Western appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1885-18??, 1885-06-13

distinctly seen, and as the people prayed
with open eyes that were fixed upon
the distant and receding ship, she sud-
denly disappeared, vanished as quickly
as though her bottom had fallen out
and she had sunk on the instant. Yes,
says this writer, more suddenly, for
where as at one moment the eyes of all
OF us were fixed upon her, at the next
as in the wink OF the eye. she was not.
We rose gazed fixedly into the vacant,
space where we last saw her, and then
with wonder turned to each other. Yet
IN another moment she was disclosed to
us as she was before, and we watched her
until she disappeared behind the neck
Of land that bound the harbor to the
east. So we dispersed, wondering at
this strange manifestation, whose mean
ing was hidden from us. Some there
were VINO were convinced that it be-
tokened that even as she had disappear
ed only to be seen again so we would
again behold her after her voyage.
But there were many who were inn
pressed that though we should again.
see her the sight would be but a partial
one. With reverent submition to the.
will of God. The people repaired to
their homes
You see," said the Professor, again
putting down the manuscript, Gin all
this that inexplicable commingling of
hope and fatalism which was, I
imagine one Of the inevitable con-,
ditions of mind of this austere and
intensely religious people. The mere
fact Of the sudden disappearance and
renewed sight of the ship may perhaps
be explained by natural and sample,
causes, bu not so the sphenoplena.
afterward described.
Sin the natural order of events the
colonists would have had ssome tidings
of their ship after three nfanths had
passed. None came, however,. Ships
that sailed from England in March,
April, May, and even June, brought
no word of her arrival. Their suspense
could be relieved only in one way. /
should have asserted, even had [ no
evidence of it, that the colonists sought
the relief they always thought they
found in prayer. [ should also have
unhesitatingly said that they did not,
in their prayers, ask that the inevitable
be averted, but simply prayed that
they might be prepared to receive with
submission whatever was in store for
them to know [ should have been
Justified in so asserting, as I find by
reference to their manuscript. The
account has There the Professor
again read from the manuscript
g The failure to learn what was the
fate OF their ship did put the godly
people in much prayer, both public and
private, and they prayed that the Lord
would, if it was His pleasure, let them
hear what He had done with their
dear friends, and prepare them for a
suitable submission to His holy WILL
''In all the accounts that we have
of prayer said the Professor.AA II
know of nothing equal to that. Tt
contains volumes of history. With
that simple text the ethnologist and
historian might construct the history of
a 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.
DIR. 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. [ infer that
within a day or two after the PRAYER
the manifestation was received. There
arose q great thunder storm from the
northwest, such tempest of fury as
sometimes follows elemental disturb
ances from that quarter. It 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 a 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 q
vessel, full rugged, every sail puffed 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.
g tits ourvessel,' 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 a 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 a brave Ship but the
older people were filled with apprehen-
sion lest she should go 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