FROM LONDON TO NEW YORK. 227 



dren of a larger growth," for they instantly hushed their 

 lamentations and turned their attention toward the 

 great steamer. There was a rugged but bewildered 

 old granny among them, who seemed to regard me 

 with a kindred eye, and toward whom, I confess, I felt 

 some family affinity. Before we had got half way to. 

 the vessel, the dear old creature missed a sheet from, 

 her precious bundle of worldly effects, and very confi- 

 dentially told me that her suspicions pointed to the 

 stoker, a bristling, sooty, "wild Irishman." The stoker 

 resented the insinuation, and proceeded to berate the 

 old lady in Irish so sharply and threateningly (I had* 

 no doubt of his guilt) that she was quite frightened, 

 and ready to retract the charge to hush the man up.. 

 She seemed to think her troubles had just begun. If* 

 they behaved thus to her on the little tug, what would 

 they not do on board the great black steamer itself?' 

 So when she got separated from her luggage in getting 

 aboard the vessel, her excitement was great, and I met 

 her following about the man whom she had accused off 

 filching her bed linen, as if he must have the clew to* 

 the lost bed itself. Her face brightened when she saw/ 

 me, and giving me a terribly hard wink and a most 

 expressive nudge, said she wished I would keep near 

 her a little. This I did, and soon had the pleasure of 

 leaving her happy and reassured beside her box and 

 bundle. 



The passage home, though a rough one, was cheer- 

 fully and patiently borne. I found a compound mo- 



