"Bless your heart, sonny, there ain't a boy livin' who could do more to show that same than you've done ever since we two come together. It stands all of us in hand to show our gratitude, an' if you can find the rest of the family, I'd like for 'em to go off somewhere with me to thank the good Lord for His wondrous mercy an' lovin' kindness."
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About the housewarming? The people of Southport did that in their own way, making exceeding merry over it; but I'm of the belief that Uncle Ben and his family really "warmed" it when they went into one of the attic rooms and pledged their lives to the work of caring for those homeless lads whom they might meet.
Did the family increase in size? Perhaps some day it will be possible to tell of its famous growth; but just now you who are interested in it must be content to know that Uncle Ben has thirty-eight boys in the "Retreat," and Sam and Tommy are acting as cooks for all those hungry mouths, while Mr. Rowe still claims to be the commander of the "Sally D."
*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CRUISE OF THE SALLY D ***