own price; so he was proud to do this little service, now your lad was going to sea.' So there, now you know the long and the short of it, Frank, my boy, and I'll answer for it, it's as strong a sea-chest as you'll meet any where on the Atlantic. My poor brother was not one to buy trumpery. Unlock it, lad, and find out all its nooks and corners. There's plenty of stowage there, I reckon, for my poor brother had a rare many clothes; and there's a separate locker inside to keep your valuables and your 'love-letters ' snug."

And now the chest was minutely examined, and ecstatically approved; then the happy boy closed the lid, turned the contents of his various pockets on to the top, and, sitting down beside his parcels, untied them one after another.

Mary's keepsake was a needle-book; not a little. housewife (husseff), but a large piece of holland, so constructed as to contain innumerable things in the way of cottons, tapes, et cetera, et cetera, and yet not be cumbersome. It rolled up in the neatest and most compact manner, and was tied round with a piece of "true blue" ribbon.

"Well," said Mr. Ford, "that's about the nattiest contrivance ever I saw. Nine pockets in it, do you say?—and all full? Well, I never, Mr. Frank! see what it is to be a favourite with the women folk!"

"I wonder where Mary got the pattern," said Mrs. Wentworth, who thought directly that a similar article might sell in her shop. "It is beautifully made, and so very suitable for travelling; for it holds every thing

one can want, even to sticking-plaister. I must ask her to lend me the pattern, most certainly."

"Now for cook's parcel," cried Frank. "Only listen! here's poetry outside!" And he read,

"Where'er you be, you'll think of me,

By wanting these things when at sea!"

"What a funny cook! and what funny poetry! But just look, mother! what a lot of 'goodies'! Chocolate, peppermint, gingerbread, a plum cake, diachylon plaister, and a roll of rags !-Well!" And they all laughed very merrily at cook's poetry and cook's gifts.

"Well," said Jessie, "it's worth going to sea, to get such a lot of things. I wish I was a boy; I'd go too."

"Then I'm very thankful that you're not a boy," said Mrs. Wentworth, with a sigh.

Mrs. Martin's present was a small writing-case, fitted with stationery. And now Frank, whose face was getting more and more flushed with every new acquisition, took Mrs. Barnard's parcel, and broke the seal. A little note fell out, marked PRIVATE. "Put it in your pocket, my son, and read it when you are alone," said his mother.

"Oh! what a beauty!" cried Frank, displaying a beautifully bound Bible, and then a Prayer Book, a Hymn Book, and two others, which he might read on Sunday afternoon when he had time.

"And she has written my name in the Bible," said Frank; "and some texts. Listen,-'Remember thy

Creator in the days of thy youth;' 'The mercy of the Lord is for everlasting upon those that fear Him, and to those that remember His commandments to do them;' 'God giveth grace to the lowly.""

“Oh! I am so glad of these,” continued Frank ; "what lovely books! They shall be kept for Sunday. I shall never use them any other day; for my other Bible and Hymn Books will be very nice for the weekdays; won't they, mother? But these must all be covered, mustn't they? or their beautiful bindings may be spoilt; and I wouldn't have that happen for any thing. Oh! I will take such care of them. Dear, kind Mrs. Barnard! They shall be the very first things to go into the private locker. I'm sure I never thought of all these good gifts coming to me when I wanted to be a sailor. I thought boys began at sea with next to nothing, and got on by degrees."

66 Some poor lads have to do that, Frank," returned his mother; "but you have met with such friends, my dear, that I have no words to speak what I feel. I hope you will always remember how good our Merciful Father has been to us in raising up such friends, and do nothing to forfeit their good opinion."

After tea Mr. Ford wished them "Good-night;" and it needed a night's rest to calm the excitement caused by all these wonderful events-these unlookedfor surprises.

As Frank took off his jacket, the little note fell out; and as he read it, he was fain to stop several times to wipe the tears from his eyes. It was chiefly relating to his dear mother; and although it contained

such comforting intelligence, which he alone was to know, yet it was written so touchingly that his tears flowed fast, and by the time he had finished its contents, he had fairly given way, and was indulging in a downright good cry.

He refolded his letter, put it smoothly under his bolster, where it was to remain until morning, when it would be carefully stowed away in that invaluable "private locker."

CHAPTER VII.

66 OUTWARD BOUND."-MR. FORD THE CARRIER.

now about to sail for Bombay.

EFORE the day came for the Liverpool journey, Mr. Robinson wrote to make an appointment at his office in Water Lane. So Frank and his mother went there first; and Frank "signed Articles," binding himself as apprentice for four years to the owners of the ship "Speedwell,"

Mr. Robinson kindly gave Mrs. Wentworth a sovereign in advance of the first year of Frank's pay, wherewith to procure all sorts of little articles, of which the boy would stand in need when away from the watchful care of his mother; and then he told her of the precautions against danger provided now for all the ships of which he was part owner. He thought she would