irr jt i 5" r. V-1?'?' w cavuo iiTwrr.i!i . i. I V , ' . i i . . . i . - .'..'p. : i . ' ' VOL. XI. THE TIMES. In Independent Family Newspaper, IS PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY BT F. MORTIMER & CO. Subscription Price. Within the County .' tl 25 Six month, 7 Out of the County, Including postage, 150 alv Innnlh, 85 WHEN MY SHIP COMES IN. " pLE ASE, Miss Carleton, your ship X has come in I" The speaker was a bright little fellow, perhaps eight years old, and he made the announcement with a wonderfully eager and important air, as he entered the schoolroom where his teacher and fellow-pupils were assembled, one lovely summer morning. It was not yet quite nine o'clock, and the children had been gathered in little groups chattering away like magpies, but at Charlie Gray's speech they stood for a moment in silence, then all burst forth with a tor rent of exclamations. " O Miss Carleton ! Isn't that good I Now you'll get the new maps you prom ised us," cried one. " Yes, and flower seeds for the gar den," said another. "And my new kite," chimed in a third. "And string forour kites !" chorussed several. "And I hope, Miss Carleton, you wont forget the curtain, so the sun need not make your head ache so badly," said gentle Annie Evans, one of the oldest scholars. Miss Carleton heard this last remark even amidst the general hubbub,and her bewilderment at its cause. " Thank you, Annie," she said, grate fully ; " but let us first find out what all this is about. What makes you think my ship has come in, Charlie 1"' she asked, drawing the little fellow towards her. " 'Cause I saw it," was the proud re- " You saw it I But where ? and how did you know it was mine ?" " 'Cause your name is on it in big gold letters. I was coming along the beach,and saw her lying right off there,' pointing towards the coast. "She is a real beauty, too," said the boy, with the nautical enthusiasm Inherited from a long line of seafaring ancestors. " She is all black and gold, aud her sails are as , white ! Guess they're new,ain't they ?" he inquired, excitedly. " I really don't know," laughed Mrs. Carleton ; " but you are sure it was my name, Charlie ? Can you remember how to spell Hi"' "Yes ma'am!" responded Charlie, emphatically; "just like this." And picking up a bit of chalk, he laborious ly inscribed on the blackboard," G-r-a-c-e C-a-r-l-e-t-o-n." "There!" he exclaim ed, in triumph, " aint that your name? I knew 'twas, 'cause it's on your book that you let me carry home for you sometimes, and I remembered just as soon as I saw it on the ship." Miss Carleton looked both puzzled and amused ; but just then the little wheezy old clock fastened to the wall began to strike nine. With a slight sigh, she rang the little bell on her desk, the chil dren subsided into their seats, and the business of the day began. Only Annie Evans noted the restless faraway look in the face that had grown so dear to her, or the expression of pain that crossed it when at the noon inter mission, as she tried to soothe a little one whose doll had come to grief, she unconsciously began her usual phrase, " When my ship," and Charlie, with wide open eyes, interrupted, "Why, Miss Carleton, It has come!" The teacher and most of the scholars lived too far from the schoolhouse to go home at noon, consequently it was not until four o'clock that Grace Carleton found herself free. Locking the door of the schoolhouse, she turned her steps towards the beach. Fortunately, Charlie's mother had given him an errand in an opposite di rection, for she did not feel inclined Just now to listen to his ceaseless talk. His announcement, made, in all good faith, had roused a host of sad memories, aud ehe longed to be alone, and think them all down. Clear before her rose the time, not yet NEW BLOOMFIE3LD, three years past, when she had leen the petted darliug of wealthy parents. Then came the memory of those sad days, when her father's sudden death had been followed by the unexpected news that all their fortune was gone. Proba bly her father had foreseen the impend ing ruin, and his anxiety, had killed him. She and her mother had, with the pittance remaining, come to this little seaport town, as Mrs. Carleton's health, always delicate, had been seriously im paired by her grief, and the family physician had ordered change of scene. " Change of scene !" repeated Grace to herself, bitterly, as she recalled this. " When he knew full well that wo must change give up our dear home, and all that mamma had been accustomed to. That we had scarcely money enough left to bring us here, and yet how coolly and easily he talked, and pocketed his fee as if poor papa were alive, and we had plenty of means. And Gerald, too I Never to come near us !" That was the bitterest thought of all. Gerald was the doctor's son, and had been Grace's most devoted cavalier until her sad reverses ; after which she had never seen him at all, and his father only at the above-mentioned interview. It could hardly have been said that Grace was in love with Hugh Haughton, but he