The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1861-03-20
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Ballast.

"What is ballast father ?" said Joseph,
as he was reading book about ships and
shipping.
"Ballast, my boy" replied his father, ''is
that which they put into ship when she is
empty, in order TO weight her and make her
sail steadily. Without ballast she would be
turned over by the high winds or heavy
sea-" .....
"And what do they use for ballast, papa:'
In whatever port the ship may happen to
be, the captain tries to gets cargo Of goods
which may he likely to sell well in the port
the ship is going to-: and in that case, the
cargo itself is ballast; but when the captain
cannot get cargo of goods he is obliged to
fill the hold, or bottom part of the ship,
with stones, or gravel, or anything else. that
he can get, that may be heavy enoug for the
purpose. While you are speaking on this
subject, Joseph, my thoughts go another
way and | am ready to say that | hope, as
you 60 on your voyage, you will take care to
carry ballast, and that Of the right kind"
81 father, carry ballast? Why, am not
a ship, nor yet am going voyage, that !
know Of ,
"No; but did you never hear of the 'voy-
age Of life,' Joseph % .....
"Oh yes! I suppose you mean chat this
! life is Ike sea, and men and women are as
the ships sailing on it, .....
Eyes, Joseph; and boys and girls too.
! hope you have got ballast on board"
"Well, father can understand how I am
ike ship or the sea of life; but what do
you mean by my having ballastT'
knowledge, my boy. knowledge is the
ballast of the soul. Do you think you can
get through the world without knowiedge?'
81 suppose not, father, any better than a
ship can cross the sea witho ut ballast"
"Just so; but take care that you take the
right sort Of ballast. Suppose, now. a
| ship would be ladened with nothing but
straw. Do you think it would sail with
safety ?" ... ..
"Well; suppose that straw, heing so
light the ship wculd not be much safer than
| ifit had nothing at all on board. Bat just
tell me what you call good cargo
"Well, then, suppose you were to read
nothing but story-books; suppose you were
/ to store your mind with no other knowledge
! than what you could gain from suck books; 4;
would that be good cargo for your ship p
81 suppose, father that would be like the
cargo of straw. should think that good
knowledge of English grammar, arithmetic,
geography and history, would be the best
sort of cargo to load my ship with"
"a very good cargo, Joseph, but not all
that would be wanted"
"Well, then, father, suppose may add,
geometry, natural history, and other scien-
ces also, Latin French and Greek ?"
Every good. But, Joseph, your cargo
would be wanting unless you had something
that you have not yet mentioned. Where
! is your voyage on the sea oflife to end"
"In eternity, father
"Yes, Joseph. We are alljourneying to
eternity. Now, take your Bible. and read
the thid verse of the seventeenth chapter of
John"
(Joseph reads "'And this is life eternal,
that they might know thee the only true
God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast
sent"
Snow Joseph, you can tell me what
knowledge will make your cargo complete.
What is it, ~ l.....a a- ..
1.-The knowledge of Jesus Christ, father y
"Yes, my boy grammar and arithmetic,
science and languages, are more or less nee
essary for your own comfort and usefulness
in the voyage of life; but you will not have
successful voyage unless you have as
ballast the knowledge Of Jesus Christ
Where will you get ~
"From the Bible, father"
"Quite right, Joseph. I am glad, indeed,
that you are doing your best to take in "a
store of knowledge, that shall help you to be
useful on your voyage; but, above all things
study your Bible and pray for the grace of
the Holy Spirit to help you to gain more and
more, each day that You live, of that knowl-
edge which is cable to make thee wise unto
salvation through faith which is in Christ
Jesus .- .....a-Er