Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1885-06-10

would, if it was His pleasure, let them
hear what He had done with their
dear friends, and prepare them for
suitable submission to His holy will
.'ln all the accounts that we have
of prayer" said the Professor. 81
know of nothing equal to that. 1t
contains volumes of history. With
that simple text the ethnologist and
historian might construct the history of
people. Observe the human nature
of it, that is the intolerable burden of
suspense, and see the religious faith of
it, both of submission and the trust
that the prayer would be answered.:
''These people seem to have rested
with the conviction that this remark
able supplication would be effective.
DR.. Prentice continues his narrative,
after quoting the prayer, with an
account of what happened, as though
it were the expected answer. He
writes, too, with the vividness and
accuracy of detail to be expected of the
eyewitness, an inherent proof of the
truth of his narration. I infer that
within day or two after the prayer
the manifestation was received. There
arose a great thunder storm from the
northwest, such tempest of fury as
sometimes follows elemental disturb
ances from that quarter. 1t seems to
have been accepted as the presage of
the manifestation that followed. After
it passed away it left the atmosphere
unusually clear, but it affected the
people with solemn spirit. An hour
before sunset the reward of their faith
came. Far off, where the shores of
Long Island are just dimly visible, a
ship was discovered by a man who
made haste to tell all the colonists.
They gathered on the shore, and saw a
vessel, full rugged, every sail pulled out
by the wind, and the hull listed to one
side by reason of the strain upon the
masts and the speed with which the
breeze carried her
1t is our vessel, they cried. God
be praised, for He has heard and
answered our prayer.
'Yet while they saw her straining
with the wind, and seemingly speed
ing with such rapidity as should bring
her to them in an hour, they also
observed that she made no progress.
Thus she continued to appear to them
for half an hour. While they were still
astounded by the mystery, they saw
that she had of sudden approached.
and was coming with what seemed
most reckless and foolhardy speed, for
she was in the channel, which is mar
row and of sufficient depth only to per-
NIT the passage of a vessel of her size
with skilfull handling. The children
cried. There's brave Ship but the
older people were filled with apprehen-
sion lest she should 90 upon the shoals
or be dashed upon the shore. They
thereupon made warning gestures,
although they could see no one upon
! the deck.
''At last they observed something of
which in their excitement they had
taken no heed. The harbor lies in a
southerly direction, and the channel
itself runs due north and south. The
vessel was making toward them with
great speed, every sail curved stiff
to come in gale from the south, and
yet the wind was actually blowing with
great power directly from the north.
Thus holding her course due north,
they saw her sailing directly against the
wind. Then they knew that they were
witnessing mysterious manifestation.
AS she approached so near that some
imagined they could lurl stone
aboard her, they could sec the smaller
details, the rivets the anchor and its
chains, the Tapping of the smaller
ropes, and the rhythmic quivering of the
ribbon-like pcnnant that was lying in
the face of the wind. Yet they saw no
man aboard of her.
''The people awaited with sober
resignation such further manifestations
as were to be given them. Suddenly,
and when she seemed right upon them,
her maintop was blown over, noiselcss-
ly as the parting of a cloud, and was
left hanging in the shrouds. Then the
mizzentop went over, making great
destruction, and next, as though struck
by the ticrcest hurricane, all the masts
went by the board, being twisted as by
the wrcnchings of wind that blew in
reslstlcss circles. The sails were torn
in narrow ribbons, whirling round and
round in the air, while the ropes snap
ped and were unraveled into shreds,
and beat with noisc]css force upon the
decks. Soon after her hull began to
carcen, and at last, being lifted by a
mighty wave, it divcd into the water.
Then smoky cloud fell in that par
ticular place. as though curtain had
dropped down from heaven, and when,
in moment, it vanished, the sea was
smooth, and nothing was to be sccl
there. The people believed that thus
the Almi ghty had told them of the
tragic end of their ship, and they re-
newed their thanks to Him that He had
answered their prayer. The Rev. Mr.
Davenport, in public, declared that
God had condescendcd for the quietine
of their afflicted spirits this cxtraordi.
nary account of His sovereign disposal
of those for whom SO many fcrvcn'
prayers were continually made.
"You will see,' said the Professor,
as he carefully laid the manuscript
away, "what an extraordinary problem
is here presented to me. If | accept
any record evidence, must accept this
yet science teaches me that the laws OF
nature are memorable, as much so now
as ever. What is the truth?''
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