CHAPTER THREE.
A SHIP IN DISTRESS.
As yet the sun seemed always to have shone on little Ben. He had a goodfond mother to look after him at home, and a kind father who set him agood example, taught him well, fed him well, and never took him to seain bad weather, or let him suffer any hardships which could be helped.Seldom could a merrier, happier fellow than Ben then was be found. Darkdays, however, were coming for him, of which he little thought.Thankful, indeed, should we be that our ever-kind God does not allow usto know beforehand what we may be called on to suffer.
The summer passed away, the winter returned, and the large luggers beingonce more laid up in harbour, John Hadden and his sons went home tospend their Christmas. It was a very happy one. Nearly all the familywere together; two sons had returned from sea, a daughter had come homefor a visit from service, and many a pleasant evening they spent as theysat over the cottage fire, while the sailors recounted the adventuresthey had met with in their voyages to distant lands. The fishermen hadalso their tales to tell, and many an old story was recalled to mind andrecounted by John and his eldest sons, or a neighbour who had stepped into see them. John, too, would read to his family, not only on a Sundayevening, but on every evening in the week, when he was at home, from theBook of books.
"I can't see why people should fancy, as many do, that they need readthe Bible only on one day in the week. It was surely given us to be ourguide not only for Sundays, but for every day. There is no business inlife in which it won't tell us how to act whenever we may have anydoubts about the matter," said John one evening, after he had beenreading the Scriptures; and then he continued, "In every page the Biblesays, `Do right, whatever comes of it,' and that is the very thing weought to be reminded of, day after day, for it is the very thing we aretoo apt to forget."
John not only read the Bible, but he profited by what he read, and sodid his children; and that is the reason why they were a happy, united,and prosperous family.
Some time after Christmas, John Hadden had gone out by himself on thesea-shore, with his constant companion, his spy-glass, under his arm.He walked up and down, and his mind dwelt on many of the scenes andevents of his past life; he thought of the many dangers he had gonethrough, and of how often he had been mercifully preserved. "People dosay that the life of a fisherman is a very dangerous one," he thought tohimself. "They are right. How many of those I have known have losttheirs! Not a year that I can call to mind but some friend or other hasbeen drowned. Such may be my end. God is merciful; He knows what isbest. He will not call me away, except for some good purpose."
Continuing his walk, Hadden's mind grew more and more serious, almostmelancholy; yet it must not be said that his mind was one of a gloomyturn; no man was generally more cheerful. The day, however, had aneffect on his spirits. The clouds gathered thickly in the sky, and hunglow down; the wind moaned as it came across the dull, leaden-lookingocean, and found its way among the sand-hills, making the tall rushesbend before it. Sheets of cold mist came rolling in every now and thentowards the land; and, though they swept by, they were quickly succeededby others, till they grew denser and denser, and a regular heavy wettingmist settled down over the face of the land and the water.
John Hadden was about to turn his steps homeward, when one of his sonscame to remind him that it was time to return home to tea. Just then aheavy squall burst on the land from the eastward, and the clouds andmist breaking away left a clear space all the way to the horizon.
"I'll come, Bill, I'll come, my boy," he answered, lifting, however, hisglass to his eye, to take another last look over the troubled watersbefore he went in for the evening. Just then he caught sight of astranger in the offing, where, outside the sand-banks, a high sea wasrunning. He looked earnestly through his glass for half a minute.
"There is a large ship," he said to his son, "driving on towards thebanks, and totally dismasted. Unless there is a pilot aboard who knowshis way through the passage, he'll be on the bank to a certainty, andthen, with such a night as we shall have presently, Heaven have mercy onthe unfortunate people! Even if the wreck should hang together till themorning, they will be washed overboard and be lost. Though we missedsaving the people from the wreck last year, through their own folly, wemust not be dispirited. Perhaps we may be able to save these. Bill, goand find your brothers, and tell them that there's a ship will be onshore directly, and that we must do something to help. Say nothing,though, to your mother, boy." Bill hastened away, and old John stillwatched the ship.
As he had foreseen, the stranger very soon drove on to a dangerous partof the sand-banks, and the sea before long was evidently making a cleanbreach over the deck. In a short time all the young Haddens, andseveral other men, came down on the beach, bringing old John'srough-weather coat and boots, which he put on while they were gettingready to launch the boat. Little Ben came with his brothers.
