rn. She told me how her mother died; how bitterly
she mourned her loss, and how her father wept when he came home and
heard the news; how she had lived on shipboard ever since; and how sad
and lonely she felt in time of storms when she sat alone in the cabin
listening to the roar of the winds and waves.

"Tears would come into her eyes when she spoke of these things, and I
would look upon her with pity as one whom sorrow made my sister. Trial,
however, had not robbed her of an elastic, buoyant spirit; and when,
after the completion of some eloquent tale of early grief, the captain
would approach unseen and surprise her by a sudden joke or sly piece of
mischief, thus provoking her to retaliate, she was always ready for a
war of wits, a laughing frolic, or even a game of romps. Her tears dried
up, her merry voice and playful words would delight her father, and the
cabin would ring with peals of laughter; while I, shrinking from a mirth
sadly at variance with my own happiness, and the sound so discordant to
my sensitive nerves, would retire to brood over miseries for which it
was hopeless to expect sympathy which could not be shared, and with
which I must dwell alone.

"Such a misanthrope had my misfortunes made me that the sportive
raillery between the captain and his merry daughter, and the musical
laugh with which she would respond to the witticisms of two old sailors,
grated upon my ears like something scarce less than personal injuries;
nor could I have believed it possible that one so little able as Lucy to
comprehend the depth of my sufferings could feel any sincere compassion
for them had I not once or twice been touched to see how her innocent
mirth would give place to sudden sadness of countenance if she chanced
to encounter my woe-begone face, rendered doubly gloomy when contrasted
with the gaiety of herself and of her companions.

"But I must not linger too long upon the details of our life on
shipboard. I must forbear giving account of a terrific gale that we
encountered, during which, for two days and a night, poor Lucy was half
frantic with fear; while I, careless of outward discomforts and
indifferent to personal danger, was afforded an opportunity to requite
her kindness by such protection and encouragement as I was able to
render.

"Captain Grey died. We were within a week's sail of our destination when
he was taken ill, and three days before we were safely anchored in the
harbour of Rio he breathed h