and you'll git along all right; weeant a, Dan ?"

"Aw, he'll git along very well," answered Daniel; "he do knaw what's what better'n you wemmen can tell un. He'll steer a straight course," continued the old salt, looking affectionately at his young friend, "no yawin' the ship about weth he. Look out, Arthur, and fend the boat off from the quarter of the brig."

Arthur's baggage was soon on the deck of the vessel, and the last farewells had to be said. Mrs. Craddock's melancholy predictions had so taken hold of Mrs. Treleaven that her faith forsook her for the time, and she wept bitterly, saying,—

"I shall never see him again, I shall never see him again."

Mrs. Sims wept too, while Mrs. Craddock preserved a composed and sepulchral demeanour. Jenifer did not weep, but her

wistful eyes and clinging hands as Arthur gave his last kiss showed how bitter was the parting.

The anchor had been hove home shortly before Arthur went on board, and soon it was off the ground, and the sails were set one by one as she dropped down the harbour. At last the boat had to be cast adrift, and with a heartfelt “ Good-bye, and God bless you," the friends parted company. In a short time the brig reached the point at the mouth of the harbour, put her helm to starboard, rounded the point, and disappeared from view.

May God watch over them and bring them home in safety again! So Daniel and the women prayed as they returned. Will the prayer be answered? Only the future can reveal that. For the present "whitehanded hope, that hovering angel girt with golden wings," is their comfort and stay.

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CHAPTER XIV.

THE VOICE OF MANY WATERS.

We thought of wrecks upon the main,
Of ships dismasted, that were hail'd
And sent no answer back again.

Longfellow.

ARTHUR was gone and Jenifer was left to wait for his return with what patience she could command. If the brig arrived safely a letter would come back in four or five months, and there was the chance of her being spoken to by some homeward-bound ship. News came when they were not expecting it. When the Annie Lee had been gone about three months, a steamer called the North Star arrived at Liverpool, and reported that she had picked up, in

From

latitude 20° S. and longitude 5° W., a ship's boat bearing the name Annie Lee, with her side crushed in, and that two days later she had also come across a lifebuoy which bore the same name. the appearance of the boat it was not improbable that the Annie Lee had been in collision with some other ship, but there was nothing to show what had become of the two crews. They might have escaped in one or both the ships or in boats.

Daniel heard this piece of news from the group of men on the quay as he landed. from his boat one forenoon, and after ascertaining that the intelligence was correct that is to to say, that it was in the newspaper-went home with a heavy heart to tell his wife and daughter.

"The Annie Lee have a bin spokken

to," said he, intending to lead up gradually to a recital of the evil tidings.

"How do you know?" asked Jenifer eagerly.

""Tes in the newspaper," answered Daniel; "a steamer called the North Star spokke to her some little time ago, or there, not 'xactly spokke to her."

"Were they all well?" inquired Jenifer anxiously.

"Well no, not 'xactly," was the answer; "they had a met with a bit of a collision."

"A collision!" said Jenifer, aghast. "Was there much damage done? was there anybody hurt?"

66

Nobody doant knaw yet what the damage es, but they hope they're all seeaved. The fact of the matter es-now doant 'ee be frightened, Jenny, doant 'ee be frightened, mother-the fact of the matter