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could jist see everything you ever did in your life in a drop of ink that he held in his hand."

"He could, father!"

"To be sure he could! told me all about the old folks at home; and described our house as natural as if he'd a been there. He used to carry snakes round with him a kind so pisen that it was certain death to have 'em bite you; but he played with 'em as if they were kittens."

"Well," said Mara, "my enchanter was a king; and when he got through all he wanted, and got his daughter married to the beautiful young prince, he said he would break his staff, and deeper than plummet sounded he would bury his book."

"It was pretty much the best thing he could do," said the Captain, "because the Bible is agin such things."

"Is it?" said Mara; "why, he was a real good man."

"Oh, well, you know, we all on us does what a'n't quite right sometimes, when we gets pushed up," said the Captain, who now began arranging the clams and sliced potatoes in alternate layers with sea-biscuit, strewing in salt and pepper as he went on; and, in a few moments, a smell, fragrant to hungry senses, began to steam upward, and Sally began washing and preparing some mammoth clam-shells, to serve as ladles and plates for the future chowder.

Mara, who sat with her morsel of a book in her lap, seemed deeply pondering the past conversation. At last she said :"What did you mean by saying you'd seen 'em act that at a theatre?"

"Why, they make it all seem real; and they have a shipwreck, and you see it all jist right before your eyes."

"And the Enchanter, and Ariel, and Caliban, and all?" said Mara.

"Yes, all on't-plain as printing."

"Why, that is by magic, a'n't it?" said Mara.

:

"No; they hes ways to jist make it up; but "-added the Captain, "Sally, you needn't say nothin' to your ma 'bout the theatre,

A REAL FIRST-RATE CHOWDER.

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'cause she wouldn't think I's fit to go to meetin' for six months arter, if she heard on't."

"Why, a'n't theaters good?" said Sally.

"Wal', there's a middlin' sight o' bad things in 'em," said the Captain, "that I must say-but as long as folks is folks, why, they will be folksy-but there's never any makin' women folk understand about them are things."

" I am sorry they are bad," said Mara; "I want to see them." "Wal', wal," said the Captain, "on the hull I've seen raal things a good deal more wonderful than all their shows-and they ha'n't no make-b'lieve to 'em-but theatres is takin' a'ter all. But, Sally, mind you don't say nothin' to Miss Kittridge."

A few moments more, and all discussion was lost in preparations for the meal, and each one receiving a portion of the savoury stew in a large shell, made a spoon of a small cockle, with which, and some slices of bread-and-butter, the evening meal went off merrily. The sun was sloping toward the ocean; the wide blue floor was bedropped here and there with rosy shadows of sailing clouds. Suddenly the Captain sprang up, calling out

"Sure as I'm alive, there they be!"
"Who?" exclaimed the children.

"Why, Captain Pennel and Moses; don't you see?" And, in fact, on the outer circle of the horizon came drifting a line of small white-breasted vessels, looking like so many doves. "Them's 'em," said the Captain, while Mara danced for joy. "How soon will they be here?"

"Afore long," said the Captain ; "so, Mara, I guess you'll want to be getting hum."

CHAPTER XV.

MRS. PENNEL, too, had seen the white, dove-like cloud on the horizon, and had hurried to make biscuits, and conduct other culinary preparations which should welcome the wanderers home.

I

The sun was just dipping into the great blue sea-a round ball of fire-and sending long, slanting tracks of light across the top of each wave, when a boat was moored at the beach, and the minister sprang out-not in his suit of ceremony, but attired in fisherman's garb.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Pennel," he said. "I was out fishing, and I thought I saw your husband's schooners in the distance. I thought I'd come and tell you."

"Thank you, Mr. Sewell. I thought I saw it, but I was not certain. Do come in; the Captain would be delighted to see you here."

"We miss your husband in our meetings," said Mr. Sewell; "it will be good news for us all when he comes home; he is one of those I depend on to help me preach."

"I'm sure you don't preach to anybody who enjoys it more," said Mrs. Pennel. "He often tells me that the greatest trouble about his voyages to the Banks is that he loses so many sanctuary privileges; though he always keeps Sunday on his ship, and reads and sings his psalms-but he says, after all, there's nothing like going to Mount Zion."

