The Coxswains Bride | Page 9

seemed to enjoy herself exceedingly. Besides this, the friends and comrades of the coxswain--backed by the enthusiastic groomsman, Joe Slag--would not permit Massey to don wedding garments, but insisted on his dancing himself dry, in the rough garb in which he had effected the rescue. This he had no difficulty in doing, having already run himself more than half dry in hastening from the lifeboat to the church, which latter he reached only just in time.
"The little girl whom Massey personally saved was also present, with her mother and grandfather; and one interesting episode of the evening was the presentation to our coxswain of a gold watch and a purse of fifty sovereigns by the grateful old grandfather. Another peculiarity of the proceedings was that Massey insisted--although the clergyman was present--on his old mother asking God's blessing on the feast before it began. All who are acquainted with our liberal-minded vicar will easily understand that he highly approved of the arrangement.
"To crown all, the feast was conducted on strictly teetotal principles. We have frequently advocated the principles of total abstinence in these columns--at least for the young, the healthy, and the strong--and we are glad to acknowledge that this wedding has greatly helped our cause; for the fun and hilarity in all, the vigour of limb in dancing, and of lung in singing--in short, the general jollity--could not have been surpassed if the guests had been swilling rivers of beer and brandy, instead of oceans of tea. Yes, as one of the Irish guests remarked, `It was a great occasion intoirely,' and it will be long before the event is forgotten, for the noble deeds of our Greyton lifeboat are, from this day forward, intimately and inseparably connected with her coxswain's wedding!"
Thus spake the Greyton oracle; but, prophet though that journal professed to be, the oracle failed to discern that from that time forward the names of Robert Massey and Joe Slag would very soon cease to be connected with the Greyton lifeboat.

STORY ONE, CHAPTER 3.
Soon after the wedding recorded in the last chapter an event occurred which entirely altered the character and current of our coxswain's career, at least for a time. This was the sudden death of the bed-ridden old mother, who had played such an interesting part at the wedding-feast.
To our hero, who was a tender-hearted man, and a most affectionate son, the blow was almost overwhelming, although long expected.
"I don't think I can stay here much longer," he said one evening to his pretty wife, as they sat together outside their door and watched the village children romping on the sands; "everything minds me o' the dear old woman, an' takes the heart out me. If it wasn't for you, Nell, I'd have been off to the other side o' the world long before now, but I find it hard to think o' takin' you away from all your old friends and playmates--and your Aunt Betty."
A peculiar smile lit up Nellie's face as her husband concluded.
"I should be sorry to leave the old friends here," she replied, "but don't let that hinder you if ye want to go away. I'd leave everything to please you, Bob. And as to Aunt Betty--well, I'm not ungrateful, I hope, but--but she wouldn't break her heart at partin' wi' me."
"Right you are, Nell, as you always was, and always will be," said Massey. He laughed a short, dry laugh, and was grave again.
It was quite evident that Aunt Betty would not be a hindrance to the departure of either of them and no wonder, for Betty had received Nellie Carr into her family with a bad grace when her widowed brother, "old Carr," died, leaving his only child without a home. From that day Betty had brought the poor little orphan up--or, rather, had scolded and banged her up--until Bob Massey relieved her of the charge. To do Aunt Betty justice, she scolded and banged up her own children in the same way; but for these--her own young ones--she entertained and expressed a species of affection which mankind shares in common with cats, while for Nellie Carr she had no such affection, and contrived to make the fact abundantly plain. As we not infrequently find in such circumstances, the favoured children--which numbered seven--became heart-breakers, while the snubbed one turned out the flower of the flock.
"Then you're sure you won't think it hard, Nell, if I ask you to leave home and friends and go wi' me over the sea?"
"Yes, Bob, I'm quite sure. I'm willin' to follow you to the end o' the world, or further if that's possible!"
"Then the thing's settled," said Massey, with decision, rising and thrusting his short pipe into his vest pocket, the lining of which had already been twice renewed in consequence of the inroads