Charley Laurel: A Story of Adventure by Sea and Land

  CHAPTER NINETEEN.

  DICK'S LESSON NOT LOST.

  I had been three years at school, and was now almost a man inappearance. Henri had gone to the island of Saint Lucia in the WestIndies, where his family resided. I was sorry to lose him, as there wasno boy in the school I liked so much. He had made me promise to comeand see him should I ever be able to do so. This seemed not impossible,as I had not lost my affection for the sea, and Mr Dear had promised tosend me in one of his ships, should I wish to follow it as a profession.I had, indeed, thought of no other.

  He had made all the inquiries he could to discover my friends, buthitherto unsuccessfully.

  I had spent my holidays at his house, when he and his wife treated me askindly as if I had been their son.

  The midsummer holidays were approaching. We had a large cricket-fieldjust opposite the house, where one evening we were playing. I hadbecome as good a cricketer as any of the big boys, though I never caredvery much for that or any other game which seemed to lead to no result.I liked it, as it gave exercise to the body, just as I like chessbecause it requires mental exertion. My side was in, and I had justgiven up my bat, having been caught out, when, as I was going to throwmyself down on the grass, I saw a sailor-like looking man enter thefield. He looked about for some time. I went towards him and inquiredwhat he wanted.

  "Can you tell me, sir, if young Charley Laurel is at this school, andwhereabouts I can find him?" he said, addressing me as a stranger.

  The moment he spoke my heart leaped into my mouth, for I recognised myfaithful friend and protector, Dick Driver. I could scarcely resistthrowing my arms round his neck, as I should have done when a littleboy, but the fancy seized me to try whether he would find out who I waswhen I spoke.

  "Charley Laurel, the young monkey. You don't suppose a big fellow likeme would take the trouble to be looking after such a little jackanapes;but if you care for him, I shall be happy to try and find him out foryou."

  "Care for him? I should think I do: he has never been out of my headall these years I have been away from home. I brought him up, I maysay, since he was no higher than my knee, and I love him as if he hadbeen my own son."

  I had led Dick, as he was speaking, to a shady spot under some talltrees on one side of the field, away from the rest of the fellows.

  "I am sure you do, Dick; and Charley would be an ungrateful fellow if hedid not love you from the bottom of his heart," I answered.

  Dick looked hard at me as I spoke, then grasping my hands, which I heldout, he exclaimed:

  "Why, as I live, you are Charley yourself! My dear, dear boy, what hascome over my eyes, that I should not have known you? and yet, to be sureyou are grown into a fine big fellow."

  I assured Dick that I had known him at once, and begged his pardon forthe trick I had played him.

  We sat down on the grass, and, as may be supposed, had a long yarntogether.

  Dick, as I knew, had sailed again in the _Phoebe_ another voyage to thePacific, and had only just returned.

  "To my mind, Charley, it's high time that you should go to sea, if youare going at all, or you will never get rid of your land ways--not thatI have any fear of you now. The _Phoebe_ is going into dock to receivea thorough repair, and I have promised Captain Renton to rejoin him assoon as she is ready for sea; and I feel sure, if you apply to theowners, they will appoint you. I set my heart on having you with me,and, to tell you the truth, I should not be happy without you. So justyou ask them, and they will not say `nay.'"

  I told Dick there was nothing I so much wished, and promised at once towrite and ask Mr Dear. Dick was greatly pleased.

  "The matter is settled then, Charley, and I hope, before many months areover, we shall be in blue water together again, and I shall be teachingyou many of the things which I am afraid all your schooling must havemade you forget." As it was a half-holiday, I was able to spend severalhours with Dick. We were at length discovered. The boys gathered roundus, inquiring who Dick was; and on hearing that he was an old sailor,begged him to spin them some of his yarns. Dick indulged them to theirhearts' content, and, among other things, narrated some of the earlyevents of my life. At last he was obliged to take his departure, thathe might catch the evening coach for London.

