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`Well, Blanche, child, what have you
got from the office?' asked the captain,
as she came into the parlour after leaving
her aunt at the door. `Did my Boston
newspaper come?'

`Yes, father. Here it is, and the
Portland also. Shall I tear off the wrappers?
' she asked, as she took a seat, her
usual seat by his side when she read to
him; for though the captain's eyes were
as sharp as ever, he loved to hear the
sweet voice of his daughter falling upon
his ear. In his opinion Blanche was
the best reader in the world; and aunt
Sarah said the Bible never sounded so
good and holy to her as when Blanche
read aloud, in that low tone of gentle
awe and reverence with which she always
read the sacred volume; for it was
remarked by her father that there was a
change in her voice, somehow for the
better, wherever she read in the Bible.

`Yes, you can read the news to me,
dear. Now the war is about over there
won't be so much as there has been
and it is'nt time yet to hear whether the
treaty of Peace is settled, and sent here
to be ratified by us. We shan't hear
about that for a month or six weeks to
come; though at this season o'the year
ships make short passages. I once
come over in the mouth of June in '99,
when I commanded the barque Constitution,
in eighteen days from the mouth
o'the Thames. The Boston paper first.
I always flnd the latest news in the Sentinel.
Uncle Russel keeps the old
Columbian afioat and better manned
than any other newspaper craft goin'.
We need'nt expect to hear of any more
brave fights at sea, girl. I hope we
shall find out that for his last exploit
they have promoted again that noble
fellow, Archer, who has done himself
and the navy such credit. We shall
hear no more of his exploits now the
fighting is over; though if the war had
lasted three years longer he'd fight his
way up to a Commodore's pennant.
Look and see if you find any thing said
about him under the head of promotions.'

The maiden, with a flushed cheek
and hands slightly trembling, unfolded
the sheet and run her eye over the columns.
She looked a little excited, but
with joy within, as her bright eye wandered
from columnn to column.

`Ah, you have found that they have
promoted him. I see it in the sparkle
of your eye, girl!' said the captain,
laughing.

`Yes, sir,' she answered, with emotion
that would scarcely suffer her to trust to
her voice.

`Read it. Why, dear bless us, the
girl looks as if she was either going to
laugh or cry. What else is there?'

`Nothing, sir, nothing more, dear
father,' she answered, with a smile,
while tears danced in her eyes.

`What the deuce is the matter, hey?'

`I am so pleased, sir, that the young
gentleman whose career, as given by the
newspapers, we have, or you have, taken
such an interest—in—has been, has
been promoted. You know if he has
friends, a mother or sister, how happy it
will make them. That is all that is the
matter with me.'

`Well, you have always right feelings
for every body. Read and let us see
what they have given him.' She then
began to read.

`PROMOTIONS IN THE NAVY.

`We are gratified to learn that the
brave young seaman, William Archer,
who was promoted to a midshipman's
berth for his gallant and daring conduct

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in leading on the boats, and burning the
English brig, George III., under the
guns of the fort at Halifax, when the
two officers in command of the expedition
had become wounded and disabled,
has been recently advanced to a lieutenancy
for his courage in recapturing the
American gun-brig Washington, after
she had been taken by an English frigate
and anchored under her guns, of which
feat we have already given a full account
in this paper.'

`There. That is justice,' exclaimed
the old man emphatically: `I am as
pleased to hear that now as if he was
my own son. The government have
done just what they ought to have done.
You look as if you were glad, also, girl.'

`I am, father,' answered Blanche,
with emotion.

`Yes, you ought to be; for you and I,
and sister Sarah have taken quite an interest
in this unknown young man since
we first began to read about him in the
papers. Have you heard the news,
Sally?' he asked of his sister, who at
this moment come into the parlour, after
having given her orders to Jack.

`What is it, brother?' she asked, with
interested looks, as she took her knitting
from the drawer of a little table near the
window, and sat down in her low rocking
chair near it to finish a stocking she
had nearly done, `What does the paper
bring new?'

