captain Yorke?"

"I have heard nothing," answered uncle Rutherford. "No misfortune, I
hope."

Mr. Winston slightly raised his eyebrows, as he answered, laughingly,
"I do not know whether he considers it in the light of a misfortune or
a blessing; but I know very well how I should feel had such an
affliction fallen to my lot,--that it was an unmitigated calamity;
while Miss Milly, again, would probably consider it as the choicest of
blessings. It seems that the old man had a reprobate son, who, many
years since, went off to parts unknown; and his parents have heard
nothing of him since,--that is, until to-day, when a woman, claiming to
be his widow, appeared with five children. She had his "marriage
lines," as she called them, a letter from the prodigal himself to his
father, and other papers, which appear to substantiate her claim; and
the old couple have admitted it, and received the whole crowd. 'Matildy
Jane' is sceptical, derisive, and _not_ amiable. Nor can one be surprised
that she is not pleased at this addition to her household cares and
labors, for I have not told the worst. The woman is apparently in the
last stages of consumption; one of the children is blind; another has
hip-disease; and a third looks as if it would go the way its mother is
going. There is a sturdy boy of fourteen or so, the eldest of the
family, and another chubby, healthy rogue, in the lot; but they really
looked like a hospital turned loose. Brayton and I had gone down for
bait, and were talking to the captain, when they arrived."

"Don't, don't, Mr. Winston!" exclaimed Norman. "Milly will adopt the
crowd, and have them here amongst us. That is her way, you know."

"And what did the captain say?" I asked, fully agreeing with Mr.
Winston, that this must be, for the old seaman, an appalling
misfortune. "Imagine, if the thing is true, and these people dependent
upon him, the utter up-turning of the even tenor of his way,--of all
their ways. I sympathize with 'Matildy Jane.' What did the captain
say?"

"He asked me to read his son's letter to him,--for he is not apt, it
would appear, in deciphering writing; and, indeed, it was more or less
hieroglyphical,--then gazed for a few moments at the dilapidated
crew,--dilapidated as to health, I mean; for they are clean and decent,
and fairly respectable looking,--and said, 'Well, ye do all seem