Lost And Saved ; Or Nellie Powers The Missionary's Daughter.

Miss Powers had been confined to her stateroom by sea sickness , until the hue day of which we have spoken , and therefore they had not been much in each other ' s society . They had sat some moments in silence , each admiring the grandeur of the ocean scene , when Miss Powers opened her heart by saying : — " Mr . Prescott , I cannot tell why , hut a strange feeling of impending evil has been hanging over me ever since I left home , but this beautiful day has done much to dispel my fears . " "I understand that ladies are naturally timid , and especially when on the water , " was the laughing rejfiy of Mr . Prescott , " But it is not that , Mr . Prescott , so much as a feeling : of a personal danger , or from

other causes which I have laid to the strangeness of my new quarters , and the sea sickness which has racked my system so much for the past few days . " At that moment a large fin-back whale showed his huge back above the sea , and sported a short distance from the vessel . Mr . Prescott , desirous of changing such an uninteresting subject as foreboding evil to a more lively one , called the attention of Miss Powers to the animal , which had neared the vessel , and could now be distinctly seen under

the surface of the water . As it darted through the briny liquid , it caused the dark blue of the sea to sparkle beautifully , and Miss Powers , impressed with the curious scene said : " This must be a monstrous fish , they are not always as large ast his , are thev Mr . Prescott ?" Mr Prescott could hardly answer that question , so he turned to Mr . Evans , who sat near , and whom he knew could give the desired information , and said : — " Mr Evans , Miss Powrs asks if whales are always as large as this one we have just seen ?"

" Why , bless your heart , Miss , " replied Mr . Evans , smiling , " this fish is only a small shrimp beside some of the fish I have seen . You wilt probably be surprised when I say we may fall in with some whales , in the South Seas , a hundred feet long , while this one is only thirty . " " Be surprised 1 indeed I should , " said Miss Powers , who seemed already surprised . " A hundred feet long 1 why pray tell how you ever catch them or find ropes aud hooks large enough ?"

At this question a smile played around the eyes and mouth of the good natured mate , as he looked at Mr . Prescott he slyly winked his eye , and said , " They do not catch them that way , Miss . " " Oh ! of course they do not , " said Miss Powers , who saw that she had made a blunder , " how stupid I must have been . But how do they catch them ?" " It is a long story , and perhaps you would not have the patience to listen to it , " replied the mate .

"Oh , yes , I would , " replied Miss Powers , "if you will only tell me . Tell me all about it , I know Mr Prescott will ke interested also . " " To begin at the proper jjlace I should have to begin at the first sighting of the whales from the crow ' s nest , "" Crow ' s nest ! " interrupted Miss Powers , " what ' s a crow ' s nest ? " And she smiled as she said , "You will have to explain all the things that we do not know as you go along , or we will not know any more about it when you get through than we did before

you commenced , so tell us what a crow ' s nest is ?" " A crow ' s nest , Miss , " continued the mate , " is a cask or box , fastened to the crosstrees , in which a man is stationed to look out for whales , ""But you did not tell us what the cross-trees were , " said Nellie . " Sure enough ; well , the cross-trees are the pieces that run across the mast ; you see those , on the foremast of the " Sparkler " about two thirds don ' t ?"

up , you " Oh , yes , " said Nellie , who only a few minutes before had been looking at those same cross-trees , and wondered what they were . "The cask is fastened on to those , " continued the mate , " and a man is stationed there to look out for blows , that is whale blows ; as soon as he sees a whale he sees a