possession of the "Boodwar."

It now remains for me, reader, to draw this veracious narrative to a
close.

My son Gildart married Miss Puff, and ultimately became a commander in
the navy. My wife's strength of mind gave way before increasing years,
and she finally became as gentle as she was when I first paid my
addresses to her!

Emmie Graham became a permanent inmate of Kenneth's home. The shock
that she had sustained when Gaff saved her life told upon her
constitution so severely that she fell into bad health, but there was a
sunny cheerfulness of disposition about her which induced those with
whom she came in contact to regard her as a sunbeam. Lady Doles became
stronger-minded day by day, and finally reduced Sir Richard to the
condition of a mere human machine, with just enough spirit left to
enable him to live and do her bidding.

Colonel Crusty forgave Bella, and, as is not infrequently the case in
similar circumstances, he and his son-in-law the major, (for he rose to
that rank), became bosom friends. When the latter retired on half-pay
they all took up their abode in Wreckumoft.

Kenneth retained his old post, for, although independent of its salary,
he would not eat the bread of idleness. As Secretary to the Sailors'
Home he frequently met me while I was going about in my capacity of
honorary agent of the Shipwrecked Mariners' Society.

Billy Gaff went to sea, and ultimately became captain of an East
Indiaman, to his mother's unspeakable delight.

Gaff and his wife and Tottie remained in the "Boodwar" for many years.
They did not find their fortune too much for them, being guided in the
use thereof by the Bible.

In regard to the state of things that had come about, Miss Peppy used to
say confidentially, to Mrs Niven, that she never knew anything like it.
It beat all the novels she had ever read, not that she had read novels
much, although some of them were good as well as bad, but she felt that
too many of them were hurtful; of course, she meant if taken
immoderately, but people were always taking things _so_ immoderately.
How could it be otherwise in a world where surprise was the chronic
condition of the mind, and events were always happening in a way that
led one to expect that everything would likely turn out in a manner that
was most improbable, if not impossible, which she wouldn't wonder at,
for it was enough to fill the lower animals themselves with amazement to
see the way in which sc