The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-04-12
Auuseh0la &ords.
THE BURNING OF THE GOLIATH"

On "Innocents' Day special service
for children, according to now annual Gus
tom, was held at Westminster Abbey, which
was crowded With children and their friends.
The following address, having special refer
ence to the destruction of the Goliath"
training,ship a few days before, was deliver
ed BY Dean Stanley on that occasion. He
selected for HIS texc, l Sam. XVI: IL: "There
remaineth yet the youngest, and behold, he
keepeth the sheep
propose to set before you the example
of what may be expected from children, from
little boys and girls, when they are quite
young: to show you how they may do and
say Things which will be Ct the greatest use
to those about them, and which will do the
greatest good to themselves and others.
But now let me give you an example which
comes nearer home. will speak to you of
what has been done by little boys of seven,
of eight, of twelve, or thirteen-as young as
the youngest of you-little English boys, and
English boys with very few advantages of
birth; not brought up as most of you are in
quiet orderly homes, but taken from the
warehouses;. l will speak to you of what
such little boys have done, not fifteen hun
dred or TWO hundred years ago, but last
week-last Wednesday, on the river Thames.
Do you know what AN thinking Of? 1t is
of the little boys who were from different
warehouses in London-nearly five hundred
and are put to school to be trained as sail
ors on board the ship which vas called after
the name of the giant whom David slew
the training-ship "Goliath." This great
ship suddenly, about eight o'clock on Wed
nesday morning, caught fire. 1t was hardly
light. In three minutes the ship was on
fire from one end to the other, and the fire.
bell rang to call the boys each to his post
What did they do? Think of the sudden
surprise, the sudden danger--the flames
rushing all around them, and the dark cold
water below them. Did they cry, or scream
or fly about in confusion? No; they ran
each to his proper place. They had been
trained to do it, they knewit was their duty,
and no one forgot himself-none lost his
presence of mind. They all as the captain
says, "bebaved like men" Then, when it
was found impossible to save the ship, thope
who could swim, at command OF the captain,
Jumped into the water and swan for their
lives Some, at his command, got into a
boat, and then, when the sheets of fame and
clouds of smoke came pouring out of the
ship at them, the smaller boys for a moment
were frightened, and wanted TO push away.
But there was one among them--the little
mate, his name was William Bolton; we
are proud that he came from Westminster
a quiet boy, much loved by his comrades i;
be had the sense and courage to say, "NO
we must stay and help those that are in the
ship" He kept the barge alongside the
ship as long as possible, and was thus the
means Of saving more than hundred lives
And there were others who were still in the
ship while the flames went on spreading, and
they were standing by the good captain, who
had been so kind To them all, and whom they
all loved so much. In that dreadful moment
they thought more of him than of themselves,
and one threw his arms round his neck and
said, you'll be burnt, captain !" and an
other said, "Saye yourself before the rest. !"
But the captain gave them the best of all
lessons for that moment. He said, That's
not the way at sea, my boys" He meant
to say-and they quite understood what be
meant--that the way at sea is to prepare for
danger beforehand, to meet it manfully when
il comes, and to look at the safety, not of
oneself, but others. The captain not only
had learned that good old way himself, but
had known how to teach it to the boys un-
der his charge.
And now let me ask you to consider what
We may all learn from this story of the good
conduct of the boys in the Goliath" ship.
First, what an encouragement it is to pa
rents, teachers, nurses, and all who do any
thing for children, as showing that their Ia.
Dor is not spent in vain. These little boys
were taken from rough, neglected class,
which before had been vexation and trou-
bic to all about them. By the wise foresight
of the Minister of the State who began this
system of training ships, and then by the
genial, wise kindness of the captain and his
wife and daughters, who instructed them in
habits Of order and duty, they were being
trained to the service of their country and
their God in that noble profession of an
English sailor. And now that they are sud,
denly put on their trial in this great calami
ty, we see how all this training works--what
seeds of goodness there we're in those little
hearts, what energy in those little minds
This ia What school and education can do
This is what can be done By making good
beginning. We all know that good begin
nings have sometimes very bad endings; that
these little heroes of the "Goliath" ship may,
if they are spoiled by foolish fattery or meet
with wicked companions, turn out very diff
ferently from what they are now, There has
been one dreadful example within the last
month, of one who began as charming, en-
terpriSing, Intelligent, religious boy, but who
from giving way to evil courseG and bad as
sociates ended in committing frightful
crime, and died recently with the infamy of
selfish, bad hearted murderer. But these
examples are the exceptions. Let us hope
and believe that Whenever care, forethought,
and kindness are exerted on young children
they will lead the rest of their lives accord
ing to that good beginning 1t is the best
We can do for them; 1t is the bast We can do
for our country.
And you, children, turn your thoughts
back to that burning ship and the example
of the little boys, all doing their duty SO no.
bly,; what is it that this teaches you? It
teaches you that you ought to be always
ready to DO yhst i0 right at moments no
tice. Those boys could never have guessed
when they got up that morning, that in three
minutes they would have to be working to
save their lives and the lives of those about
them. But they were ready, and they did
it. Let your motto be, Ready, always