“Oh, no,” said Grace, “I shall not, indeed.”
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.”