  When the school broke up, I returned to Mr Dear's. He at oncequestioned me as to my inclinations about a profession; and when I toldhim that I wished to go to sea, he replied, to my great joy, that hewould make arrangements for my sailing in the _Phoebe_.

  I spent several weeks at his house, before she was ready for sea,employing my time, at his suggestion, in studying navigation.

  On going up to town one day, I found Captain Renton at the office. Hecordially welcomed me, and assured Mr Dear that he would do his best tomake a sailor of me, and to fit me for my duties as an officer.

  The _Phoebe_ was, I found, bound out to Sydney, New South Wales. As shewas by this time nearly ready for sea, Mr Dear thought it best that Ishould go on board at once and commence my duties. I found that Dickhad already joined.

  "I hope, Charley, you have not forgotten what you knew before you wentto school," he observed. "I have been mortally afraid that thebook-learning would drive your seamanship out of your head."

  "I hope not," I answered; "I feel myself perfectly at home already, butI shall be able to judge better when I get to sea."

  When Captain Renton left the ship that evening, I thought he looked verypale; and the next day the first mate, Mr Gibbs, received a message tosay that he was too ill to come on board. Several days passed. We thenheard that he was unable to proceed on the voyage, and had given up thecommand to a Captain Slack, who made his appearance the next morning.

  "I don't like his name," observed Dick to me, "but he may be a very goodman for all that: still, to my eye, he is very different to CaptainRenton, but we shall find out all about him by-and-by."

  At length the _Phoebe_ went out of dock down to Gravesend. Some of herpassengers had already come on board, the rest here joined us.

  We soon found when we got into blue water that Captain Slack was, asDick feared, a very different sort of person from Captain Renton. Wehad no services on a Sunday, no prayers in the cabin; and, though he hadappeared quiet enough in harbour, he now swore at the men and abused theofficers if anything went wrong. Had Mr Dear known the sort of man hewas, I feel sure that he would not have given him the command of theship. The passengers seemed very indifferent to his conduct, as long ashe did not abuse them, and that he took very good care not to do.

  "Charley, I hope you have not forgotten to say your prayers," said Dickto me, one day. "The more ungodly people are around us, the more needthere seems to me that we should pray to be led aright, and kept fromjoining in their wickedness. You have got your Bible with you, I hope."

  I had, but I had to confess that I had not once looked into it.

  "I have not sailed so many years with good Captain Renton, withoutlearning his ways, and as I want to be guided by the Bible, I am verysure that I must read it every day. Sometimes I find it a difficultjob, but I don't mind the other men laughing and jeering at me, as theyare fond of doing; neither, Charley, will you, if you are wise. It isbetter to fear God, than poor helpless beings like ourselves. That'swhat I always say to myself when the others begin to jeer at me."

  I promised Dick that I would do as he advised, and that very day when Iwent to my berth, on the half-deck, I got out my Bible and began to readit. I remembered what Captain Renton often said to me, that I must notread it like a common book, but that I must earnestly pray to beenlightened by God's Holy Spirit while I read it, to understand itstruths. I did so, and I then saw that I was an utterly lost sinner,and, as far as my own merits were concerned, had no right to claimadmittance into heaven. But then I saw also, that by trusting to themerits of Christ, and to His perfect and complete sacrifice offered upfor me, my sins were washed away, and that God would receive me andwelcome me as a dear son; and that at any moment,
should I be called outof the world, I should be sure of eternal happiness. I also learnedanother glorious truth, namely, that Christ the great High Priest, whohas entered into the Holy of Holies, is now at the right hand of God,and having taken my flesh upon Him, knows all my infirmities, and can betouched by them, having been tempted as I am, and thus acts as mymediator, my intercessor, my advocate; thus washing me daily, hourly,every moment, with His blood, from the sins which I commit. Yet I knowthat every sin grieves and offends Him, and I strive with the aid of HisHoly Spirit to resist sin, to refrain from sin, and I sorrow heartilyfor the sins of which I know I am guilty. Yet I live in a constantsense of His boundless love and mercy. I do so now, I did so then.This gave me a contentment and joy I had never known before, and I nolonger feared any danger, nor felt cast down by the annoyances which myungodly shipmates were continually endeavouring to give me.