was handsome and devoted she had enjoyed his society, and very proba bly might soon have been engaged to him, had her prosperity continued. The prescribed change of scene had not benefited Mrs. Carleton, and but a few weeks elapsed ere Grace found her self a penniless orphan, with no one to turn to for support or guidance, " Don't grieve so, you poor child!" said good motherly Mrs. Gray, with whom they had been boarding. " Try to remember that not a sparrow falls to the ground without His knowledge, and believe that in some way all our trials are for our good, though we can't under stand how." But the girl drew away shuddering. " O, don't, Mrs. Gray! Don't say that it is good for me to lose my dear parents. You don't know what it is to be left all alone !" " But I know what is perhaps worse," answered Mrs. Gray, so quietly that Grace's sobs were checked, and she glanced up, wonderingly, to say : Worse ! what could be worse?" " Was it not worse to see the fishing smack, with niy husband and my brave lad, go down before my eyes, and the storm raging so that no one could help them ? I was left, Miss Grace, with my little Charlie in my arms he was but a baby then and not a cent to take care of him or myself!" " And you can say it M as for your good?" asked the listener, almost re proachfully. " I know that He does not willingly afflict,' " answered Mrs. Gray, reverent ly. " I cannot doubt that my husband and boy are better off; and has it not taught me how much' goodness and kindness there Is in the world ? Didn't my neighbors club together to pay what was owing on this house ? and didn't the owner refuse to take the money, and send me a deed of the place ? Aud every summer,when the city folks come down here, don't the neighbors pretend they can't take boarders, and send them to me, till my house is crowded ? And did one of them ever forget to send me the finest of their fish when they came in, or the earliest of vegetables, or a can of milk ? Ah yes, Miss Grace ! there's a deal of goodness in people, if you only find it out," concluded the good woman, as she wiped her eyes with the comer of her neat gingham apron. One sentence in the little history cut Grace to the quick. She had always a brave honest spirit, and she showed it now. " That is one thing that troubles me, Mrs. Gray," she said. " The neighbors recommended us to come to you. We meant to stay only two weeks, until mamma could gain strength, and then we were going to look for work. But you know how ill she grew, and could not be moved, and then the expense of the " Grace's voice trembled sadly " funeral ; and now I have nothing left, and you will soon lose me, and and what shall I do?" sobbed the poor girl. " There, there, child, don't cry and take on so," cried the widow, affection 1A., TUESDAY, ately etroklng the bowed head. " Lie down here on the lounge and rest a bit. See how comfortable you will be when I put a pillow under your head, and throw this shawl over you ; and now listen while I tell you something. " As for your owing nic, that's all nonsense. What signified a week or two more or less, and neither of you eating enough to keep a bird alive ? It was so late in the season that the rooms would have been empty, so It was all the better that you had them, and you need never think of that again. " But now, just see how things are ordered for us ! Why, this morning the milk-man was telling me how the school committee have been disappointed about the teacher they had engaged. It seems she is going to be married, and has writ ten to say that they must find another teacher, and they're in a peck of troub le, for school was to begin in another week. Now if you say the word, I will just step over and tell some of the com mittee that you would like the p!aee,and then you'll be all provided for." " A school !" exclaimed Grace, sitting up in alarm. " Why, I don't know cnou'gh to teach ! I'm afraid I have for gotten all my algebra and geometry, and" Mrs. Gray laughed softly. " Bless the dear child's heart ! She thinks we are the same as city folks. Why.Miss Grace, most of them wont know their letters, and those that do only want to learn enough arithmetic to count what little money they make ; and enough geogra phy to know whether they live here, or 'tother side of the world. They will pay you so much a month, and you can board round, or " " O, I couldn't possibly do that," cried Grace, shrinking from the idea of living in some of the houses she had seen in the little hamlet. "Couldn't I cam enough so that I could pay you for my board ? that is," she hesitated, "if you would wish to have me stay !" "Of course I wish it, with all my heart !" answered MH. Gray, earnestly, and evidently complimented by Grace's wish to remain under her roof. " Now just lie still, and I'll step over to some of the neighbors and talk to them about it." Grace sank back ; too much worn in mind and body to offer any opposition, aud thankful for the possibility that here was a chance for her to support herself. Mrs. Gray returned radiant. She had