the
old man's pipe.

Work was resumed afresh the next morning, and the vessel grew day by day
till at length a skeleton ship rose to view. Weeks passed on and the
ship made rapid progress till the whole hulk stood ready. Then a great
cauldron was heated, and the bubbling tar within was used to smear over
the planks and thus sheathe the ship.

The rudder of oak banded with copper, which was to control the whole
vessel, lay ready on the sand, and near it the anchor, whose mighty grip
was to hold the great ship secure against raging storms. The figure-head
was in the shape of a maiden clad in white robes which seemed to be
fluttering in the wind; a great artist had carved it in wood and had
taken the Master's daughter as his model. In after days many a signal
light was flashed on to her, and her graceful form became well known to
those who watched as the ship sped by through the dark and rainy nights.

In the forests near the snow-covered mountains and plains, majestic pine
trees were hewn down and dragged by oxen along the winding road to the
shore. Here they were stripped of their branches and bark and used for
the tall and tapering masts of the noble ship. Only the roar of the wind
and waves would remind them of their native forests which they would
never see again. When the masts were swung into place, they were made
fast with shrouds and stays; and finally a flag of red, white, and blue
was unfurled at the masthead and displayed its stars and stripes to an
admiring throng.

At length there came the day of the double bridal--that of the gray old
sea to the ship, and the wedding of the young master and his bride. The
_Union_ was decked out with gay flags and streamers, and the bridal
party came on board. The service was read and the Master, with tears in
his eyes, shook the brown hand of his son and kissed his daughter's fair
cheek. The worthy pastor spoke kindly words of warning and cheer to the
young couple and bade them Godspeed on their journey through life.

Then the Master waved his hand, and, at this signal, there was heard all
around the noise of hammers knocking away the vessel's supports.
Suddenly the ship moved, a thrill seemed to run all through her frame,
and with a sudden leap she bounded into the ocean. Loud shouts and
cheers uprose from the crowds assembled on the beach, and the staunch
ship _Union_ sailed gayly forth on her first voyage.

HIAWATHA

Long, long ago, in days that are now f