was
dismissed, and, indeed, the poor girl had enough to do to take care of
herself.

Towards evening the wind rose to a gale, and Flora, who had not suffered
from sickness during her two disastrous trips to sea, became so
alarmingly ill, that she was unable to attend to the infant, or assist
herself. Miss Leigh, like a good Samaritan, sat up with her during the
night, but in the morning she was so much worse, that she earnestly
requested that her husband might be allowed to see her.

Her petition was warmly seconded by Miss Leigh, but met with a decided
refusal from the rest of the lady-passengers. Mrs. Dalton, who took a
very prominent part in the matter, sprang from her berth, and, putting
her back against the cabin door, declared, "That no man save the surgeon
should gain, with her consent, an entrance there!"

"Then I hope, Madam," said Miss Leigh, who was supporting Flora in her
arms, "that you will adhere to your own regulations, and dismiss your
black boy."

"I shall do no such thing; my objection is to men, and not to
boys.--Hector, remain where you are!"

"How consistent!" sneered the old maid.

"The poor lady may die," suggested Miss Leigh.

"Send for the Doctor--there is one on board."

"The Doctor, ladies," said the stewardess, coming forward, "got hurt
last night by the fall of the sail, during the storm, and is ill in his
bed."

"If such is the case," continued Miss Leigh, "you cannot, surely, deny
the lady the consolation of speaking to her husband?"

"What a noise that squalling child makes!" cried a fat woman, popping
her night-capped head out of an upper berth; "can't it be removed? It
hinders me from getting a wink of sleep."

"Cannot you take charge of it, Stewardess?"

"Oh, La! I've too much upon my hands already--what with Mrs. Dalton's
children and all this sickness!"

"Have a little mercy, ladies, on the sick mother, and I will endeavour
to pacify its cries," said Miss Leigh. "Poor little thing, it misses her
care, and we are all strange to it."

"I insist upon its being removed!" cried the fat woman. "The comfort of
every lady in the cabin is not to be sacrificed for the sake of that
squalling brat. If women choose to travel with such young infants, they
should take a private conveyance. I will complain to the Captain, if the
stewardess does not remove it instantly."

What a difference there is in women! Some, like ministering angels,
strew flowers and scatter blessings along