seen the leading members of the school committee, who had been much pleased by her suggestion, and promised to call that evening with their official brethren and " examine" Miss Carleton for the situation. "Examine me?" inquired Grace. " What does that mean ?" " Now don't you be a bit worried," answered Mrs. Gray, soothingly. " It means asking questions, to find out if you know enough ; but bless you heart, they don't know half as much them selves ; and if you told them the moon was made of green cheese they'd all be lieve it. Don't you trouble about that, but just take my word for it that you'll do first rate, and who knows! This school may last till your ship comes in!" Grace had never heard this expression and perceiving her bewildered look,Mrs. Gray added, "That's what we always say here when we mean that better luck may come sometime ; perhaps it's a kind of a seafaring saying." Mrs. Gray's prophecy was fulfilled. Grace charmed the entire committee by her sweet simple manners, and what they deemed her profound learning. A M-eek later saw her formally in stalled as mistress of the village school, room, where she had ever since reigned, enthroned in the hearts of her little sub Jects. Gradually light and happiness, or at least cheerfulness, had stolen back to her. Mrs. Gray's motherly care had smoothed many little troubles from her path, while her plain practical good sense and true simple faith had taught the young girl many a useful lesson. She had rather adopted the phrase, which had at first hearing Bounded 'so oddly to her, and often used it, as it was evident from the beginning of our story her scholars had noticed. "When my ship coinesSiu we will have new maps," she' Bald one day, while endeavoringto explain the NOVEMBER 13, 1877. changes that bad taken place since those somewhat ancient charts were printed. " When my ship comes in we will have a new ball of string," as she patiently disentangled the old and much knotted twine attached to a scholars' kite ; and " Miss Carleton's ship" was firmly be lieved in by many a childish heart. But while we have been thus reading some of Grace's thoughts, she has ad vanced far enough along the ' beach to come within sight of the vessel that had so aroused Charlie's admiration In the morning. There she lay at anchor, as graceful as a swan, and glistening in the afternoon sun was her golden name " Grace Carleton." " It is strange 1" said Grace to herself. " To be sure my name is not very un common, but it fe2iii8 Btrangc to me to see it there. However, I do not see that it affects me one way or another, except that it has raised hopes in my little scholars that I cannot fulfill." And she pursued her homeward walk, pondering upon the possibility of making the chil dren comprehend that the vessel had not brought their expected prizes, and wondering if her little savings would enable her to purchase the articles she had thoughtlessly promised. " I must break myself of the foolish habit of saying that so frequently," she thought, as she opened the gate of Mrs. Gray's garden. That good woman sat on the piazza, conversing with a young man, a stranger, of perhaps twenty-five or thrityyears. "Ah, hero comes Miss Carleton now!" she heard Mrs. Gray exclaim; and she advanced with the uncomforta ble feeling that she had been the subject of their conversation. " Well now, dear child, I'm real glad you're home. Seems to me you look tired. This is Captain Hendricks, who is going to stay here a day or two, while his vessel is getting fixed up. I told him we would try to make him com fortable and contented, so you just sit down and talk a bit while I get tea ready. I was just saying how odd it was that his vessel has the same name that you have.' And the worthy woman bus tled into the house, leaving Capt. Ken dricks bowing, and Grace somewhat embarrassed by this strange introduc tion. She soon recovered her self-possession, however, and said with a smile, " Since Mrs. Gray has promised that I will as sist in making you comfortable, allow me to suggest that you will be more so if you are seated," ensconcing herself as she spoke in the chair which Mrs. Gray had just vacated. The gentleman again bowed, and re sumed his seat, and , with a few easy re marks on the kindness of their hostess, led the conversation skillfully to topics in which his fair companion might probably be interested. Grace wondered, even while she took her part. She had not met an equal in education and manners since the death of her parents, and it was an in tellectual treat to talk to this stranger, who had evidently seen and read much. '' She longed to ask why his vessel bore her name, but simple as the question seemed, she felt an unaccountable hesi tation in asking it. Others did not share in this feeling, however, for scarcely were they seated at the tea-table when little Charlie inquir ed: " Captain Kendrlcks, what made you name your ship for Miss Carleton ?" Grace colored. Mrs. Gray said, "Hush, Charlie ! you should not ask questions." But Capt. Kendricks said,good-humored-ly, " I