Christian life -- Juvenile fiction; Fishers -- Juvenile fiction; Foundlings -- Juvenile fiction
Bob looked up in his father's face, speechless with surprise. He spoke
of having a new boat as though it was a very sad business. But his next
words explained it. "I've heard of Jack," he said; "no storms will
trouble him again;" and then the fisherman burst forth into
heart-breaking sobs and groans, and Bob shed a few tears, although he
felt heartily ashamed of them.
"Now go back, Bob, and tell your mother I've gone to Fellness; and if I
ain't home by five o'clock, you come and meet me, for I shall have some
money to carry--almost a fortune, Bob."
Having heard so much, Bob wanted to hear more, and so walked with his
father for the first mile along the road, listening to the strange tale
concerning Tiny. Then he went back, and told the news to the astonished
group at home; and so, before Coomber returned, his wife had got over
the first outburst of grief for the death of her son, and she and Bob
had had time to talk calmly over the whole matter. They had decided that
the money must be used in such a way as would give the little girl the
greatest benefit from it, and that she must go to school, if possible.
"Now, if dad could buy a share in one of the bigger boats where he and I
could work, wouldn't it be better than buying a little one for
ourselves?" suggested Bob; "then we could go and live at Fellness, and
Tiny could go to school--Sunday-school as well as week-day."
"And Dick, too," put in Tiny.
"Yes, and we should all go to God's house on Sunday," said Mrs. Coomber,
drying her eyes.
Strange to say, a similar project had been suggested to Coomber by his
old friend Peters, who knew a man who wanted to sell his share in one of
the large fishing-boats, and was asking forty pounds for it.
"That will leave us ten pounds, mother, to buy the children some new
clothes, and take us to Fellness. What do you say to it now?" asked her
husband, after they had talked it over.
"Why, it seems too good to be true," said the poor woman, through her
tears. "But oh! if only poor Jack was here!" she sighed.
Her husband shook his head, and was silent for a minute or two; but at
length he said: "God has been very good to us when we had no thought of
Him. I always knew the little 'un must be a sailor's lass, but to think
that she should be our Jack's own child is wonderful. The old gentleman
had made quite sure of it before he came here--he wouldn't part with his
money unless he'd been sure, I know; and now she's ours, just as much as
Dick and Bob is. And we'll take good care of her, God bless her, and Him
for sending her to us."
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account