SHAKESPEARE'S "ROMEO AND JULIET."


As the dews of heaven fall gently, lulling the flowers to rest, so did
the low, clear voice of the Sea-flower soothe the weary spirits of Mrs.
Grosvenor, as she read from the evening paper the following paragraph:

"Spoken by bark Constitution, of New York, in latitude 39° 20',
longitude 45°, ship Tantalizer, of Nant., Capt. I. W. Grosvenor, eighty
days from home; had taken seventy barrels of sperm oil, and was made
fast to a forty-barrel right whale: would sail for South Seas in a few
days; all well."

"Hurrah for father!" exclaimed Harry; "he will be at home in less than
two years, at that rate, and then he promised me that I should see what
old ocean is made of!"

"My son, you will learn full soon what a life at sea is; your bright
visions may indeed some of them be realized, the many dangers to which
you will be exposed, will not serve to mar your joys, for to such a
heart as yours they will pass unheeded; but for all that, my son, you
will meet with many hardships, of which you little know. I would wish
you never to follow the sea, my boy, but if you are still determined
upon it, when your father returns I shall have to give my consent,
though with reluctance. You will then be old enough to choose your own
pursuits for life, and whatever they may be, remember, Harry, to lead an
honest, upright life, never losing sight of your early instructions, and
the prayers of your mother."