The Mate of the Lily | Page 3

but could get nothing more out of
either of them. Whether or not he was perfectly satisfied I could not tell.
Still it seemed too probable that the "Amphion," with my father and all
hands, was lost.
Having lodged the seamen so as to find them again, my uncle returned
with me to my mother. She was prepared for the information he had to
give her. She had for some time been persuaded of what everybody else
believed, that my father was lost, and she now knew herself to be a
widow. It was a severe shock to her notwithstanding. She looked at me
and my five brothers and sisters, all younger than I was.
"What shall I do with these fatherless children?" she asked, while her
eyes filled with tears, thinking more of us than of herself; "my means
are almost exhausted, for my dear husband saved but little, and I shall
not have the wherewithall to pay the rent of this house, much less their
food and clothing."
"God has promised to provide for the fatherless and widows," answered
Uncle Jack; "while I have a shilling in my pocket it shall be yours,
Mary. Harry, too, is able to support himself. We'll take him aboard the
`Lily,' and soon make a prime seaman of him."
My mother looked at me, grieving at the thought that I must so soon be
taken from her. Then other thoughts came into her mind.
"But you, my dear Jack, require all the means you possess for yourself.
Grace has promised to become yours whenever you desire it."
"I know that," answered Uncle Jack. "I prize her love, but we are both
young and can wait, and true as mine is for her it must not overcome
my duty to you and yours. Captain Haiselden talks of some day going

to live on shore, when he will give up charge of the `Lily' to me, or I
may obtain a larger craft and shall make enough for Grace, and you,
and myself, I hope. At all events, my dear sister, you and the children
must not starve, and we shall have Harry here making his fortune. So
cheer up, Mary, and trust in God."
"I do, Jack, I do," she answered, taking his hands, while the tears still
flowed down her pale cheeks. "Harry will do his duty, I know, and
some day be able to help me, and I must try to do what I can for myself,
though I fear it will be but little."
"You have friends who will be glad to lend you a helping hand," said
Uncle Jack, who judged of others by himself. "We may have, I trust, a
successful voyage, and all will go well, Mary."
Much more he said to the same effect. My mother appeared comforted,
at all events she grew calm, and as Captain Haiselden consented to take
me on board as an apprentice, she set herself busily to work to prepare
my outfit, while my sister Mary, who was next to me, and my two
younger brothers were sent to school, and Grace Bingley came in every
day to assist her in her task.
How industriously Grace sat working away with her needle, every now
and then jumping up to prevent Frank or Sally from getting into
mischief! Some of the larger garments were certainly not for me. My
mother had promised to overhaul Uncle Jack's wardrobe and supply
what was wanting, according to a list he gave her. I should like to
describe Grace as she sat in the bay window opposite my mother with
the work-table near them, but it will suffice to say that she was young,
fair, and pretty, with eyes that seemed to have borrowed their colour
from the sky. My mother had assumed the widow's cap, and might from
her clear complexion, and her brown hair braided across her brow, have
been taken for Grace's elder sister. Though the heart of Grace must
have been sad enough I suspect, she talked cheerfully, endeavouring to
distract my mother's mind from the thoughts of the past as well as the
approaching parting from me. I came in occasionally and found the two
sitting as I have described, but I was generally on board the brig with
Uncle Jack, assisting in fitting her out, and thus got initiated into many

of my duties before I ever went to sea. The captain often came on board
during the evening to see how we were getting on, but during the day
he was mostly engaged in looking out for freight in addition to the
cargo he intended to ship on his own account. He was just the man the
crew were willing to serve under, his countenance exhibiting sense and
determination, and a