Beyond it the sails of the _Maria Stella Maris_, shaken from the yards,
were piling themselves into snowy mountains, their foot-ropes and braces
trailing down and breaking into leaves and clusters of the vine.
He heard the murmur of streams flowing, the hum of bees, the whetting of
the scythes--even the stir of insects' wings among the grasses.
From truck to keelson the ships were wavering, dissolving part from part
into remote but unforgotten hiding-places whence the mastering
adventurer had torn them to bind and yoke them in service. Divine the
service, but immortal also the longing to return! "But there the
glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams;
wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass
thereby."

The boy heard the words; but before he understood them a hand was on his
shoulder, and another voice speaking above him.

"God bless us! it's you, is it? Here's a nice tale to tell your father,
I must say!" He opened his eyes, and above Captain Tangye's shoulder
the branches faded, the lights died out, and the masts stood stripped
and bare for service against the cold dawn.



THE KEEPERS OF THE LAMP.


It was in a purple twilight of May that I first saw the lamp shining.
For me, a child of seven, the voyage had been a tiring one: it seemed
many hours since, with a ringing of bells, and hearts adventurously
throbbing with the screw of our small steamboat, we had backed and