"You will be surprised to learn that the old Gazelle is here again. After being a week out, she was forced back from bad weather, and is now repairing. Poor Mr Donovan has had to invalid; they say he never recovered his severe illness on the coast of Africa, and was always raving about some fair one with one eye, who lived in a street to which Broadway in York was a narrow lane--but it is a melancholy affair for him, poor young man, and I check my thoughts, and stop my pen, as I had a jest regarding him, that was ready to drop from it. "And what do you think?--Henry de Walden has got an acting order as lieutenant in his stead. The ship had been a week here, before Mr Donovan could make up his mind, and all that time Master Henry never once looked near us, and poor Sophie did nothing but spoil wax flowers, and weep--but, two days ago, as she and I were returning in the volante from our evening drive, who should we meet, in charge of a party of seamen who were returning from the funeral of a comrade who had died that morning--oh, Benjamin, what a fearful climate this is--but him!--He did not see us until we were close upon him, when I desired the driver to pull up, so he could not escape us if he had tried it; poor Sophie lay back in the volante, out of sight, as she thought--I am sure I heard her heart beat. I asked him why he had not come to see us--he seemed unprepared to answer; indeed, as you used to say, he was evidently taken completely aback--and blushed, and then grew pale, and blushed again--for he saw very well who was cowering at the back of the carriage.--'I was going to call on you this very evening,' he said, at length; 'I thought you would all be glad to hear of my promotion'--Poor Sophie's rigid clasp round my waist relaxed, and she gave a sigh as if her heart had burst--but it was her pent feelings that had been relieved,--'Your promotion!' I cried, in great joy.--'Yes, I have got poor Mr Donovan's vacancy,'--'Dead? Is poor Mr Donovan dead?'--'No,' continued he, 'he is not dead, but has invalided this forenoon, and Sir Oliver has given me an acting order as lieutenant in his stead. I make no doubt it will be confirmed; indeed he said he knows it will.' "He came in the evening according to his promise, and most happy we were to see him--but what a world of changes--the very next day the Spider arrived, when we heard of your narrow escape; to show you my composure, I have purposely kept this out of sight until this moment, nor will I say much now. I went when I heard it, and offered up my prayers to that Almighty Being who rules over all, and orders every thing for the best, although we poor shortsighted creatures may not see it, and blessed _His_ holy name, that you had safely reached your destination.