Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-08-13

Ill stand IN need OF eacn oLher pray
ers. Join US, mate"
Won't it be maxim kind of game
o religion for the likes O. me to pray?"
he answered. II was for murderin'
you an the lady and all hands as are
left on board this wessel-what 'ud be
the use O. my prayersP"
Miss Robertson went over to him and
took his hand.
''God," said she, ''has told us that
there is more joy in Heaven over one
sinner that repenteth than over ninety
and-nine just persons who need no re-
pentance. But who is good among us,
CornishP Be sure that as you repent
so are you forgiven. My poor father
lies dead in his cabin, and l wish you
to pray with me for him, and to pray
with us for our own poor lives. Mr..
Royle," she said, Cornish will stay"
And with an expression on her face
of infinite sweetness and pathos, she
drew him to one of the cushioned
lockers and seated herself by his side.
The steward seated himself on the
other side of her and began to read
passages from the eleventh chapter of
John ending with the thirty-sixth verse,
and calling especial attention to the
words of Jesus addressed to Martha:
81 am the resurrection and the life; he
that believeth in Me though he were
dead, yet shall he live" also read
from the eighth chapter of Matthew
those few verses wherein it is told that
Christ entered ship with His disciples
and there arose great storm.
After the reading was finished I adj
dressed them in such manner as
seemed appropriate to our condition
and offered prayer entreating God to
comfort the mourner. Then l shook
Cornish and the steward heartily by
the hand and 1 could see by the ex-
preston on the face of the former he
was glad he had stayed.
then sought to draw Miss Robert
sons mind from her bereavement by
leading her thoughts to our own crit
ical condition. At another time
should have softened the account of
our danger, but now 1 thought it best
to speak plainly of the insecurity of
our lives as this would in some man
ner distract her thoughts from her
fathers death.
She asked me if the storm was not
abating.
told her it was not increasing, but
that if the wind lulled and then blew
hard from another quarter it would
render our condition very critical, as it
would cause cross-sea and the ship
being so deeply loaded we might find
it difficult to keep her afoat.
She desired to go on deck with me
and l finally consented, meaning to
keep her under the companion, half
way up the ladder.
took big top-coat belonging to
the captain and buttoned her up in it,
nd oil tnI l. &c f,,,. h., l. 4
so that she would be we'll protected
from the wind, while the coat would
keep her dress close against her.
then slipped on my oil-skins, and
taking a strong grip of her hand to
steady her, led her up the companion
ladder.
"Do not come any farther" said L
wherever you 60 l will CO." she
answered, grasping my arm.
Admitting her courage and stirred
by her words, which were as dear to
me as kiss from her lips would have
been, l led her right on to the deck
over to windward, and made her sit
on small coil of rope just under the
rail.
The sea was no heavier than it had
been since the early morning, and yet
10y short absence below had trans
formed it into a sublime and stupen-
dous novelty.
You will remember that not only
was the Grosvenor a small ship, but
that she lay deep, with free board
lower by foot and a half than she
ought to have shown.
The height from the poop-rail to the
water was not more than twelve feet;
and it is therefore no exaggeration to
say that the sea, running from fifteen
to twenty feet high, stood like walls
on either side of her.
To appreciate the effect of such a sea
upon a ship like the Grosvenor, you
must have crossed the Atlantic in
hurricane, not in an immense and
powerful ocean steamer, but in a yacht.
But even this experience would not
enable you to realize our danger; for
the yacht would not be overloaded with
cargo; she would probably be strong,
supple and light; whereas the Gros-
venor was choked 10 the height of the
hold with seven hundred and fifty tons
of dead weight, and was Nova Scotia
soft-wood ship, which means that she
might start butt at any moment, and
go to pieces in one of her frightful
sweeps downward.
l sounded the we'll and found that
the ship had thus Tar WlthStood the
strain and was still perfectly tight. 1
communicated the news to the boat
swain who nodded his head, but I
noticed his face wore au anxious look
and that he watched the ship very
closely each time she pitched with ex-
ira heaviness.
CHAPTER XIV.
All that day the wind continued to
blow with frightful force, and the sky
to wear its menacing aspect On look
ing, however, at the barometer at four