`More about our brave young friend,
William Archer.'

`Then I shall listen with pleasure.
Has he done any thing more to bring
honor upon himself and his country?'

`He has been promoted for his last
exploit in recapturing the gun-brig. I
knew he would be.'

`I am delighted to hear it.'

`I knew you would be. He is made
a lieutenant of.'

`Really, I feel as great pleasure at this
as if I knew him.'

`It would hardly please me more if
he was my own son.'

`Brother, is'nt it strange we have
never heard any thing of—'

`Of whom?' he inquired, as he saw
his sister stop and look as if she had
touched upon a subject she had not best
pursue.

`No matter now. Some other time,'
and she glanced significantly at Blanche.

`Oh, don't mind Blanche,' said the
captain, `for I can guess what you were
going to say, You meant the two lads
who want to get her for a wife one o'
these days. Blanche and I have talked
over the very same thing, how strange it
was we never heard of them since they
left, except the report about Nelson Osborn's
having been dismissed from the
service, but which I could never see confirmed
by the papers. Of Archy Worthington
not a word has come to us.'

`It is very strange, if they are alive,'
observed Aunt Sarah. `Don't you
think so, brother?'

`Yes; for I had hoped that one or the
other would have distinguished themselves
sufficiently for their names to get
into the papers, especially when they had
such a fair prize to strive for as Blanche
here.'

`I thought we should get good news
of young Worthington, at least, he
sfiemed to be such a modest, quiet young
man,' remarked Mistress Sarah, as she
carefully took up a stitch too many that
she had dropped in narrowing; `but I
did not have so much faith in Nelson
Osborne. Still they were both fine
young men when they left here.'

`Yes; but, as you say, there was
more in Worthington to like than in Osborne;
and I dare say Blanche thought
so. But you need not blush, girl. They
have been gone now three years without
distinguishing themselves, and I dare
say they will neither of them trouble

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you again; and I dare say you don't
care a rope's yarn for either of them.'

Blanche made no reply. She held the
newspaper rather higher before her face
than was absolutely needful; and if any
one had peeped over the top, they would
have seen that she was blushing and
smiling, and looking as if she possessed
some secret of happiness unknown to
her father and aunt, which caused her to
smile and blush so charmingly.

`Come, Blanche, read the deaths and
marriages,' said her aunt, who always
took a particular interest in these items
of news; while her brother, after the war
news was read, cared most for the ship
news and accounts of disasters at sea,
and such like food for a retired old sailor's
mind.

Blanche read over first the marriages
and then the deaths; and as neither
contained names which the Captain was
acquainted with, did not interest him;
and, when she had got through,
he bade her look at the ship news. This
she turned to with more interest than
she had shown in recapitulating the
deaths and marriages; and her eyes running
rapidly over the names of vessels,
lighted on the name of one that arrested
her attention and called up a look of
pleasure. It was simply—

`Sails to-morrow, for the Kennebec,
the regular packet-schooner Augusta,
for Kennebec, with full freight and passengers.
'

Her eyes glanced eagerly at the date,
and then she seemed to be mentally calculsting
something suggested by the announcement.
The Captain for a moment
quietly observed her manner and her
absence of mind, and said—

`What is it, girl?—anything squally,
bey?'

`What, father? Oh! no, sir! Nothing?
I'll read the ship news. How
forgetful I am.'

`Very, Blanche. You've seen something
there that you won't tell. Well,
I won't ask you what it is. You are a
good girl and will tell me all that I
ought to know.'

`It seems to me, brother, that Blanche
has had a secret on her mind for some
days past. There seems to be a something
in her face that shows she knows
more than we do about something or
other, and I should like to know what
it is.'

`I dare say, Sarah—I dare say.—
Never was there a secret yet that a woman
did not want to know what it is,'
he said, laughing. `But let Blanche
alone: she'll keep nothing wrong from
us you may be assured,' he added, as he
saw his daughter's confusion and distress
at this conversation. `You must
not press her too close, sister. Young
girls must always be expected to have
secrets that old folks have no business to
know. Come, Blanche, read.'

