The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1858-03-30
From the New York Tribune.
A Sailors Story Of his Conversion.

In one of the recent prayer-meetings in
this city, sailor rose and narrated to the
congregation the circumstances of his con-
version He WAS young ma, a native
of England, with an intelligent face and
an impressive manner of speech; and his
remarks were received with great attention.
He said:
81 am stranger here, and such scene
as this is one that, until very recently,
would have been altogether new to me-
Nine weeks ago was converted, and since
then, have become in some degree familiar
with pravcr-n cciings and church services,
though before that knew very li,tlc of
either. have been very wicked man.
For one so young, | have gone into almost
incredible dissipation. and have committed
almost every known sin. | can hardly
imagine n person 10 have gone a greater
round Of Nichcducss than !. | am the
youngest of : large funIy Of children
Ny father i dead, but my mother is liv-
ing. She is an Old woman, now NOR,
than 10 yc;l, Of agr. She is devoted
Ch,stian, aui ha, always tried to bring up
her children Ike her, and some Of them
have followcG her example. Several of my
brothers and -i,tcrl arr carnosi and sincere
Christians, VINO, with lor, have oft times at
home prayed i,,r my sa,.a,in Bat new
cr could endure u sing il,ouclt OF relig
ion. Whenever tn" sn'l"ci was mon,ion-
cd to me, | Immediately rcpclled il, and
repellcd it often with horrid oath. The
thought that the members Of the family
prayers for me always made me angry.
was warned agains, NY dissipation, but
went into it the moro ! was warned. /
grew more and moro wicked every day, out
of spite, and tried TO be great sinner.
At last l determined to leave home, /
wanted 10 get away from the influences of
a praying mother. ] wanted to be free
from all restraints, So that / might indulge
myself in whatever | chose, to my own
satisfaction, Ny rlothcr lmplorcd me not
to 60. l told her was going to sea, and
Uouid 90. Her eyes filled with tears, and
she could sly nothing more. With what.
ever sins / had, had some love for my
mother, and I gave way before her tears.
She asked ne TO proa ise her that would
never 90 TO sea without her consent. ! as
sentcd, and remained while at home.
A young man who was my companion
in dissipation, left England and came to
this country, and after he had been here
short time returned in the same ship. He
told me that l could enjoy myself grandly
il would go away from homo rs he had
done, and that there was all manner of
pleasure in New York. I again determin-
ed to 60 to sea in company with him. My
mother seeing was bent on going, could
not bear the thought that I should leave
without her consent, and so she gave it,
l accordingly made preparations to ship at
Liverpool. Just before / started, which
was about the first OF last December, my
mother gave me sealed letter and small
Bible TO put in my trunk, and told me not
to open the letter until the 2ist Of Decem-
ber. That was her birthday, when she
would be 75 years old. She gave me her
blessing, which shrank from receiving,
and | went off. As soon as got clear of
home felt at liberty. said 10 myself,
Snow there will be no one to pray for me,
and shan't be annoyed with Bibles and
texts" left home without any sadness,
but rather with kind Of wicked pleasure:
and when / got on board of the ship,
soon forgot all about mother and brothers
and sisters. Aftor we had set sail, aud
were we'll on with tho voyage, q storm arose
that was very violent. Just about this
time / was taken very sick--not with sea-
sic'sness, but dangerous fever. I lay in
my bunk, tossing about with the ship, as
vretched and rnisarahle as a man could ha
The doctor told me that was at the point
Of death, and il ! had any preparation to
make for eternity he'd better make IL, |
had not long to live. This he repeated al
so in the cabin among the passengers, one
Of whom, an aged man came TO see me-
Iremember his face. 1t was all kindness;
but | hated the sight Of him. He came
with book in his hand, and said 10 me:
"Youne man you are almost gone; / have
come TO read YOU something out Of che
Word Of God" I looked up at hims . mo-
III IrrN Il