Captain January | Page 9

of the big rock, where the spray wouldn't fly over her, and I covered
her with the sail; and then I took the fur cloak, seein' the baby needed it
and she didn't, and wrapped it round the little un, and clumb back over
the rocks, up to the house. And so, Honeysuckle--"
"And so," cried the child, taking his two great hands and putting them
softly together, "so I came to be your little Star!"

"To be my little Star!" assented the old man, stooping to kiss the golden
head.
"Your light and your joy!" exclaimed the child, laughing with pleasure.
"My light and my joy!" said the old man, solemnly. "A light from
heaven to shine in a dark place, and the Lord's message to a sinful
man."
He was silent for a little, looking earnestly into the child's radiant face.
Presently, "You've been happy, Star Bright?" he asked. "You haven't
missed nothin'?"
Star opened wide eyes of surprise at him. "Of course I've been happy!"
she said. "Why shouldn't I be?"
"You ain't--I mean you haven't mourned for your poor ma, have ye,
Jewel?" He was still looking curiously at her, and his look puzzled her.
"No," she said after a pause. "Of course not. I never knew my poor
mamma. Why should I mourn for her? She is in heaven, and I am very
glad. You say heaven is much nicer than here, so it must be pleasanter
for my poor mamma; and I don't need her, because I have you, Daddy.
But go on, now, please, Daddy dear. 'Next day'--"
"Next day," resumed the obedient Captain, "the sky was bright and
clear, and only the heavy sea, and your poor ma, and you, Peach
Blossom, to tell what had happened, so far as I seed at fust. Bimeby,
when I went out to look, I found other things."
"My poor papa!" said Star, with an air of great satisfaction.
The Captain nodded. "Yer poor pa," he said, "and two others with him.
How did I know he was your poor pa? Along of his havin' your poor
ma's pictur hung round his neck. And a fine-lookin' man he was, to be
sure!"
"And his name was 'H. M.'!" cried the child, eagerly.
"Them was the letters of it!" assented the Captain. "Worked on his shirt
and hank'cher, so fine as ever was. Well, Jewel Bright, when I seed all
this, I says, 'January,' says I, 'here's Christian corpses, and they must
have Christian burial!' I says. So I brought 'em all up to the house, and
laid 'em comfortable; and then I gave you a good drink of warm milk
(you'd been sleepin' like a little angil, and only waked up to smile and
crow and say ''Tar'), and gave you a bright spoon to play with; and then
I rowed over to shore to fetch the minister and the crowner, and
everybody else as was proper. You don't care about this part,

Honeysuckle, and you ain't no need to, but everything was done decent
and Christian, and your parents and the other two laid peaceful under
the big pine-tree. Then the minister, when 'twas all done, he says to me,
'And now, my friend,' he says, 'I'll relieve you of the child, as would be
a care to you, and I can find some one to take charge of it!' he says.
'Meanin' no disrespect, Minister,' I says, 'don't think it! The Lord has
His views, you'll allow, most times, and He had 'em when He sent the
child here. He could have sent her ashore by the station jest as easy,' I
says, 'if so be't had seemed best; but He sent her to me,' I says, 'and I'll
keep her.' 'But how can you bring up a child?' he says, 'alone, here on a
rock in the ocean?' he says. 'I've been thinking that over, Minister,' I
says, 'ever since I holt that little un in my arms, takin' her from her dead
mother's breast,' I says; 'and I can't see that there's more than three
things needed to bring up a child,--the Lord's help, common sense, and
a cow. The last two I hev, and the fust is likely to be round when a man
asks for it!' I says. So then we shakes hands, and he doesn't say nothin'
more, 'cept to pray a blessin' for me and for the child. And the blessin'
kem, and the blessin' stayed, Star Bright; and there's the end of the
story, my maid.
"And now it's time these two eyes were shut, and only the top star
shinin' in the old tower. Good night, Jewel! Good night, and God bless
you!"


CHAPTER III
.
INTRODUCING IMOGEN AND BOB
"Imogen!" said Star, looking up