  This knowledge, however, did not come all at once, and many weeks passedby before I attained to that happy condition which I am sure allChristians ought to enjoy. I at length spoke to Dick on the subject.

  "Of course, Charley," he said, "it's a poor religion to my mind if a mandoes not take God at His word and believe what He says; and He tells usthat all who believe on His Son have passed from death unto life, haveentered the kingdom of heaven, and are heirs of eternal happiness. Itseems to me all clear sailing when we know that, though Satan is alwaystrying to place rocks and quicksands in our way, but when we have gotthe true Pilot aboard, we are sure to keep clear of them, for He canmake no mistake. That makes me happy and contented, and afraid ofnothing except that I should forget to pray for that help, which, if Ipray, is sure to be sent me."

  Dick and I, knowing that we were not to keep our light under a bushel,as we had the opportunities, spoke to others, and by degrees several ofthe crew joined us to read the Bible and pray together.

  The captain heard of our proceedings, and, declaring that he would haveno prayers or psalm-singers on board, Dick was summoned aft to answerfor his conduct.

  "I only do what Captain Renton did, sir," he answered, quietly; "and ifI neglect my duty, I do not ask to be treated with more favour thanothers."

  "Just take care what you are about then," answered the captain; "my eyewill be upon you."

  Dick touched his hat respectfully, and without saying anything wentforward.

  I was soon afterwards called up.

  "I should have expected, Mr Laurel, that you would have known betterthan to try and upset the discipline of the ship," he observed, in asarcastic tone. "How can you expect the men to obey me if you try andmake them suppose that they are better than I am?"

  "I am not attempting to do so, Captain Slack," I answered, quietly."The more I read the Bible, the more clearly I see that it is the dutyof Christians to obey those set in authority over them; and I am verysure that those of the crew who follow its precepts will become moreobedient seamen and more anxious to do their duty than heretofore."

  "As to that, I am a better judge than a youngster who has only just leftschool," he observed; "and I warn you, as I warned your friend, to takecare of what you are about."

  As we were only doing what his predecessor had encouraged, the captaindid not dare to prohibit our meetings, and Dick and I continued asbefore to read our Bibles, and to induce all we could to listen. Thethird mate and one of the midshipmen, as well as several of the seamenand passengers, joined us, though the rest seemed more than everdetermined to reject the truth, and to go on in their old ways.

  As we neared Sydney, the captain resumed his shore-going manners, anddid his best to make himself agreeable to the passengers.

  On a fine morning, soon after daybreak, we entered the magnificentharbour of Port Jackson. As soon as the passengers had landed and thecargo was discharged, we had to turn to and prepare the ship for sea, soI had little opportunity of visiting the place. As we had orders toclean up the cabins, we knew that we were to take passengers home; andhaving received a cargo of wool, "Blue Peter" was hoisted, as a signthat we were ready to sail. Several passengers immediately came onboard: among the last was a gentleman, who, by his dress, I knew to be amissionary or clergyman, and two ladies who accompanied him. No soonerhad the younger lady stepped on deck than I felt sure she was my oldfriend Miss Kitty. I ran eagerly up to her. Her surprise was evengreater than mine, for she did not recollect me. Her companions wereMr and Mrs Newton. They all expressed their pleasure at seeing me,and told me that they had come to Sydney, on their way to England.

  Miss Kitty looked very sad. I was afraid of asking about CaptainFalconer, fearing that something painful might have occurred connectedwith him. I waited, hoping to hear his name mentioned. At length Imade the inquiry of Mr Newton.

  "He has paid us two visits, and is still in these seas, though hopingsoon to return home," he answered. "He is as much attached as ever toour friend, but he is wisely anxious to secure the comforts of a homebefore he marries; and though she would not have refused to become hiswife, had he pressed her, still, believing that her father is alive, andmay return home, she wishes first to obtain his sanction."

  With a favourable breeze, the _Phoebe_ soon ran the coast of Australiaout of sight.