'Listen! Ah, but you cannot hear! It is singing, "Little Minnie, little Minnie, Joshua is going to be a sailor. Little Minnie, little Minnie, with him ?",

would you like to go

'And you answer ?'

'Yes, yes, yes! I should like to go with him, and hear the sea always singing like this. I should like to go with him because' here Minnie stopped.

'Because what?'

But

'Because nothing,' said Minnie, taking the shell from her ear. 'Now the sea is gone, and the singing is gone, and we are waiting at home for father.'

'What for, Minnie? What am I waiting at home for father for ?'

To see him of course,' answered Minnie. And to wish him and you good-bye,' said Joshua.

'Good-bye!' echoed the child, with a sudden look of distress in her large gray eyes. So soon!' "Yes. My ship sails to-morrow.'

'And this is the last day we shall see you,' she

said, her tears falling upon his hand.

'The last day for a little while, little Minnie,'

he said, striving to speak cheerfully.

VOL. I.

'For how long?' asked the child, bending her head, so that her fair hair fell over her face.

'For a year, perhaps, Minnie,' he answered. 'For a long, long year,' she said sorrowfully. 'You will not do as mother did, will you ?'

'How was that?'

'She went away from us one afternoon, and was to come back at night. And it rained-O, so dreadfully!—that night. We were lodging under some trees, father, mother, and I. Father was ill-very ill, but not with the same kind of illness that he has now sometimes. He had a fever. And mother went into the town to get something for us to eat as you did that night when the bad boys threw a stone at father, and you brought him home. When father woke, we went in search of her. But I never remember seeing mother again. And you are going away, and perhaps I shall never see you again.'

'What does the shell say, Minnie ?'

Minnie placed the shell to her ear.

'I cannot make out anything,' she said in a voice of pain. It isn't singing now; it is moaning and sighing.'

He took the shell and listened.

'It will speak to me, because I am a sailor.'

'And it says?' asked Minnie anxiously.

'And it says no, it sings—" Little Minnie, little Minnie, Joshua is going to sea, and Joshua will come back, please God, in a year, with beautiful shells and wonderful stories for you and all his friends. So, little Minnie, little Minnie, look happy; for there is nothing to be sorrowful at.'

"Ah!' said Minnie in less sorrowful tones, 'if I was a woman, and loved anybody very much, I would not let him go away by himself.'

'Why, what would you do?'

'I would follow him.' And she pulled Joshua's head down to hers, and whispered, 'I should like to go to sea with you.'

'Would you indeed, miss!'

'Yes; for I love you, O, so much!' whispered

the child innocently in the same low tones.

"But

you wouldn't let me go, would you ?'

'I should think not. A nice sailor

you

would

make; a weak little thing like you!'

The girl sprang from her crouching attitude, and stood upright. As she did so, expressing in her action what her meaning was, Joshua noticed for the first time that she was growing to be largelimbed and strong. She tossed her hair from her face, and said,

'Father says I shall be a tall woman.'

'Well ?'

'Well,' she repeated half-proudly and halfbashfully, I should not make such a bad sailor, after all.' And then, with a motion thoroughly childlike, she knelt on the ground before him; and placing her elbows on his knees, rested her chin in her upturned palms, and looked steadily into his face. If I was a woman,' she said slowly and earnestly, 'I would go with you, even if you would not let me.'

'How would you manage that?'

'I would follow you secretly.'

'You must not say so,' said Joshua reprovingly; it would be very, very wrong.'

'To follow any one you loved?' questioned the child, shaking her head at the same time to denote that she had no doubt whether it would be right or wrong. 'Wrong to wish to be with any one you loved? It would be wrong not to wish it. But'-and she looked round, as if fearful, although they were alone, lest her resolution should become known'nobody should know; I would not tell a living soul.'

Joshua was silent, puzzled at Minnie's earnestness. Minnie, with the shell at her ear, soon broke the silence, however.

'Has your friend-the boy you have told me

about

'Dan ?'

'Yes, Dan. Has Dan got a shell ?'

'No. I don't suppose he ever thought of it.'

And yet he loves you very much, and a shell is the only thing that can bring the sea to him.'

Who gave you the shell, Minnie ?'

'No one.'

How did you get it, then?'

'I took it from a stall.'

'O, Minnie!' exclaimed Joshua, grieved and shocked; that was very wicked.'

'I know it was,' said Minnie simply; but I did it for you. Two days afterwards, when father had money given to him, I asked him for some, and he gave it me. I went to the stall where the shells were, and asked the man how much each they were. "A penny," he said. I gave him twopence and ran away. That was good, wasn't it ?'

Joshua shook his head.

'It was very wicked to steal the shell; and I don't think you made up for it by paying double when you got the money.'