at's the Shipwrecked
Fishermen's and Mariners' Society. You've heerd o' that Society, Susan,
haven't 'ee?"

"No father, never."

"What, never heerd o' the Shipwrecked Mariners' Society with its
hundreds o' honorary agents all round the coast, who have done more to
dry the tears o' orphans an' comfort widders' hearts than tongue can
tell?--Never heerd o' it, an' you a sailor's daughter?"

"I daresay I'm very stupid for being so ignorant, father; but I never
heard of it. You know I've spent most o' my life inland with old Auntie
Bess, an' only come here this year.

"Mayhap," continued Haco, shaking his head gravely, "you've never
heer'd, neither, o' the Lifeboat Institootion."

"Never," said Susan meekly. "I've seen the lifeboat we have here, you
know, but I never heard of the Institootion."

"Well, well, Susan, I needn't be surprised, for, to say truth, there's
many in this country, who think no small beer o' theirselves, that know
precious little about either the one or the other, although they're the
most valooable Institootions in the country. I'll tell 'ee about 'em,
lass, some other time--how they saves hundreds o' lives, an' relieves no
end o' distress annooally. It's enough just now to say that the two
Institootions is what I calls brother an' sister--the Lifeboat one bein'
the brother; the Shipwrecked Mariners' one bein' the sister. The
brother, besides savin' thousands o' pounds worth o' goods, saves
hundreds o' lives every year. But when the brother has saved the
shipwrecked sailor, his work is done. He hands him over to the sister,
who clothes him, feeds him, warms him--as you see bein' done to them
there Roosians--and then sends him home. Every sailor in the country
should be a member o' the Shipwrecked Mariners' Society, say I. I've
been one myself for many years, an' it only costs me three shillings a
year. I'll tell 'ee some other time what good it does me; but just now
you an' I shall go an' have some grub."

"Where shall we go to get it, father?"

"To the refreshment room below, lass. It won't do to take ye to the
dinin' hall o' the Home for three reasons,--first, 'cause ye're a
'ooman, an' they ain't admitted; second, 'cause it wouldn't be pleasant
for ye to dine wi' forty or fifty Jack-tars; and, thirdly, if ye wanted
it ever so much yer old father wouldn't let ye--so come along, lass, to
dinner."

CHAPTER TEN.

THE DINNER IN THE RESTAURANT--HACO MEETS AN OLD FRIEND AND BEC