Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-08-29
Praying and Fighting.

Admiral Colpoys always bore w;tn..
to the benefit in his life and chareaesss
derived from following the advice e.
his good old landlady. When a mov VI
boy, and about to leave the shelter -
her roof to go on his first voyage a..
midshipman in the navy, she gave h;s
a guinea, and said to him:
"Never suffer yourself to be laucboa
out of your money or your prayers'n
No n appreciates more keenly thu,
an English sailor the tirmness that will
hold a youngster faithful to his Bibls
and his prayers on ship-board
They know that a boy who has thu
courage to perform his devotions thew
in spite of the ridicule he gets, will bays
the courage to do any duty-and thev
equally despise the boy who shows apy
shame of his religion.
There is an Illustration of this in Bal.
%lentyne's anccdotc Of Robin Wright, a
young electrician connected with tho
force of assistants on board the Great
Eastern, at the time the cable of 1854
was laid. When night came, at tina
close of his first day on board, in tho
harbor, as his place had not been as.
signed, Jim Slagg, a steward hand, who
had taken 3 great fancy to Robin, pre-.
vailed on him to accept his berth. Rot.
in thanked his friend, and said as h.
was rather tired, he would turn in
Pulling out the small Bible he had cal.
ried in his pocket since he left home, he
went into q corner, read a few verses,
and then knelt down to pray. The
surprise of the other lads was expressed
in their eyes, but they said nothing,
Just then, in walked a big boy named
Stumps. Catching sight Of Robin on
his knees, he opened his eyes wide,
pursed his lips, and gave = low whistle. /,
Then he went up to Robin and gave
him a slight kick. Surprising that it
was an accident, Robin did not move,
but on receiving another and much
more decided kick, he rose and turned
around. At the same moment Stumps
received q resounding and totally unex.
pected slap on the cheek from jim
Slagg, who had planted himself before
him with clenched fists and flashing
eyes.
what dye mean by interferin' wi
my friend at his dewotions, you
~monkey-faced polypus?" ne demanded,
tiercely.
The "monkey-faced polypus'' replied
by delivering a blow at Jim that might
have felled a small horse. Jim, how.
ever, was prepared for that. He turned
his head to one side SO as to let the
blow pass, and at the same moment
planted his knuckles on the bridge of
niS nr,r,rnorfsc noco orI cnrf hin, baoI
long into q bunk that lay conveniently
behind.
There" said he, ''if you've had
enough, say so, and We'll shake hands.
Next time you feels tempted to kick a
gentleman-'spccially an electrician
at his devotions, remember Jim Slags
an restrain yourself. 1 don't beai ye
no ill-will--so goodnight"
On the following evening, when bed
time came, Robin, after considering
awhile, concludcdit would hardly be adj
visable to risk a repetition of the scene
of last night; so without reading bis
Bible he crept into his berth, and began
to say his prayers in bed. But Jim
Slagg, who was present, no sooner saw
what he was about than he jumped up
with a roa of Indignation.
"Here, you white-livered electri'
CLAMP" he cried. ''What're you dom
there? Git up! If Pm to fight, yoN
must pray! Dye hear: Turn out,
say!'
With that he seized Robin, dragged
him out of bed, thrust him Oh his
knees, and babe him do his ''dooty."
At first, Robins spirit rose in rebel
lion, but a sense of self-contempt at his
moral cowardicc, and of the justice Of
his friends remarks, subdued him.
He did pray forthwith, though what
the nature OF his prayer was we do not
know. The lesson, however, was not
lost. From that night forward ROBIN
Wright was no longer ashamed or
afraid to be seen in the attitude OF
prayer Iouth's Companion.