“Humph!” said Dick, with a grim smile; “wery complimentary. I wonder wot my old ooman will say to that?”
“She’ll say, no doubt, that she’ll expect you to take example by Jim Welton when speaking of your wife,” observed Jack Shales. “I wonder, Dick, what ever could have induced Mrs Moy to marry such a fellow as you?”
“I s’pose,” retorted Dick, lighting his pipe, “that it was to escape the chance o’ bein’ tempted, in a moment of weakness, to marry the likes o’ you.”
“Hear, hear,” cried MacGowl, “that’s not unlikely, Dick. An’, sure, she might have gone farther an’ fared worse. You’re a good lump of a man, anyhow; though you haven’t much to boast of in the way of looks. Howsever, it seems to me that looks don’t go far wid sensible girls. Faix, the uglier a man is, it’s the better chance he has o’ gittin’ a purty wife. I have a brother, myself, who’s a dale uglier than the figurhead of an owld Dutch galliot, an’ he’s married the purtiest little girl in Ireland, he has.”
“If ye want to hear the end of Jim’s letter, boys, you’d better shut up your potato-traps,” interposed Mr Welton.
“That’s true—fire away,” said Shales.
The mate continued to read.
“You’ll be glad to hear that the old dog Neptune is well and hearty. He is a great favourite here, especially with the children. Billy Towler has taught him a number of tricks—among other things he can dive like a seal, and has no objection whatever to let little Morley choke him or half punch out his eyes. Tell mother not to be uneasy on that point, for though Neptune has the heart of a lion he has the temper of a lamb.
“There is an excellent preacher, belonging to the Wesleyan body, who comes here occasionally on Sundays, and has worship in the village. He is not much of a preacher, but he’s an earnest, God-fearing man, and has made the name of Jesus dear to some of the people here, who, not long ago, were quite careless about their souls. Careless about their souls! Oh, father, how often I think of that, now. How strange it seems that we should ever be thus careless! What should we say of the jeweller who would devote all his time and care to the case that held his largest diamond, and neglect the gem itself? Nora has got up a Sunday school at the village, and Billy helps her with it. The Grotto did wonders for him—so he says himself.
“I must close this letter sooner than I intended, for I hear Nora’s voice, like sweet music in the distance, singing out that dinner is ready; and if I keep the youngsters waiting long, they’ll sing out in a sharper strain of melody!