62 THE WET HALF-HOLIDAY. where there was a saloon on deck, and to peep in at the ladies and gentlemen who were seated along the tables. At other times they sat in a little hidingplace they had found for themselves, near one of the ship's boats, and then Tessa would sing, but only softly, lest people should hear. Among the passengers was an English lady, very tall and stately in presence, with a young fairhaired niece. These ladies often walked up and down the deck, and it so happened that more than once they passed by little Tessa as she softly sang, and spoke kindly to her when the song was finished. They could speak Italian well, and they seemed to like to hear the children prattle. Rubino and his sister were frightened at first, but soon gained courage, and one day Tessa told the beautiful English lady of her dear goats and her mountain home, and, dearest of all, her father; "but he's ill," she added, "" so ill, signora." 66 What is the matter with him? "I do not know, signora," answered Tessa, upon whom her father's last words had made a deep impression; "he said he wished he could be kept in peace, but he could not; I did not quite understand. He lost a pearl." truly, and even as the ladies looked, the two steamers came together with a crash. Cries were In an instant all was wild confusion. raised that the vessel was sinking, and in the tumult few knew which vessel was intended. Men and women rushed hither and thither, loud screams were uttered, and the scene was terrible. Yet in the midst of all, the beautiful English lady stood perfectly calm and self-possessed, and Rubino, obeying an involuntary impulse, snatched Tessa's hand, and ran and stood behind her. "Look!" he whispered, "look, Tessa, she does not move, but she smiles; I do believe she is Our Lady." "Hush!" said the little girl. Her young companion stood beside the signora, clasping her hand tightly. She seemed painfully agitated, and was deadly pale. Tessa could hear her speak. "Auntie," she said, and she spoke Italian, so that the child could understand every word, "how can you be so calm? How can you smile? Are you not afraid?" 66 No, darling," answered the signora, "and you need not be; all will be well. We had best remain quiet and wait the captain's orders." "Oh! Auntie, how can you be so tranquil?" The English lady answered very softly"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee." Tears came to the young girl's eyes. "I will be quite quiet, Auntie," and as she spoke her troubled look changed to one of calm. The Wet Half-Holiday. BY THE EDITOR. GREAT many Flags were sent in for competition, and there would have been some difficulty in deciding which were the best had not more than half the boys left out the white ground of the flags of St. Patrick and St. George in one or both of the Union Jacks. As it is, the First Prize is awarded to J. BULLOCK (13), the Second to FRANK TYRRELL (12), while Stephen P. Duval (12), George Cartlidge (14), Henry W. Heyes (13), Louis Byrde (13), and Frederick Byrde (11) must have "Honourable Mention." The girls were even more industrious than the boys, and the Baby Shoes were most of them very RACHEL LESTER (14), while Mary F. Deacon (12), Fanny Eames (13), Ethel R. Barker (11), Frances B. Newman (14), Alice B. Costello (13), Mabel Whitehead (13), Beatrice Heyes (10), and Violet A. L. Hammond (8) must be honourably mentioned. A large number of the Baby Shoes were sent to a crêche, which, you know, is a day-nursery where mothers who have to go out to work can send their babies to be taken care of. I think you would like to see the nursery, with its row of white cradles, and the babies of all sorts, big and little, laughing and crying, asleep and awake, all dressed in pink pinafores; the little ones in some of your baby shoes; the bigger ones, who are old enough to run about and play with blocks and dolls, in list slippers. You would be amused to see the ". pound. It is a very large soft sort of bed laid on the floor and surrounded by a railing. The babies are put on the bed, where they can roll about without fear of hurting themselves, and the railing prevents their straying on to the hard floor. 26. What was Moses' chief characteristic? 63 27. On what occasion was he found wanting in this very thing? 28. And how was he punished? BIBLICAL DIAMOND PUZZLE. A consonant comes first; the next a son ANSWERS to the above PUZZLE and QUESTIONS should be sent to reach the Editor of the Boys' and Girls' Companion, not later than April 10th. The total Number of Marks given for answers to Bible Questions in March was 25, of which H. E. Lang obtained 25, R. Wealthy 25, John Sayer 25, Mabel Beardsley 24, May Thornewill, 24, Lucy Pidcock 24, Ernest L. Collins 23, Annie Stephens 23, Constance Bligh 23, Grace M. Joy 23, Ethel H. Robinson 22, Georgina E. Robinson 22, Henry R. L. Joy 22, Jane Burch 22, Joseph Peachell 22, James H. S. Costello, 22, Mary Irby 22, Louie Macdonald 22, Stanley Caukwell 21, Catherine P. FitzGerald 21, Mabel P. FitzGerald 21, James Corney 21, H. W. Heyes 21, William Dominey 20, Edith M. Pollard 20, Ellen M. Bergman 20, Williel Irby 19, E. R. Barker 19. Robert E. Allen 19, Maud Keating 19, W. Robertson 19. Walter F. Hill 19, Evelyn Carlisle 18, Gertrude Humphreys 18, Sarah A. Lock 17, Alex. McArthur 17, Agnes L. Rasey 17, Kate M. Hatton 17, Edith M. M. Dickers 17, John H. Price 16, W. S. Davidson 14, Willie Hobby 14, Alice E. Milliner 14, Beatrice Heyes 13, John Heyes 13, Caroline Potts 9. A ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. GRACE M. JOY.