Page:Saxe Holm's Stories, Series Two.djvu/309

Rh rocks; sunset hues, and quivering lights on the far ocean, and an honest-souled girl's reveries and sorrows about the war,—all went into them stitch by stitch, by stitch. What put it into Tilly's head to send her name in the stockings there is no knowing. She said:—

"I do wonder what poor fellow 'll get these. I 'd just like to stick my name in; it would seem sort of friendly, would n't it mother?"

"Why, yes, Tilly, I 'd put it in. Some poor fellow might be real glad to know who was a-thinking of him." And Tilly put it in. And the big box from Provincetown was sent up to Boston; and from the rooms of the Sanitary Commission there it was sent on to the Menthaven Hospital.

One darkish night at Provincetown, Captain 'Lisha was just on the point of going home without his mail, the stage was so late. Not being very firm on his legs in a boat he did not like sailing across after dark.

"Hold on, Cap'n!" sang out Tommy Swift, the postmaster. "Hold on, I 'll give ye your mail in a jiffy: here she comes."

The great, creaking, swinging coach rolled up to the door in a cloud of dust, the mail-bag was thrown from the top of the coach on to the post-office counter by a dexterous fling, and without even stopping, the coach rolled away again.