IN spite of his mother's wishes John was determined to go to sea, so seeing her boy was set on a sailor's life, she found a berth for him, and he was soon on the ocean. I don't think he found a boy's life on board ship exactly what he expected, yet when he had got over his first sickness he settled down to the routine of the ship. The first voyage was only a short one, and after a visit home to his mother, he left his native shores again.
John was never fond of writing letters, so no one was surprised at not hearing from him. But months passed away and no news came. One morning his elder brother at home read an account of the wreck of the vessel in which John had sailed, and the loss of three lives, one of whom was his own brother, giving his age and description.
His sorrowing mother was not quite satisfied with this; she went to the owners of the vessel, but they only confirmed the report as true, and in the course of a few weeks sent her the clothes and belongings of her son. She was thus compelled to go into mourning for her sailor son, although it was so difficult to believe he was really drowned.