Old John put his hand on the boy's shoulder, and looked earnestly intohis face. "No, Ben, I'll not take thee, my child, to-day," said he;"it's over-rough work we are going on; I couldn't even tell thy motherof it; so go home, and take care of her."
Little Ben pleaded hard to be taken, but he pleaded in vain. "No, lad,no, I cannot take you," repeated the father. "Go home now, go home. Itmay be late before we return. Perhaps we shall be out all night, somother will want you at home to keep her company. Read to her, lad, outof the Bible; and, I say, Ben, if thy father never comes back, rememberthat his last words to thee were--_Trust to God_. _Do right, whatevercomes of it_."
Old John Hadden then joined the young men and the rest of the boat'screw, and their united strength soon launched her, with all her gear onboard, into the water; and as they all leaped in, each man seizing anoar, they quickly had her through the surf, which had begun to roll insomewhat heavily. Little Ben stood on the top of a sand-hill, andwatched them as they pulled away out to sea. His eye anxiously followedthe boat as she grew less and less distinct, till she was lost to sightamong the breaking seas, which leaped upwards around the sand-banks.For a time he could clearly see the wreck towards which they weredirecting their course. Then the shades of evening increasing, and athick mass of mist gathering round her, she also was lost to sight.
Ben, as his father had desired him, went home, and having reported thathe had seen the boat get well off, sat himself down by the side of hismother, who was working with her needle before the fire, and taking thebig Bible on his knees, he began to read to her out of its sacred pages.His father's mark was at the thirteenth chapter of Saint Luke's Gospel,and he read: "There were present at that season some that told Him ofthe Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans_were_ sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered suchthings? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewiseperish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slewthem, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt inJerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall alllikewise perish."
"Father was saying that to me the other day, mother," remarked littleBen. "He told me that he had known many God-fearing men to lose theirlives, and many bad ones live on and remain still in their wickedness."
"Yes, my boy; God knows best when a servant of His has lived longenough. He calls us when He wants us," replied Mrs Hadden; adding, "Itmatters little to a Christian when or how he is taken from earth. Thegreat thing of all is to know that we are Christians, not in name only,but in truth. And to be a Christian is to believe on and love the dearSaviour, who has done so much for us; and so to be born again of God'sHoly Spirit, as the Lord Jesus Christ Himself has told us: `For, excepta man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'"
Ben read on to his mother till she told him that it was time for him togo to bed. He repeated his prayers, and then he went up and lay down inthe room which he and his brothers usually occupied; but he was the onlyone there. Eve
ry now and then he awoke, expecting to hear them comingin; but he only heard the rain dashing against the lattice window, andthe wind howling and whistling dismally. A heavy gale was blowing righton shore. Every now and then there was a flash of vivid lightning, anda loud crash of thunder rattling away across the sky. Ben tried againto go to sleep, but he could not. He was certain that his poor mothercould not be sleeping. He crept down to her room, where a light wasburning. Her head had not pressed her pillow; she was on her knees,with her face bent down to the bed, and her hands clasped together.
Noiselessly Ben stole back to his attic. "I can pray too, and join myprayers to mother's," he said to himself. He prayed for his father andbrothers exposed in their open boat to that fierce storm near thoseterrific breakers, which rolled in over the sand-bank where the ship hadstruck. He fully understood all the dangers to which they were exposed."God knows best what to do--God's will be done," he repeated as he rosefrom his knees.
Daylight came at last. Ben got up, and, slipping on his clothes, he ranout to the sand-hills, whence he could obtain a clear view over the sea.He well knew the spot where the ship had struck. She was not there,nor was there any sign of the boat. He could not bring himself to goback to his poor mother with this account, so he went down to the beach.The shore was strewed with bits of the wreck, showing the fearfulcharacter of the gale which had blown all night, and was still blowing.
Hour after hour passed by; but no boat neared the shore. His mothercame to look for him, and with trembling voice called him in; yet shelingered, watching anxiously with haggard eyes the foaming ocean. Atlength night returned. Neighbours looked in, but they could give her nocomfort. The boat might have run into port, but it was not likely.Sadly that second night passed away. The morning brought no gleam ofhope. Mrs Hadden's lot has been that of many fishermen's and sailors'wives.