Mrs.Somers had heard nothing from her husband; but the destruction of the Gosport Navy Yard, and the seizure of several northern vessels in the harbor of Norfolk, left her little to hope for in that direction.

Suddenly an impregnable wall seemed to rise up between the North and the South, and she not only feared that Captain Somers had lost all his worldly possessions, but that he would hardly be able to escape himself from the fiery furnace of secession and treason.
To her, therefore, the future looked dark and forbidding.

She foresaw that she and her family would be subjected to the pressure of want, or at least be dependent upon the kindness of friends for support.

She had freely stated her fears to her children, and fully exhibited the insufficiency of the family resources.

The vote of the town was a perfect godsend to Tom, and a fat legacy from a rich relative would not have kindled a stronger feeling of gratitude in his soul.
For the next five weeks, Tom was employed forenoon, afternoon, and evening, in the drill, and he soon made himself proficient.