CHAPTER XXVIII.
WELL DONE, BOYS!
There comes a time in the life of nearly every boy who attends Sundayschool when, no matter how faithful to it he may have been, he findsgradually stealing in upon him the feeling that he is growing too oldfor it, and he becomes restive under its restraints. He sees other boysof the same age going off for a pleasant walk, or otherwise spending theafternoon as they please, and he envies them their freedom. He thinkshimself already sufficiently familiar with Bible truth for all practicalpurposes, and the lessons lose their interest for him. He has perhaps noambition for becoming a teacher, nor even of being promoted to a chairin the Bible class.
How best to meet the case of this boy, and save him to the Sunday schoolis one of the most difficult questions that present themselves to thoseengaged in that work. You must not scold him or you will infalliblydrive him away at once and for ever. Neither is it wise to seek to bringinto play influences that will compel him to attend _nolens volens_, forthat will but deepen his dislike, and make him long the more eagerlyfor the time when he will be his own master in the matter.
There seem to be but two possible solutions of the problem. You musteither appeal to the boy's natural sense of independence, and desire forimportance by making some special provision for him that will mark adistinction between him and the younger folk, or you must, by going fardeeper, reach the spiritual side of his nature, and through it securehis fidelity to the school.
To Bert this temptation had not presented itself. He no more thought oftiring of the Sunday school than he did of his own home. He had attendedregularly ever since his sister Mary would take him with her, and puthim in the infant class, and it might be said to have become secondnature with him.
With Frank, however, it was different. He had never gone to Sundayschool until Bert invited him, and although for some years he was veryfond of it, that fondness in time had fallen into an indifference, andof late he had a decided disinclination to go at all. This was not dueso much to any resistance to the claims of religion itself, but ratherto a foolish idea that he was now too old and too big for Sunday school.
Bert took his friend's change of feeling very much to heart, and hepleaded with him so earnestly, that for some time Frank continued inhis place just to please him. But this of course could not last, and hewas in danger of drifting away altogether, when an event occurred whichturned the current of his life and set it flowing once more in the rightdirection, this time with a volume it had never known before.
It was a pleasant custom at Calvary Church to give the Sunday school apicnic every summer, and these picnics were most enjoyable affairs. Abetter place than Halifax Harbour for the holding of a picnic couldhardly be conceived. You go, of course, by steamer, and then have thechoice of some half-dozen different routes, each having its ownattractions. You might go right up to the head of the big basin thatstretched away eight miles or more beyond the north end of the city, andthere land, amid the meadows that are bordered by the unbroken forest,or you might stop half-way, and invade the old estate that had once beenproud to claim a prince as its possessor.
Steering in the opposite direction, you might go around the Point, andpiercing the recesses of the ever-beautiful arm of the sea, find aperfect picnic ground at its farthest bend; or, crossing the harbour,there were lovely spots to be secured on the big, tree-clad island thatwell-nigh filled the harbour mouth.
This year it had been decided to hold the picnic at the head of the arm.The time was August, just when the cool sea-breeze and the balmy breathof the pines are most grateful to the dwellers in cities. To the numberof four hundred or more, a happy crowd of Sunday-school scholars andteachers, and their friends gathered upon the broad deck of the clumsyold _Mic-mac_, an excursion steamer that had done duty on this line fora generation, at least. Each class had its own banner, as a sort ofrallying point, and these, with the pretty dresses and bright ribbons ofthe girls, imparted plenty of colour to the scene, while the boys gavelife to it by being incessantly on the move, and never in one spot formore than one minute at a time.
Bert and Frank were in the midst of the merry crowd, and in the highestspirits. They were neither of them by any means indifferent to thefascination of feminine beauty and grace, and it was easy to secure themost delightful companionship on board the boat, which they did not failto do. Then they had the games and sports to look forward to, after thepicnic ground should be reached, and altogether their cup of happinessseemed well-nigh brimming over. They little dreamed how ere the dayclosed they would both be brought face to face with the deadliest perilof their lives.
