As they ran down to the westward, they passed the cove where they had
first landed, and Mr. Seagrave directed Mrs. Seagrave's attention to
it. She remained for some time looking at it in silence, and then said
as she turned away:
"We shall never be more happy than we were on that island, Seagrave."
"It will indeed be well, my dear, if we never are less happy," replied
her husband.
The schooner now ran fast through the water, and the island was every
minute less distinct; after a time, the land was below the horizon, and
the tops of the cocoa-nut trees only to be seen; these gradually
disappeared. Juno watched on, and when at last nothing could be seen,
she waved her handkerchief in the direction of the island, as if to bid
it farewell, and then went down below to hide her grief.
The wind continued fair, and, after a favourable passage of little more
than four weeks, they arrived at Sydney Cove, the port to which they
were bound when they embarked from England on board of the good ship
Pacific.
P.S. - As my young readers will probably wish to know a little more
about the Seagrave family, I will inform them that Mr. Seagrave, like
the patriarch Job after his tribulation, found his flocks and herds
greatly increased on his arrival at Sydney. Mr. and Mrs. Seagrave lived
to see all their children grown up. William inherited the greater part
of the property from his father, after having for many years assisted
him in the management of it. Tommy, notwithstanding all his scrapes,
grew up a very fine fellow, and entered the army. Caroline married a
young clergyman, and made him an excellent wife; little Albert went
into the navy, and is at present a commander.
Juno is still alive, and lives at Seagrave plantation with William, and
her greatest pleasure is to take his children on her knee, and tell
them long stories about the island, and make them cry when she goes
through the history of old Ready's death and burial.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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