rch.
According to custom, a note was put up asking prayers for his safe
return, and then everybody knew that he was gone to the Banks; and as
the roguish, handsome face of Moses was also missing, Miss Roxy
whispered to Miss Ruey, "There! Captain Pennel's took Moses on his first
voyage. We must contrive to call round on Mis' Pennel afore long. She'll
be lonesome."

Sunday evening Mrs. Pennel was sitting pensively with little Mara by the
kitchen hearth, where they had been boiling the tea-kettle for their
solitary meal. They heard a brisk step without, and soon Captain and
Mrs. Kittridge made their appearance.

"Good evening, Mis' Pennel," said the Captain; "I's a-tellin' my good
woman we must come down and see how you's a-getting along. It's raly a
work of necessity and mercy proper for the Lord's day. Rather lonesome,
now the Captain's gone, ain't ye? Took little Moses, too, I see. Wasn't
at meetin' to-day, so I says, Mis' Kittridge, we'll just step down and
chirk 'em up a little."

"I didn't really know how to come," said Mrs. Kittridge, as she allowed
Mrs. Pennel to take her bonnet; "but Aunt Roxy's to our house now, and
she said she'd see to Sally. So you've let the boy go to the Banks? He's
young, ain't he, for that?"

"Not a bit of it," said Captain Kittridge. "Why, I was off to the Banks
long afore I was his age, and a capital time we had of it, too. Golly!
how them fish did bite! We stood up to our knees in fish before we'd
fished half an hour."

Mara, who had always a shy affinity for the Captain, now drew towards
him and climbed on his knee. "Did the wind blow very hard?" she said.

"What, my little maid?"

"Does the wind blow at the Banks?"

"Why, yes, my little girl, that it does, sometimes; but then there ain't
the least danger. Our craft ride out storms like live creatures. I've
stood it out in gales that was tight enough, I'm sure. 'Member once I
turned in 'tween twelve and one, and hadn't more'n got asleep, afore I
came _clump_ out of my berth, and found everything upside down. And
'stead of goin' upstairs to get on deck, I had to go right down. Fact
was, that 'ere vessel jist turned clean over in the water, and come
right side up like a duck."

"Well, now, Cap'n, I wouldn't be tellin' such a story as that," said his
helpmeet.

"Why, Polly, what do you know about it? you never was to sea. We did
turn clear over, for I 'member I saw a bunch of seaweed big as a peck
measure stickin' top of the