Joyous with music and laughter, the big boat pushed her way onward overthe white-capped waves, past the fort and the gas works, and the longstretch of the Point road; and then giving the point itself a wideberth--for the shallows extend far out--around it, and up the windingarm, with its line of stately homes on one side, and scattered clustersof white-washed cottages on the other, until almost at its very end, thelanding-place was reached, and the gay passengers gladly deserted thesteamer to seek the cool shelter of the woods.
There was a wonderful amount of happiness crowded into that day. All whowanted to be useful found plenty of scope for their talents in thetransporting of the provisions, the arranging of the tables, the hangingof the swings, and the other work that had to be done, while those whopreferred play to work, could go boating, or swimming, or play ball, andso forth.
The two friends went in for both work and play. They gave very efficienthelp to the ladies in preparing for the dinner, but they did not miss agrand swim in the cool, clear water of a sequestered cove, nor anexciting game of baseball in the open field.
After dinner came the sports, consisting of competitions in running,jumping, and ball throwing, for which prizes in the shape of knives,balls, and bats were offered. Bert and Frank took part in several ofthem with satisfactory results, Frank winning a fine knife in the longdistance race, and Bert a good ball for the best throw, so that therewas nothing to mar their pleasure in this regard.
By sunset all were making for the boat again, and in the soft summergloaming the old _Mic-Mac_ steamed steadily down the arm on herhomeward trip. Many of the children were weary now, and inclined to becross and sleepy. Others were still full of life and spirits, and couldnot be restrained from chasing one another up and down the deck andamong the benches. But their merriment was ere long suddenly ended by anevent which came near casting a dark cloud over the whole day, that hadhitherto been no less bright with happiness than with sunshine.
Bert and Frank had joined a group of charming girls gathered at thestern of the steamer, and while pleasantly employed in making themselvesagreeable were more than once disturbed by the noisy youngsters, whowould persist in playing "chase."
"Some of you will be falling overboard if you don't take care," saidBert, warningly, to them. "Why don't you keep in the middle of thesteamer?"
There was good ground for Bert's warning, as, across the stern of theold steamer, which had been a ferry boat in her early days, there wasonly a broad wooden bar placed so high that a child might almost walkunder it without stooping.
But the careless children continued their play as the _Mic-Mac_ ploughedher way back to the city. Presently a troop of them came racing down tothe stern in chase of a golden-haired sprite, that laughingly ran beforethem. She was closely pursued by a boy about her own age, and in hereagerness to escape him she dodged underneath the bar that marked theline of safety. As she did so, the steamer gave a sudden lurch; and,poised perilously near the edge as the girl already was, it proved toomuch for her balance. She uttered a terrified shriek, grasped vainly atthe bar now quite out of her reach, and, to the horror of those lookinghelplessly on, toppled over into the frothing, foaming water of thesteamer's wake.
Instantly there was wild confusion on board the steamer. Scream afterscream went up from the women, and all who could crowded madly towardthe stern. If the girl was to be saved, immediate action was necessary
.Bert did not stop to think. He could swim strongly and well. He wouldattempt her rescue.
"Frank, I'm after her," he cried, as he flung off his coat and hat.
"I'm with you," answered Frank, imitating his action; and before anyoneelse had thought of moving, the two boys, almost side by side, spranginto the heaving water with faces set toward the spot where a cloud ofwhite showed them the little girl still floated. Putting forth all theirspeed, they reached her ere the buoyancy had left her clothing, and eachseizing an arm of the poor child, who had just fainted through excess offright, they prepared to battle for her life and their own.
They realised at once that it was to be no easy struggle. The steamerhad been going at full speed, and although the engines were reversed atthe first alarm, the impetus of her awkward bulk had carried her faraway from the spot where the girl fell; and now the boys could justbarely discern her through the deepening dusk. The harbour had beenrough all day, and the waters still rolled uneasily. Fortunately, it wasnot very cold, or the swimmers' case had been well-nigh hopeless. As itwas, the only chance of their deliverance hung upon their endurance. Iftheir strength held out, they and the little one they had put themselvesin peril to rescue would be saved.
