A DIVER'S NURSERY TALE. 



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instantly rushed into his dress, he was likely to have been drowned, had he not at 

 once been hauled on board. Two or three days, however, at Haslar Hospital restored 

 him ; and the two submarine combatants resumed work together with the greatest 

 cordiality. 



A diver's " Nursery Tale " must not be omitted. The hero, " Jack " (this is the name 

 of a diver who "lived once upon a time"), had been busy for some weeks in gathering 

 up the relics of a shipwreck, when on a certain day he saw appear at one of the 

 windows of his bell the pale face of a woman, with long hair intertwined with sea- weed. 

 He had often heard tell of the beauty of mermaids, who are, as every one knows, lovelier 

 than the most lovely of women; but Jack never believed that any creature so perfect as 



WAVES OFF THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE. 



this could have existed. With a voice softer than the murmuring of the waves under a 

 gentle breeze, she said to him, " I am one of the spirits of the sea. On account of 

 your kind disposition I have marked you out among the rest of your companions, and 

 I will protect you, but on one condition only, and that is, that you shall be sure to 

 recognise me under any shape into which I may be pleased to change myself/' The 

 beautiful spirit disappeared, and Jack remained very much surprised, but with a strong 

 feeling of joy thrilling within him. He prospered exceedingly in all that he undertook. 

 But at last prosperity spoiled him. He kicked and ill-treated a polyp, a kind of devil- 

 fish, but still an animal, and one that had done him no harm, not knowing that the 

 beautiful spirit was disguised under that mass of ugliness. A few days afterwards an 

 accident occurred and Jack was drowned. Moral : Take the advice of kindly mermaids 

 when you meet them. 



And now for our last yarn, a true one. Some years ago a large vessel, having on 

 board a valuable cargo, including gold bars, was run down and sunk by a steamship 

 in the Thames between Northfleet and Gravesend. She was afterwards successfully raised 

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