-If you had answered the seven questions and the puzzle correctly you would have had 30 marks. A Concordance should not be used. JOHN H. PRICE.-If you send your acrostic neatly written out, and with the answers, which you have omitted, the Editor will see if it can be put in the Magazine some day. ID you ever have a bad illness? If so, do you not remember how you wanted somebody constantly to attend to you, and how the least noise made your head ache? Probably your mother tended you as lovingly as only a mother can. She was beside you at once when you called her, in the night as well as the day. But suppose your mother were to be ill! There would be nobody to nurse her! Or suppose it were your father! How could he be quiet with baby crying, and the boys rushing in from school twice a day? The only thing would be for them to go to the hospital, where they would be quite quiet, have a good nurse, and no doctor's bill to pay. It was thought that the Sunday Scholars of England would like to have a bed of their own always ready for some poor sick person, so a fund has been started to place a Sunday School Bed" in the Hospital of which you see the picture. It will cost £1,000. Will not the readers of the Boys' and Girls' Companion like to help raise the money? Remember that every penny helps. You can send your money to Miss E. Dibdin, 62, Torrington Square, London, W.C., and it will be acknowledged each month in the Companion. *Trustees-Right Hon. Lord Richard Grosvenor, M.P. 66 MILES LAMBERT'S THREE CHANCES. Miles Kambert's Three Chances. 66. BY MARY E. PALGRAVE. CHAPTER V. WHAT THE SEA BROUGHT. HAT is it, Job? what do you see?" gasped Miles, as, hot and breathless, he reached the man's side. "Look you there!" said Collins, hoarsely, still pointing down towards the sea. Miles followed the direction of his hand, and saw, through the torrents of spray which were beating up high into the air, a large ship not a quarter of a mile from the cliffs. There was a sudden break just then in the clouds, and a ray of sunlight shot forth which lighted up the crests of the waves, and made the scene a more wildly magnificent one than ever. Every outline of the ship became distinctly visible, and Miles declared he could see some men crouching under the shelter of the bulwarks on the fore-deck. "Oh, what will become of them? What can they be about? Can't they see they'll be on the rocks directly?" he cried, in an agony of excite"Let us make signals to them. Shout, ment. Job, shout!" He snatched off the red and yellow handkerchief which held his cap on, and waved it over his head, while he shouted at the top of his voice, and But what were Collins and Raymond joined. even three strong voices against that furious blast? "Nonsense, lad," said Collins, after a minute, "where's the good of hollering? They couldn't hear us half a yard off in all this noise! It's my belief they are out of their reckoning altogether, and have never even seen the cliffs, because of the waves breaking over them so, and this mist hanging about. I should a' thought they'd have known the sound of the breakers, though!" "Look, look!" cried Miles, "they see where they are now. This ray of light has shown them the cliffs, and they are moving about the deck. See, there's two going aloft, and-why, if they ar❜nt setting the top-gallant sail! What can they be thinking of?" Miles, with his keen eyes, could distinguish more of the movements of those on board than either of his companions-indeed Raymond Layne's were so full of tears that for the moment he could see nothing at all. Collins now also caught sight of the men aloft, and answered "They must be going to try and wear her, and 'tis their only chance. If she'll answer her helm they may manage it." "And if the ship can't get away from the cliffs, what will happen?" asked Raymond, in a very unsteady voice. "If she can't?-why, then it's all over with her, young master," answered Collins, with a halfcontemptuous shrug of the shoulders. The case was indeed obvious enough. "There's the sail set-and see, they are manning the wheel," cried Miles; "it is touch-and-go now, and no mistake!" A short pause of uncertainty followed, during which the three lookers-on strained their eyes in breathless anxiety to see the issue of the vessel's struggle against her fate. She was lying just on the edge of a broad band of foam, which bordered the cliffs as far as the eye could reach, and showed what a fight the wind and the now falling tide were having with one another. If she now began to leave the foam behind, and advance, however slowly, into that black waste of heaving billows ahead, she had won the victory. If she began to slip back, however little, into that soft white bed which veiled the cruel rocks beneath, she was lost. "How's it going, lad?" said Collins, huskily. "Is she making any way? Tell me what you see. My eyes are dim, somehow." Miles looked a moment longer, and then burst suddenly into tears and wrung his hands. 66 May God have mercy on them, then," said Collins, olemnly; "they are coming right for Blackman's Hole, and there's not a worse lot of rocks than there all down the coast; and the cliff hangs over so, you can't climb up anyhow." "But we might let down ropes to them," cried Miles. "I'll run over to the village and bring some of the men up." "It's no use, boy; we couldn't get near enough to the edge to throw the ropes over, and besides, they'll be dashed to pieces, poor souls, before ever they come at the cliffs. There's no help for them." "I can't stay here and see them drown without stirring a finger!" cried Miles, tearing off his coat that he might run the faster. |