JOHN GRANT’S RETURN FROM SEA.
At a small farm-house, a long way from any large town, lived an old man and his wife, whose names were James and Kate Grant. They had had five sons, who were now all grown up, and had left their home to earn their own bread. One had gone to sea, but had not been heard of for four or five years, so that it was thought he must be dead.
It was a cold bleak night; the wind was high, and the snow beat against the front of the old house. As James and his wife sat by their snug and warm fire-side, they thought how glad they ought to be for such a nice home, and that they should thank their good God for His care of them in their old age.
“I am not so strong as I was,” said James, “for I feel that a little work tires me now; and though Ned Brown is a good boy, yet he is too young to be of much use to me.”
“Ah,” said Kate, with a deep sigh, “it seems hard that we, who have had five boys, should now be left all alone with none to help us: if one of them would but come and live here I should feel quite young once more.”
“Where is our poor John?” said the old man, as tears rose in his eyes. “Oh that I had not let him go to sea! What a night is this for those on shipboard! May they be kept from harm! Put a fresh log on the fire, good wife, for it is very cold.”
“Oh, my poor boy!” said Kate, “shall I ever see him again? He was the best child of them all: how could I let him go from home?”
“We did it for the best at the time,” said James, “and it will not bring him back to mourn over him now. Dear me! what can make the dog bark in that strange way?”
“I dare say,” said Kate, “he does not like to hear the wind howl in the old trees: hark! how the boughs creak! When first you and I came to live here, those trees were young and in their prime, but now I think they will not stand much longer than we shall.”
“Oh, yes,” said the old man, “they are not quite so near their end as we are, my dear; but I do not like to hear Lion keep up such a noise; it cannot be all right, I am sure.”
James Grant got up from his armchair, and went to the door; but he could hear no noise, nor could he see anything, for the snow beat right in his face. Just as he came back, he heard his wife call out, that she saw a man look through the window at her; and in great fear she begged James not to go out.
“Why should I care?” said he: “I have done no harm, and it may be some one who has lost his way in the dark, and who is in want of help.”
With these words he put on his hat, and with a stout stick in his hand, to use in case of need, he went out.
He had not gone far, ere the man he was in search of came up to him, and begged a place to sleep in that night, as it was a long way to the next town.
“You must speak to my wife,” said James; “and if she likes to do so, I dare say she can give you a bed. Come in, for you are cold and wet.”
“As she said this, she looked in the man’s face, and saw that his eyes were full of tears.”
The man did as he was bid, took off his thick coat, which was quite white with snow, and went to the fire. As Kate set a chair for him, she saw that he had on a short blue jacket, such as her John wore when he came home from his first trip to sea. The sight of this, and the man’s honest face, quite won her heart; and she soon set before him some bread and cheese, and a mug of warm beer.
“Come,” said James, when he was once more in his seat, “I am glad to see you here, for this is a lone place, and it does one good to see a new face now and then. Wife, have you not got any meat to give our friend?”
“I do not want more, thank you,” said the man: “you have lived in this old house a long while, have you not?”
“Why, yes, we have,” said James; “it is near fifty years since we first came. Pray have you been here before?”
“How can you ask?” said Kate, “such an out-of-the-way place as it is.”
“I used to know it quite well, when I was a boy: I lived not far from here, then,” said the seaman.
“There now, wife,” said James.
“Lived near here!” said Kate: “why when you were a boy, there could not have been a house within three miles of this: pray what was your name?”
“I will tell you by and by,” said the man: “but can you tell me where Charles and Ned Grant are gone? I used to play with them when we were young, and I love them very much.”
“Charles and Ned Grant!” said both the old folks at once, “why who should they be but our own boys! they have left us a long while now. Charles went a long way off, where he could get more work than in this land; and Ned lives at a farm of his own, and has a wife and child.”
“You had a son John, who went to sea, had you not?” said the man.
“Oh, yes, and a dear son he was: when you came in you put me so in mind of him,” said Kate; “but we fear he must be dead now, for he never writes to us or comes to see us.”
As she said this, she looked in the man’s face, and saw that his eyes were full of tears.
“My mother! my dear mother!” said he, as he got up and threw his arms round her neck. “And now your lost son has come home, and will not leave you, but will take care of you, and work for you all his life.”
Poor James and his wife were so full of joy, that they could not speak for some time; but they thanked God in their hearts, for having brought their dear son home to them to cheer their old age.