Year: 1872

l was diver as a young man. l may
say was born diver, for my father was
one before me. You may have heard of
him-Bill Hurst was his name; he was
pretty well known in his time, and almost
the first that ever went down in the dress
without bell. Even when l started at it
there were not many in the business. Fa-
ther began to train me for it early, and con-
sequently, from habit and experience, I
got to be considered first-rate hand, and
got my share OF employment.


"But you see diving isn't like other
things-its not so good as fishing even.
OF course you can't always be sure of
catch, but fish are always salabe when you
can catch them. There's constant de-
mand for the article. But with divers it's
different. You can't always expect ships
to be sinking with valuables aboard, or
that people should be constantly building
piers or bridges, or things of that kind.
Consequently l wasn't making a fortune
at the best of times, while at the worst of
'em had sometimes TO turn my hand to
other jobs, such as shipping on board coast
ers or packet boats for spell now and
then.


1t was at one of these hard times that 1
had shipped aboard small schooner that
was bound for Liverpool. We were just
passing that point there, with the tide
against us, when we saw great big steam
err coming round the Bolt, as the point is
called. They were keeping mighty poor
look out on board that boat, for though
hn in.,
down upon us, we halloed, and rung bells,
they didn't take bit of notice. Our skip
per rammed the tiler hard aport, hoping
we should swing off, and the steamer only
Craze our stern but, unluckily, the wind
fell dead all of a sudden, just for minute
or two, but quite long enough to settle our
fate. The steamer struck the schooner full
amidships, and cut her in half like so much
! cheese. WAS knocked down by the wreck
of our foremast, which broke my beg. /
became insensible, but going down with
the vessel, was brought to myself by the
| cold water, and contrived with difficulty to
| swim ashore.


There was pretty fair crowd collected
| by the time I reached land, and by some
| body's orders a shutter was fetched, and I
was carried to the nearest farm house, the
very one that belongs to me now.


My leg was set all right, but took a fe-
yer, and was very bad for some Il he. The
farmer was for sending me off to hospit-
al but his daughter-thats my wife that
is-begged of him not to do it. He was
widower, and she was his only child, sc
| she generally got her way in most things
was wasn't sent away. By-and-by go
| a little better, and was able to creep about
the house with stick, or sit outside in the
sun. The farmer was mostly out looking
after his crops and his cattle, except al
meal-tmes so Polly aud saw good dea
of one another, and very naturally fell In
love.


1t was very pleasant time for bit, be
fore got thoroughly strong and well. Blu
as soon as began TO feel was getting q
for work again, began to long to be at ii
l felt that I was in fact no better than
beggar, and knew the farmer would b,
furious to think of my daring to make low
to his child, who was reck the heres
as well as the beauty Of the place.


Polly was unreasonable, like most wo
men are in such matters, and wouldn'
hear of my going away. She laughed a
the idea of my wishing to work again, AM
said she was sure her father-if he object
ed to our loving one another at first
would be sure to give in to her in the end


Well, unluckily, she soon had an oppor
tunity of finding out that she wasn't quit
so powerful over her father as she thought


One afternoon the farmer came home un
expectedly to fetch some medicine for on
of the cows that had been suddenly take
i'll. Polly and I, never dreaming of sue
chance, were on the settle by the fire
with my arm around her waist, and sh
with her head on my shoulder. 1t was


very pretty picture, perhaps, for some {
those illustrated papers, but can tell yo
it didn't suit his taste, anyhow.


Well, there was pretty row, l can as
/! sure you. The old man would have struc


me but for Polly. He ordered ne out


the house at once, as an ungrateful rogu


and vagabond. Then Polly tried her pow


ers of persuasion, for he wouldn't listen


a word from me. At first he wouldn't gi,
much heed to her; but by degrees she g


him calmer. At last she got him to s


down and hear what had to say.


II wasn't very much beyond that | love


Polly. l could only say / hoped shou


get work, and save money, and that sort
,. thing. He laughed at the idea; "Wh


could we live on If we marriedf Poll


jumped up and said she could work at ne


dle-work, or she'd go into service-ar


thing and then burst out crying and we


into Mysteries. That touched the old ms
; a bit, and somehow or another, after loi
L A.. L. an.nnuAol i1a ni,rn mn q itualu