or we are all
branches from the common root of truth."'

'"Man comes out of darkness into light. He tarries awhile and then
passes into darkness again. Micah, lad, the days are passing, mine as
well as thine. Let them not be wasted. They are few in number. What says
Petrarch?' To him that enters, life seems infinite; to him that
departs, nothing.' Let every day, every hour, be spent in furthering the
Creator's end--in getting out whatever power for good there is in you.
What is pain, or work, or trouble? The cloud that passes over the sun.
But the result of work well done is everything. It is eternal. It lives
and waxes stronger through the centuries. Pause not for rest. The rest
will come when the hour of work is past."'

'"May God protect and guard you! There is no great news. The Portsmouth
garrison hath marched to the West. Sir John Lawson, the magistrate, hath
been down here threatening your father and others, but he can do little
for want of proofs. Church and Dissent are at each other's throats as
ever. Truly the stern law of Moses is more enduring than the sweet words
of Christ. Adieu, my dear lad! All good wishes from your grey-headed
friend, ZACHARIAH PALMER."'

'Od's fish!' cried Sir Gervas, as I folded up the letter, 'I have heard
Stillingfleet and Tenison, but I never listened to a better sermon. This
is a bishop disguised as a carpenter. The crozier would suit his hand
better than the plane. But how of our seaman friend? Is he a tarpaulin
theologian--a divine among the tarry-breeks?'

'Solomon Sprent is a very different man, though good enough in his way,'
said I. 'But you shall judge him from his letter.'

'"Master Clarke. Sir,--When last we was in company I had run in under
the batteries on cutting-out service, while you did stand on and off in
the channel and wait signals. Having stopped to refit and to overhaul my
prize, which proved to be in proper trim alow and aloft--"'

'What the devil doth he mean?' asked Sir Gervas.

'It is a maid of whom he talks--Phoebe Dawson, the sister of the
blacksmith. He hath scarce put foot on land for nigh forty years, and
can as a consequence only speak in this sea jargon, though he fancies
that he uses as pure King's English as any man in Hampshire.'

'Proceed, then,' quoth the Baronet.

'"Having also read her the articles of war, I explained to her the
conditions under which we were to sail in company on life's voyage,
namely:"'

'"First. She to obey sign