The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-22

craft that entered it.
In addition to the particulars got from the
newspapers, he had obtained, through the
consular agency, this further information:-
The evidence on which the name of the cap.
tain had been published as supposed ]. L.
Walter was that entangled amongst the
wreck of the 'All is Well' had been found a
portion of a captains coat, in the breast-pocket
of which had been found several papers, all of
which were quite illegible except one empty
envelope, the address Of, which had been de-
ciphered as Captain J. i. Walter, the GAIL ia
Well" Cape Town. The English postmarks
were EAST Wykeham' and London, date
illegible. This envelope Andrew Walter had
procured to be forwarded to him, aud had
found the handwriting upon it to be his own.
After seeing which he had given up all the
faint hope to which he had clung, and had
treasured this old envelope as the last link OF
communication which he knew to have passed
betweec him and his son.
Restoring the piece Of newspaper and the
envelope to his pocket book, he lit candle,
left the girls at their work, and went into an
adjoining room. Leaning against the wall was
package wrapped in mating, small, but
somewhat heavy. The contents, when, un-
wrapped and placed upon the table, proved to
be plain, white marble slab, bearing this in
scription:-
In remembrance OF
JAMES EDWARD WALTER
wss drowned in the River Hooghly, Bengal,
during the great hurricane of lo6-. Aged %
years. Rev. XXI, l.
He had chosen to append this reference to a
text OF Scripture, rather than the text itself.
Those who cared to turn up the passage in
their Bibles, as they sat in church, would see
that the comfert he found in it was in keeping
, before him the thought that though hereafter
there should be a new heaven, and a new
earth, there should be mo more sea-
! The father called the girls in for minute
! to look at the slab, aud they read the in
scripton silently and tearfully. Then he
covered it up again, and they went back.
The stone had been worked elsewhere and
sent home to him that he might himself Gas
he had wished) superintend its erection over
his own pew. Thus, he and his daughters
had each duty in church to-morrow-his, to
go early with the mason and put up this
stone; theirs, to 90 later and help the wears
wife to afix the Christmas decOrations for
the morrow was the eve of Christmas Day.
And, moreover, there was one little chaplet of
cypress and yew which Maggie and Edith had
| prepared to hang upon their brothers monu-
ment.
Il remember said Andrew, teaching him
| all about India, and the Gapges, and this very
Hooghly itself, years and years ago; little
thinking-ah little thinking
The girls only shook their heads gently and
sighed.
| TAnd doubt and fear it was my teaching
him so much geography that filled him full OF
longing to see the world, and the ways of
! strange people, and hrst made him impatient
of this dull place.
Impatient of it, but never Of us, papa. Let
us be thankful for that, said Maggie.
'Tired of us No, indeed, said the father
with proud affection. Il have known some
sad days, and doubt there are more in store
for all of us; but the saddest day of all would
| obi lJrn,,
we're tired of their father or each other
A little hand had stolen into his as he spoke
and little mouth had been upturned to kiss
him, while two other faces had turned to him
with looks more eloquent than words.
He took the young child upon his knee,
and wound her curls about his rough, strong
fingers, as he spoke again. And Iwont say
that he was wrong to choose the sea. Could
any lad have done better at it than he has
doneY Would not his masters have made
him captain at twenty Of their own vessel
if had not bought him ship myself, and
freighted it?'
And he never once,' said Edith, spent
holiday anywhere but here
Il wonder il it was the name that did it,
pondered Andrew, who was not without his
superstitons. 4 wonder If | tempted Pro-
vidence when / would call the ship no other
name than GAN is WellH'
sThe ships that went down in the storm that
day had names of all kinds, said Maggie, and
one name had as little protection III it as an
other
There, as the outer darkness deepened, they
sat by the fire aud talked. The little one on
Andrews knee.
1t seemed transition almost from night to
day when they passed from talk of the lost
boy to talk of the mere loss of money, so much
! had the greater trouble exceeded the less.
But it was not till Maggie had peeped over her
fathers arm into the small face and said she's
asleep that they spoke quite freely of their
pecuniary difficulties. The father had taken
his elder girls wholly into his confidence,
knowing that he could trust them. Aud they
seeing themselves so trusted We're cheerfully
making the least of all difficulties.
The solicitor through whom all Andrews
money transactions had hitherto been arranged
was an old schoolfellow of his, whose probity
and kindness of heart he had long known. His
position was rather that of an intimate and
sfIectionate family friend than legal adviser
But the letters Of this friend, which had of
late been many, had, in spite of all his wishes
to serve, come to be looked on almost with
dread. Their appearance and their prim little
seal we're well known by all the family. Even
little Lucy knew so we'll that these letters
were different from other letters, that she had
way of propping them up and lecturing them
seriously before they were opened, and some-
times even went the length OF whipping them
very severely, with a view to impressing upon
them that they really must be good and try to
please papa when he opened them. mode
of tire atment which had as yet produced, to her
regret, no salutary effect
Andrew had written to this friend few
davs hafore making some final suggestions