The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1858-03-31


December, my mother gave me a sealed
letter and small Bible to put in my trunk
and told me not to open the letter until
the 2lst Of December. That was her
birthday when she would be rs years
old. She gave me her blessing, which
shrank from receiving and l went off. As
soou as I got clear of home felt at liber-
ty. l said to myself Nov there will
be no one to ''pray for me, and l sban't
be annoyed with Bibles and texts"
left home without any sadness, but rather
with kind of wicked pleasure and when
1 got on board ship, l soon forgot all about
mother and brothers and sisters. After
we had set sail, and were we'll on with the
voyage, a storm arose that was very vio-
lent. Just about this time I was taken
very sick-not with sea-sickness, but
dangerous fever. I lay in my bunk, tos-
sing about with the ship, as wretched and
miserable as a man could be. The doctor
told me that was at the point of death,
and that if l had any preparation to make
for eternity I had better make it, for |
had not long TO live. This he repeated
also in the cabin among the passengers.
one of whom, an aged man, came to see
me. i remember his face it was all
kindness but hated the sight of him.
He came with book in his hand. and
said to me Young man, you are almost
gone; have come to read to you some-
thing out of the Word of God" / looked
up at him moment, and said in rage;
"Hand me the book ;" and when he Of
ferred it to me took it and put it to my
lips, and made solemn oath that l would
have nothing to do with God or with re-
ligion. told him that if he read to me
l would not listen, and bid him with an
oath, to leave me alone. He then went
away, and lay stark alone in my bunk.
1t seemed to me that I was at that mo-
ment more miserable than l had ever been
before in all my life ; 1 do not refer to
my bodily sickness, but to my distress of
mind. 1t was evening, and there was no
light near me, but all was as dark az mid
night. Suddenly the thought came over
my mind that it was the 2lst of Decem-
ber, and | remembered my mothers letter.
l could not rise and get it, for / was not
able, and my first impulse was to call one
of my messmates to get it for me. But
remembered that it was between the lids
my Bible. l was ashamed to let any one
know that 1 wanted the Bible and 1 did
not want that, but my mothers letter I
lay for some time, and at last determined
to call some one. One of my messmates
came at my call. asked him to get
lantern, and to 60 to my trunk and get
Bible with letter in it. "Ah," said he,
with sneer, Now you're sick, you be-
gin to be coward what do you want
with that book 2" 81 don't want that
book, but the letter in it," replied. In
few minutes he brought lantern, open
ed my trunk, and handed me the Bible
and letter. He then left the lantern on
my bunk and went away. l sat up lit
tie in the bed, and opened the sealed pack
age The very first words that caught
brought tears to my eyes. They were my
mothers words" My dear Tom"
read the letter carefully from beginning to
end, 1t was mothers prayer for the
conversion of her son. l had been miser-
able before, but these words made me more
wretched than ever. than began for the
first time to feel remorse for my sinfulness
and to have fear and dread of judgment.
1 turned about in my bunk in agony which
l cannot describe. had been told that
/ could not live, and now | was afraid to
die. What could / do3 / began to
pray This was what | had always had
a horror Of before, but l was forced to
come to it at last. / prayed to God to
let me get well again, and made solemn
promise to Him, on my bed, that if he
would only raise me up l would reform
my life. The burden of my sins almost
crushed me. Even if had not been sick
it seemed as if | should have died of these.
continued to pray, and when it was ex-
pected that l would die was still alive,
and was kept alive, and instead of grow.
ing worse l grew better. The doctor told
me then, that / had had a narrow escape,
and that had been lying at deaths door.
As / got better l got more comfort. The
light gradually dawned in upon my dark
soul, and its darkness were dispelled. At
last one day there came a sudden joy---a
sweet peace-that wrapped me round like
sunshine. My heart was happy, and while