ready at a moment's notice to go into his aunt's stateroom whenever she knocked upon the partition to call him, or there was any other occasion for going in to see her, and who for this purpose undressed very little during all the first part of the voyage, immediately climbed down from his berth, and slipping on a great coat which he kept always at hand, in lieu of a dressing gown, he opened his aunt's door.

The moment that he opened it, Mrs. Morelle raised her head suddenly, and asked him in a tone of alarm, what was the matter.

"I don't think any thing at all is the matter, Auntie," said he. "They are always stopping the engine on these voyages-to tighten up a screw or something or other."

"But Grimkie," said she, "I wish you would go and see if you can not find out what is the matter. I am afraid that something has happened."

There was, indeed, something almost awful in the solemn stillness which reigned throughout the ship, now that the engine had ceased its motion, and the ship lay rocking upon the waves as if powerless and helpless. Grimkie immediately left the stateroom in order to go upon deck, and Mrs. Morelle's alarm was very much increased a moment after he had gone, by a burst of steam from

the steam-pipe, which suddenly began to be heard, occasioned by the letting off of the surplus steam, which, as it could now no longer be employed in driving the paddle-wheels, it was necessary to allow to escape into the atmosphere.

A moment after this sound began to be heard however, Mrs. McGregor came into the cabin, to say to Mrs. Morelle, that she must not be alarmed at the stopping of the engine, for there was nothing the matter.

66

They have only stopped to sound," said she. "You see we are drawing nigh to Halifax, and it is very thick and dark, and they can not see the land. So they have to sound and go on cautiously. We shall go on again presently."

So saying Mrs. McGregor went away in order to convey the same relief and reassurance to the ladies in the other staterooms.

Grimkie went up on deck, but he could see nothing. The night was dark, and a heavy mist mingled with rain, was driving along the decks. He could hear the voices of some of the sailors occasionally, talking in ordinary tones, in the forward part of the vessel, and now and then a command given by an officer, but otherwise all was still.

Grimkie returned to the stateroom, and there found how much his aunt had been relieved by

having learned that they had stopped the ship to sound.

"I was sure there could not be anything the matter," said Grimkie. "So you must shut your eyes, Auntie, and go to sleep, and not pay any attention after this to any thing you hear. There are ever so many things going on in such a ship, and when any thing unusual happens we must not mind it. Whenever there is any danger—or at least whenever there is any thing for us to do, Mrs. McGregor will be sure to come and tell us."

"That is true," said Mrs. Morelle, “and I will try not to be afraid again."

"But if you should be afraid at any time, Auntie," continued Grimkie," just knock at the head of your berth and I shall hear."

So saying Grimkie bade his aunt good night and went back to his stateroom. As for John he heard nothing of all this, having slept soundly through the whole.

The steamer was soon put in motion again, but in the course of an hour she stopped anew. Grimkie was asleep, but the stopping wakened him. He knew it was not midnight by the stateroom light which was still burning. There was a little three-cornered box partitioned off in a corner between the two staterooms, with a door

opening into the passage-way, and ground glass sides toward the staterooms. Into this box a lighted candle was placed by a steward standing in the passage-way, every evening, as soon as it was dark, and this gave a dim and indistinct light in the two staterooms adjoining it, through the ground glass panes. This was all the light for the staterooms that was allowed.

Moreover, as this light was put out at midnight, it afforded the passengers the means of knowing, when they awoke in the night, whether it was before or after midnight, by observing whether their light had gone out or was still burning.

Grimkie was awakened from his sleep by the stopping of the engine the second time, and he remained awake long enough to observe that his light was still burning. He, however, soon fell asleep again.

He awoke after this several times during the night and found the ship sometimes at rest, and 30metimes in motion. On one of these occasions he heard a great sound of trampling upon the deck, as of persons going to and fro, and a sort of thumping, such as would be occasioned by the moving heavy boxes about upon deck. He determined to go up and see what was the matter.

So he climbed down from his berth, put on his

great coat, his overshoes, and his cap, and went up to the deck. He saw lights, and the dim forms of many men were going to and fro forward and on the side of the ship a long range of black masses which looked so strange that they quite bewildered him. The wind blew, and the mist and rain were driven into his face so as almost to blind him. As he stood at the head of the stairs looking out, a passenger came by to go in. "What is it ?" asked Grimkie. "Halifax," said the passenger. ful that we have got in at last. hours beating about outside in the could get in."

"I'm thank

We lost five

fog before we

Grimkie was determined to see Halifax, so he went out upon the main deck and thence along to the foot of a narrow winding stair which led up to the upper deck, and thence forward to the great funnel where he thought he could find a little shelter. He saw some lights glancing about upon the pier, and the dark and indistinct forms of men moving to and fro, and a range of black spectral looking roofs extending along the shore. But it was so cold, and the mist and rain were driven so furiously into his face by the wind, that he was glad to go below, saying to himself as he went,

"We may have better luck perhaps when we