“Oh, Draxy,” said the Captain, “how shall we ever live without you?”

“Oh! but you will come up there, uncle.” said Draxy; “and we shall keep you after we once get you.”

Captain Melville shook his head.  He could never leave the sea.  But full well he knew that the very salt of it would have lost its best savor to him when this sweet, fair girl had gone out from his house.

The “good-nights” were sadly and solemnly said.  “Oh!” thought Draxy, “does joy always bring pain in this world?” and she fell asleep with tears on her cheeks.

Reuben sat up until near dawn, writing to Elder Kinney.  He felt strangely strong.  He was half cured already by the upland air of the fields he had never seen.  The next morning Draxy said, “Do you not think, father, I ought to write a note too, to thank the kind minister, or will you tell him how grateful I am?”

“Put a postscript to my letter, daughter.  That will be better,” said Reuben.

So Draxy wrote at the bottom of the last page:—­

“Dear Mr. Kinney:—­I do not know any words to thank you in; and I think you will like it better if I do not try.  My father seems almost well already.  I am sure it was the Lord that helped you to find out about our land.  I hope we can come very soon.

“Your grateful friend,

“Draxy Miller.”

When the Elder read this second note of Draxy’s, he said aloud, “God bless her! she’s one o’ His chosen ones, that child is,” and he fell to wondering how she looked.  He found himself picturing her as slight and fair, with blue eyes, and hair of a pale yellow.  “I don’t believe she’s more than fourteen at most;” thought he, “she speaks so simple, jest like a child; an’ yet, she goes right to the pint, ’s straight’s any woman; though I don’t know, come to think on’t, ’s ever I knew a woman that could go straight to a pint,” reflected the Elder, whose patience was often sorely tried by the wandering and garrulous female tongues in his parish.  The picture of “Little Draxy” grew strangely distinct in his mind; and his heart yearned towards her with a yearning akin to that which years before he had felt over the little silent form of the daughter whose eyes had never looked into his.

There was no trouble with the town in regard to the land.  If there had been any doubts, Elder Kinney’s vigorous championship of the new claimant would have put them down.  But the sympathy of the entire community was enlisted on Reuben’s side.  The whole story from first to last appealed to every man’s heart; and there was not a father in town that did not rest his hand more lovingly on his little girl’s head at night, when he sat in his door-way talking over “them Millers,” and telling about Draxy’s “writin’ to th’ Elder.”

Before the first of May all was settled.  Elder Kinney had urged Mr. Miller to come at once to his house, and make it a home until he could look about and decide where he would establish himself.