Blanche felt very grateful to her father
for these words; for she had indeed a
secret that, for the present, she did not
wish to reveal, knowing the proper time
would soon be at hand. The Captain,
although aware she had something upon
her mind which she carefully kept to
herself, and notwithstanding his own curiosity
to know what it was, he sympathised
with her under her aunt's inquisitiveness,
and, as we have seen, kindly
shielded her.

Blanche, having read the ship news
with a voice somewhat more tremulous
than usual, her father took the paper
from her when she had done, saying affectionately—

`Come, dear, you can go now and
finish the preparations for to-morrow's
excursion. See that you put up a bottle
of that old '99 Madeira I brought home
in my last voyage, and two hottles of
London stout, and tumblers and

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wine-glasses to match. Don't forget to put
into the busket the Spanish cheese, and
a half-dozen of Boston ship-bread. We
shall all have appetites on the water.—
As for Sally, she can get ready her own
sweet-meats and sweet-cakes, and sandwiches
and such things; and don't forget
the horn, Blanche,' he added as the
young girl left the room with the hurried
step of one glad to retreat; for the very
pointed conversation of her aunt had
greatly confused and embarrassed her;
and she was grateful to her considerate
father for giving her an opportunity to
retire to recover herself, though he had
not the remotest idea what could be the
cause of her emotion.

`Have you noticed how odd Blanche
has been lately, brother?' asked Aunt
Sarah of the Captain.

`I have seen nothing in particular.—
She looks sometimes as it she had a secret
on her mind that was a dozen times
a-day near escaping. That is all I see.'

`And isn't that odd? What secret
can the dear child have? I can't see;
for it seems as though we knew every
thought of her heart. Yet it is certain
she has something she hasn't told us, and
which I think you had best try and get
from her.'

`Not I, sister. Blanche is a good
girl, and discreet, and can safely be trusted.
I am not surprised at young girls
having secrets from old folks, but I wonder
how Blanche has got a secret at all,
living so retired and quiet as she does at
home.'

`Certainly she has no acquaintance
with any young gentlemen, or I might
suspect it was a love affair; for she acts
precisely like it.'

`Does she?' asked the Captain, with
a significant smile; for Aunt Sarah had
never had a beau in her life, and was not
supposed to know much about love affairs.
But what lady will ever resign
her privilege to judge upon such matters,
albeit the tender passion has never
moved her own bosom?

`Now, brother, you are quizzing me;
but seriously I do think Blanche is in
love.'

`Who can it be with. It is all nonsense.
'

`It is true, nevertheless. I see it in
her cheek and in her eyes, and in every
movement. She is in love you may rest
assured,' repeated Mistress Sarah with
emphasis, as she drew her needle to
commence another row.

`It must be with old Jack then, answered
the captain, `for he is the only beau
she has; and to tell you the truth I believe
old Jack is dead in love with her.'

`Why how can you speak so, brother,'
exclaimed his sister, elevating her hands
in amazement.

`Well, it can't be anybody else. I believe
next to you and I, she loves Jack
and Nep. It must be one of us four,
Sally.'

`It can't be with any one in the village.
There is not a young man that
thinks of her, or visits here, she keeps
herself so close at home.'

`Then who can it be?'

`So you are convinced, are you, that
it is some one?'

`Not hardly. I have noticed, not only
the last week more particularly, but all
along for a year or two, that she seemed
to have a secret source of happiness
within herself that she kept from us.'

`Don't you think I have thought I saw
the same thing!' cried aunt Sarah eagerly.
`It is certain, then, if both of us noticed
it; but I have remarked it, brother,
more particularly in the last eight or ten
days.'

`So have I noticed it more.'

`You have. Well, I am glad of it.
Then it isn't my imagination, as you
sometimes say things are?'

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