I
could work, wouldn't it be better than buying a little one for
ourselves?" suggested Bob; "then we could go and live at Fellness, and
Tiny could go to school--Sunday-school as well as week-day."

"And Dick, too," put in Tiny.

"Yes, and we should all go to God's house on Sunday," said Mrs. Coomber,
drying her eyes.

Strange to say, a similar project had been suggested to Coomber by his
old friend Peters, who knew a man who wanted to sell his share in one of
the large fishing-boats, and was asking forty pounds for it.

"That will leave us ten pounds, mother, to buy the children some new
clothes, and take us to Fellness. What do you say to it now?" asked her
husband, after they had talked it over.

"Why, it seems too good to be true," said the poor woman, through her
tears. "But oh! if only poor Jack was here!" she sighed.

Her husband shook his head, and was silent for a minute or two; but at
length he said: "God has been very good to us when we had no thought of
Him. I always knew the little 'un must be a sailor's lass, but to think
that she should be our Jack's own child is wonderful. The old gentleman
had made quite sure of it before he came here--he wouldn't part with his
money unless he'd been sure, I know; and now she's ours, just as much as
Dick and Bob is. And we'll take good care of her, God bless her, and Him
for sending her to us."

* * * * *

The rest of my story is soon told. The fisherman and his family removed
to Fellness, and brighter days dawned for them than they had ever hoped
to see. When the box arrived from Mr. West, containing the letter and
papers relating to the latter years of their son's life, they found that
he had become a true Christian through his wife's influence. He had also
learned to read and write; and in the last letter sent to his wife
before his death, he told her he meant to go and see his parents as soon
as he returned from that voyage. Alas! he never did return; but the
"little lass," of whom he spoke so lovingly, became God's messenger to
his old home, and the joy and comfort of his parents' hearts.

Printed by Cooke & Halsted, The Moorfields Press, London, E.C.

***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A SAILOR'S LASS***

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