energy he possessed, Fritz did not neglect to
write home a long letter to his mother and Madaleine, telling them all
about the new undertaking in which his hopes and prospects alike were
centred and expressing his feelings thoroughly in the matter--thus
showing the amount of reflection he had given to the scheme.

Eric, he said, was a sailor; and, therefore, should the venture not
succeed, its failure would not affect him much, as it would be merely an
episode in his nautical life, Captain Brown promising to retain his name
on the books of the _Pilot's Bride_ and allow him to ship again as third
mate in the event of his taking to the sea once more when the two got
tired of their sojourn on the island or found that sealing did not
answer their expectations; but, for him, Fritz, the enterprise was a far
more important one, changing the whole aspect of his career.

However, he wrote, he not only hoped for the best, but believed the
undertaking would result more favourably than his most sanguine wishes
led him to estimate its returns; still, in any case, it was better, he
thought, to engage in it, rather than waste any further time in vainly
searching for employment in the States.

But, whether successful or unfortunate, he was fully determined, so he
concluded his letter, to return home within the period of three years to
which he had limited his absence when leaving Lubeck; and, he prayed
that his coming back would be the opening of a new era of happiness for
them all--that is should the good God, who had so mercifully preserved
their Eric from the dangers of the deep and restored the dead to life,
prosper the joint enterprise of the reunited brothers, who, come what
may, would now be together.

"Good-bye, dear mutterchen, and you, my darling Madaleine," were his
last words. "Watch and pray for us, and look forward to seeing us again
beneath the old roof-tree in time for our third Christmas festival from
now; and, then, won't there be a home-coming, a house-warming, with us
altogether once more!"

Much to Fritz's satisfaction, before the _Pilot's Bride_ was ready to
put to sea, a reply was received to this communication, bidding the
brother crusoes a cheery "God speed!" from home. Madame Dort was so
overjoyed with the unexpected news of Eric's safety that she made no
demur to the prolongation of his absence from home, the more especially
now that he would be in Fritz's company. As for Madaleine, she
expressed hers