Part 23 (1/1)
”I feel as if I had lost a stay or prop,” replied Mrs Seagrave ”So accustomed have I been to look to him for advice since we have been on this island Had he not been thus snatched from us - had he been spared to us a few years, and had we been permitted to surround his death-bed, and close his eyes in peace--” and Mrs Seagrave wept upon the shoulder of her husband
After a tirave recovered herself; but silence ensued, only broken by an occasional sob from poor Juno Willia while utter a word; at last he said in a low voice: ”I feel that, next to my dear father and ive o for the water; it was one”
”And yet we could have ill spared you, rave
”It would have been as God willed,” replied Williaht not”
”We never knohat the rave, ”or what may be in store for us Had not this misfortune happened, had old Ready been spared to us, how joyfully should I and all of you have quitted this island, full of anticipation, and indulging in worldly prospects What a check have I received! I now aht and anxiety I have said to myself, `we have been happy on this island; our wants have been supplied; even our coreat We have been under no temptations, for we have been isolated from the world; am I so sure that I shall be as happy in future as I have been? A-wished-for return to the world is about to take place, that I shall have no cause to lament that I ever quitted this peaceful, quiet spot?' I feel that it is a duty to my family that I should return to society, but I a that our happiness may be increased We have, however, a plain precept to follohich is, to do our duty in that state of life to which it has pleased God to call us”
”Yes,” replied Mrs Seagrave; ”I feel the truth of all you have just said We are in his hands; let us put our trust in hirave; ”but it is late, and we have to rise early to- which we shall pass on this island; let us return our thanks for the happiness we have enjoyed here We thought to have quitted this spot in joy, - it is his will that we should leave it in sorrow”
Mr Seagrave took down the Bible, and after he had read a chapter, he poured forth a prayer suited to their feelings, and they all retired to repose
The nextthey were up early, and packed up the few articles which still rerave read the prayers, and they went to breakfast Feords were exchanged, for there was a solerief upon all of them They waited for the arrival of Captain Osborn and the crew of the schooner to attend the funeral of poor old Ready Williaone out occasionally to look at the vessel, now ca on shore A few minutes afterwards, Captain Osborn and the commander of the schooner soon ht on shore; the body of Ready was put into it, and it was screwed down
In half an hour all was prepared, and the family were summoned from the house The coffin, covered with the Union Jack as a pall, was raised on the shoulders of six of the searave and the children, the corave read the funeral service, the grave was filled up, and they all walked back in silence At the request of William, the commander of the schooner had ordered the carpenter to prepare an oak paling to put round the grave, and a board on which ritten the name of the deceased and day of his death As soon as this had been fixed up, Williah, followed the commander of the schooner to the house to announce that all was finished, and that the boat waited for therave to his wife
”I will, I will,” replied Mrs Seagrave, ”but I don't kno it is, now that the hour is co this dear island Had it not been for poor Ready's death, I really do think I should wish to remain”
”I don't doubt but that you feel sorrow, ”
As Mr Seagrave are that the coet clear of the islands before night, he now led his wife down to the boat They all embarked, and were soon on the deck of the schooner, from whence they continued to fix their eyes upon the island, while theup the anchor At last sail was arden-point was cleared, and, as they ran aith a fair wind, each object on the shore became more indistinct Still their eyes were turned in that direction
As they ran down to the ard, they passed the cove where they had first landed, and Mr Seagrave directed Mrs Seagrave's attention to it She re at it in silence, and then said as she turned away: ”We shall never be rave”
”It will indeed be well, my dear, if we never are less happy,” replied her husband
The schooner now ran fast through the water, and the island was every minute less distinct; after a time, the land was below the horizon, and the tops of the cocoa-nut trees only to be seen; these gradually disappeared Juno watched on, and when at last nothing could be seen, she waved her handkerchief in the direction of the island, as if to bid it farewell, and then went down below to hide her grief
The wind continued fair, and, after a favourable passage of little more than four weeks, they arrived at Sydney Cove, the port to which they were bound when they eood shi+p Pacific
PS - Asreaders will probably wish to know a little rave farave, like the patriarch Job after his tribulation, found his flocks and herds greatly increased on his arrival at Sydney Mr and Mrs Seagrave lived to see all their children grown up Williareater part of the property fro for erew up a very fine fellow, and entered the aryman, and made him an excellent wife; little Albert went into the navy, and is at present a corave plantation with Williareatest pleasure is to take his children on her knee, and tell theoes through the history of old Ready's death and burial