"For the stomach's sake, Dannie," says he, with a gravity that
twinkles against his will, "accordin' t' the Apostle."
And we are glad that he has that wee nip o' rum t' comfort him....
* * * * *
'Twas blowing high to-day. Tumm, of the _Quick as Wink_, beat into
harbor for shelter. 'Twas good to know that the genial fellow had come
into Twist Tickle. I boarded him. 'Twas very dark and blustering and
dismally cold at that time. The schooner was bound down to the French
shore and the ports of the Labrador. I had watched the clouds gather
and join and forewarn us of wind. 'Twas an evil time for craft to be
abroad, and I was glad that Tumm was in harbor. "Ecod!" says he, "I
been up t' see the fool. They've seven," says he. "Ecod! think o'
that! I 'low Walrus Liz o' Whoopin' Harbor got all she wanted. Seven!"
cries he. "Seven kids! Enough t' stock a harbor! An' they's talk o'
one o' them," says he, "bein' trained for a parson." I think the man
was proud of his instrumentality. "I've jus' come from the place,"
says he, "an' he've seven, all spick an' span," says he, "all shined
an' polished like a cabin door-knob!" I had often thought of it, and
now dwelt upon it when I left him. I remembered the beginnings of our
lives, and I knew that out of the hopelessness some beauty had been
wrought, in the way of the God of us all: which is the moral of my
tale.
"Think o' that!" cries Tumm, of the _Quick as Wink_.