hardly know, Charlie, whether my ship is named for Miss Carleton; but I hope she will permit me to ask a few questions in order to settle the point." Grace bowed gravely, and Capt. Ken dricks continued, rather eagerly : "Am I. right in supposing that your father was the late Granville Carleton of New York?" Grace again bent her head In assent. Her eyes asked the explanation that her lips could not, and Captain Kendricks replied to tlie look; " " My father, Charles Kendricks, was an old college friend of Mr. Carleton.and tbelr friendship continued through life," " I have often heard my' father speak of Mr. Kendricks," interrupted Grace. " You know, then, that my father, Boon after leaving college, married aud settled in England, and has never revis ited this country, lie, however, always NO. 45. kept up a correspondence with Mr. Carleton, and were constantly together during your father's business visits to England. Since hearing of his old friend's death, my father has been un able to learn anything of you or your mother, and it was not until Mrs. Gray informed mo that I knew of your double bereavement. Mr. Carleton talked so fondly of his wife and daughter, that we grew to feel well acquainted with you and when my father built the ship of which I have the command, he christened her ' Grace Carleton.' " " So, after all, Charlie," he continued, " you are right, you see, and the vessel . was named for Miss Carleton. I am most thankful," turning to Grace, " for tlfo accident which compelled me to stop hero, foi I have searched vainly in New York for some tidings of you and your mother. It was my father's most especial charge to me." Mrs. Gray's countenance was a sight to behold, and after seeing her two boarders seated on the piazza ngain, sho went about her household tasks In a state of unalloyed delight. " I always knew her ship would come in safe and sound," she soliloquized, " and now it has, sure enough ; and I don't need spectacles to see that it will sail away with her pretty soon. Well, I shall miss her sadly, but I'm real glad, too!" Mrs. Gray would have been still more convinced of the clearness of her vision had she known what Captain Ken dricks wisely suppressed ; that his father and Mr. Carleton had long ago made an agreement that when their childred ar rived at marriageable age they would bring about a meeting between them, which they fondly hoped might end in a mutual attachment. .This plan they had prudently forborne to mention to the parties concerned; but after Mr. Carleton's death, Mr. Kendricks being unable to learn the fate of the widow and daughter of his friend, had confided the agreement to his son, and begged him to seek the missing ones. " I don't ask anything more," the father had said. " Just see the girl and her mother, and at least let me know that they are not in destitution, as I very much fear they may be, from the accounts I hear of Mr. Carleton's busi ness affairs. " It was a whim of the old gentleman to name the vessel which he placed at his son's disposal. "Grace Carleton." "Who knows !" he said. " It may lead to your finding her. I feel as if it would bring success to your search in some way." And, as we have seen, it did. But all this Capt. Kendricks did not tell Grace, till after inventing every pos sible pretext for delaying his departure, he finally told her another tale ; and on her replying that she could not consent without knowing whether his parents would approve, he thereupon confided to her the real object of his visit to Amer ica. :: " I knew how it would .be, my darling child," sobbed Mrs. Gray, " and I am glad aud thankful ; only I can't help thinking for a minute how lonely I shall be without you. But we must not waste any time in crying," she added, pres ently, " for the captain will be back in two weeks, aud you won't be ready." Grace smiled, as she thought that her few preparations would need but little time. Capt. Kendricks had business in Boston, and had gone there for two weeks, when he was to return and car ry Grace away ; but first he must needs give a grand party on board his ship, to which all who had ever even spoken a kind word to Grace were bidden ; and as she was a universal favorite, this in cluded almost every one in the little villago. A very grand affair it was, and every one was delighted, especially the school children, who, to their astonish ment, found everything that their teach, er had ever promised ready for them in that wonderful ship. Mrs. Gray's heart was gladdened by many a gift from that same mysterious vessel, so that, as she gratefully declar ed, she had euough to make her rich all her life, If she lived to the age of Methuselah. And finally, one lovely morning there was a very quiet wedding in the village church ; a procession of old and young to the wharf to see the luBt of the fair bride, and a still more firmly-rooted conviction in the minds of the juveniles of the reality of the fact that the old saying for once came true. ? V
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