"And little Moses has gone on his first voyage?" said the minister.

"Yes, indeed; the child has been teasing to go for more than a year. Finally, the Cap'n told him if he'd be faithful in the ploughing and planting, he should go. You see, he's rather unsteady, and apt to be off after other things very different from Mara. Whatever you give her to do, she always keeps at it till it's done."

"And pray, where is the little lady?" said the minister; "is she gone?"

"Well, Cap'n Kittridge came in this afternoon to take her down to see Sally. The Cap'n's always so fond of Mara, and she has always taken to him ever since she was a baby."

"The Captain is a curious creature," said the minister, smiling. Mrs. Pennel smiled also; and it is to be remarked that nobody

MRS. PENNEL'S OPINION OF CAPTAIN KITTRIDGE.

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ever mentioned the poor Captain's name without the same curious smile.

"The Cap'n is a good-hearted, obliging creature," said Mrs. Pennel, "and a master hand for telling stories to the children."

"Yes, a perfect Arabian Nights' Entertainment," said Mr. Sewell.

"Well, I really believe the Cap'n believes his own stories," said Mrs. Pennel; "he always seems to, and certainly a more obliging man and a kinder neighbour couldn't be. He has been in and out almost every day since I've been alone, to see if I wanted anything. He would insist on chopping wood and splitting kindlings for me, though I told him the Cap'n and Moses had left a-plenty to last till they've come home."

At this moment the subject of their conversation appeared striding along the beach, with a large, red lobster in one hand, while with the other he held little Mara upon his shoulder, she the while clapping her hands and singing merrily, as she saw the Brilliant out on the open blue sea, its white sails looking of a rosy purple in the evening light, careering gaily homeward.

"There is Captain Kittridge this very minute," said Mrs. Pennel, setting down a tea-cup she had been wiping, and going to the door.

"Good evening, Miss Pennel," said the Captain. "I s'pose you see your folks are comin'. I brought down one of these cre ready b'iled, 'cause I thought it might make out your supper."

"Thank you, Captain; you must stay and take some with us." "Wal', me and the children have puty much done our supper," said the Captain. "We made a real fust-rate chowder down there to the cove; but I'll jist stay and see what the Cap'n's luck is. Massy!" he added, as he looked in at the door, "if you ha'n't got the minister there! Wal', now, I come jist as I be," he added, with a glance down at his clothes.

"Never mind, Captain," said Mr. Sewell; "I'm in my fishing clothes, so we're even."

12

As to little Mara, she had ran down to the beach, and stood so near the sea, that every dash of the tide-wave forced her little feet to tread an inch backward, stretching out her hands eagerly toward the schooner, which was standing straight toward the small wharf, not far from their door. Already she could see on deck figures moving about, and her sharp little eyes made out a small personage in a red shirt that was among the most active. Soon all the figures grew distinct, and she could see her grandfather's grey head and alert, active form, and could see, by the signs he made, that he had perceived the little blowy figure that stood, with hair streaming in the wind, like some flower bent seaward.

And now they are come nearer, and Moses shouts and dances on the deck, and the Captain and Mrs. Pennel come running from the house down to the shore, and a few minutes more, and all are landed safe and sound, and little Mara is carried up to the house in her grandfather's arms, while Captain Kittridge stops to have a few moments' gossip with Ben Halliday and Tom Scranton before they go to their own resting-places.

Meanwhile Moses loses not a moment in boasting of his heroic exploits to Mara..

"Oh, Mara! you've no idea what times we've had! I can fish equal to any of 'em, and I can take in sail and tend the helm like anything, and I know all the names of everything; and you ought to have seen us catch fish! Why, they bit just as fast as we could throw; and it was just throw and bite-throw and bite-throw and bite; and my hands got blistered pulling in, but I didn't mind it-I was determined no one should beat me."

"Oh! did you blister your hands?" said Mara, pitifully. "Oh, to be sure! Now, you girls think that's a dreadful thing, but we men don't mind it. My hands are getting so hard, you've no idea. And, Mara, we caught a great shark."

"A shark!--oh, how dreadful!
"Dangerous! I guess not.

Isn't he dangerous?"
We served him out, I tell you.

He'll never eat any more people, I tell you, the old wretch!"

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