looked feeble enough, but Susan hoped to save it. It was her duty, however, before she could call the child her own, to try to discover its relations. She found the clothes which still clung about it were plain and good, such as a respectable woman in middle life would use; but clasped about the little throat was a coral necklace with a gold clasp, and the name "Eugenia." This Susan carefully laid away. As soon as Ephraim and the boy had taken the absolutely needful rest, they went forth again to see the effects of the storm. The clouds were breaking away, but the sea was still in commotion, and the ebbing tide had left many marks of the wreck on the rocks and in the coves. Three mangled bodies came within reach of the men and were drawn on shore. One was a woman's, the mother doubtless of little Eugenia. Ephraim thought that the strong man he had seen with her in his arms must be the Captain of the schooner and her father. He searched eagerly among the planks and spars which were drifting about, for something to tell

him the name of the ship. At length he discovered a piece of the name, much defaced and broken of course, but he believed that he could make out that it was the Jane and Eliza of Halifax.

The

Without spending more time in conjectures, he turned to the sad duty before him. bodies were carried to a shed and prepared for decent burial. As soon as the sea was calm enough to row a boat, he went on shore with his report of the casualty, and also visited the minister of the town to ask him to come and perform a simple service, before the bodies were buried. The good man braved the winter sea not alone to bury the dead, but to see the little living child and to give Ephraim and Susan such advice and help as they might need. He agreed to send to a Halifax paper an account of the shipwreck and the rescue of the child, with a notice to any near of kin who might wish to claim it; but he said he had little hope of finding her friends. He thought mother and child were most probably emigrants from Ireland, coming to meet friends

in America. He offered to take the child and place it in the care of the town authorities; but Susan hugged the baby closer to her bosom and looked at Ephraim who said "No, please God, we'll rear the little one. She was sent to us in this strange way, and she shall never know want while Ephraim Wright has a strong arm to work for her."

But

So the good man went ashore; the shipwreck was a nine days wonder in the town, and then faded out of men's minds. through the cold stern winter the little baby was warmly and snugly nestled in her new home. They judged her to be about a year old. She soon forgot her old associations, and in her first prattling words called them papa and mamma without a sigh of regret. Now when Ephraim climbed the tower for his night watch, her baby lips had left their kisses on his rough cheek, and Susan sat down contentedly with her knitting, to sing soft lullabies to her child.

CHAPTER II.

JENNY'S CHILDHOOD.

THE stars of midnight shall be dear
To her, and she shall lean her ear

In many a secret place;

Where rivulets dance their wayward round,
And beauty, born of murmuring sound,

Shall pass into her face.

WORDSWORTH.

ITTLE JENNY, so they shortened her long name, grew up as sweet and fair as the white clover that was

blossoming all about her; and like. that, with all her beauty she seemed well fitted for this wild, rude scene. She had no suspicion that she was other than Ephraim and Susan's own child, and she looked upon the rough island as her native home. She was soon able to run after the chickens and ducks, and to bring in the new-laid eggs in her little basket. Then as she grew older she roamed all over the island; found the swallow's nests hid in the

old buildings, and the sand-pipers in a hole in a rock, and picked up the gulls' eggs lying in the sun to hatch. Her father took her into the water and taught her early to swim, and she would lie and float in some sheltered cove and look up at the blue sky and fleecy clouds as if she were in her little bed in the garret. He took her with him in the boat, and as she grew stronger, he taught her to row and to steer. A proud child she was, the first time he let her go over with him to the mainland and bring the boat home herself. He stood watching on the shore with anxious heart indeed, till she touched the little landing, and he saw her spring lightly out of her boat and tie it fast to the post. Many a nice dinner she got for some stray visitor. She went out with

her pole and line to catch cunners, tautog, or cod from the rocks. Then she would skin and clean the fish and have all ready for the handy Susan to cook.

But Ephraim and Susan were too earnest and religious to feel that their little daughter was left them only for their own pleasure. In