She continued to be unconscious, her pretty face, that was so bright androsy a few minutes before, now looking strangely white and rigid, andher golden curls clinging darkly about her neck, her broad straw hat,all water-soaked and limp, hanging over on one side.
"Surely she can't be dead already?" exclaimed Bert, anxiously, to Frank,as the two boys kept her and themselves afloat by treading water, one ateither arm.
"No," replied Frank, "only fainted. But if the steamer doesn't comesoon, she will be; and so will we too."
"Never fear, Frank, the steamer will be back for us soon. I think I canhear her paddles now," said Bert, in cheering tones; and they listenedintently for a moment, but heard nothing save the soft lapping of thewaves all around them. Then Frank spoke:
"Bert," he asked, "are you afraid to die?"
Bert started at the question. He had not thought of dying, and life wasso precious to him.
"We're not going to die, Frank. God will take care of us," he answered,quickly.
"Yes, but if the steamer shouldn't get back to us in time, Bert,"persisted Frank, who seemed to be already losing hope, "aren't youafraid to die?"
"I don't want to, but I'm not afraid to," Bert replied, after a pause;for it was not easy to talk when every exertion had to be put forth tokeep above the water.
"But, Bert, I am afraid," said Frank, with a groan. "I've been sowicked."
"No, you haven't, Frank; and even if you have, God will forgive you now.Ask Him right away."
"Oh, I can't--it's too late; I cannot pray now," cried poor Frank, in avoice that sounded like a wail of despair.
"It's not too late. Come, Frank, dear, we'll both pray to God to havemercy upon us," urged Bert; and inspired by his earnestness, Frankobeyed. And there, in the midst of the waves, with their senselessburden between them, the two boys lifted up their souls in supplicationto their Omnipotent Father--Bert with the confidence that came of pastexperience, Frank with the agonised entreaty of one praying in soreneed, and, for the first time, with the whole heart. A strange place fora prayer meeting, indeed; but they were as near the great heart of Godas though they had been in His grandest cathedral, and the answer totheir earnest pleading was already on its way.
When the two young heroes leaped into the water, there had at first beengreat confusion on board the _Mic-Mac_, but a minute or two later thecaptain's gruff voice was heard roaring out orders. The paddles that hadbeen thrashing the waves so vigorously suddenly stopped, were silent fora moment, and then recommenced; but now they were bearing the steamerbackward instead of forward.
"Get ready the boat for launching," thundered the captain. Andhalf-a-dozen men sprang to obey.
"Light a couple of lanterns," he shouted again. And in an instant it wasdone.
"Reeve a long line round one of them life preservers, and stand readyfor a throw," he cried to the mate. And almost before he had finishedspeaking the mate stood ready.
"Now, then, clear away there all of you," he growled at the excitedcrowd that pressed toward the stern, and they fell back, allowing himclear space, while he swung the lantern out before him, and peered intothe dusk that obscured his view.
"Let her go easy now," he shouted, and the steamer moved slowly on, aprofound silence falling upon the crowd of passengers as they watchedwith throbbing eagerness for the first sign of the imperiled ones beingsighted.
Gazing hard into the gloom, the keen-eyed captain caught sight of agleam of white upon the water.
"Stop her!" he roared, with a voice like that of the north wind. "Handme that life preserver!"--turning to the mate who stood near him. Themate obeyed, and coiling the long rope ready for a throw the captainwaited, while the steamer drew nearer to the speck of white.
"Look out there!" he cried to the boys in the water. "Lay hold of this."And swinging the big life preserver around his head as though it hadbeen a mere toy, he hurled it far out before him, where the beams oflight from the lantern showed not one but three white objects scarceabove the surface of the water.
"Look sharp now! lay hold there!" he cried again, and then: "All right.Keep your grip, and we'll have you in a minute." Then turning to thosebehind him: "Lower that boat--quick!"
The davits creaked and groaned as the ropes spun through the blocks;there was a big splash when the boat struck the water, a few fiercestrokes of the oars, and then a glad shout of, "All right; we've gotthem," in response to which cheer upon cheer rang out from the throngabove, now relieved from their intense anxiety.
A few minutes later, three dripping forms were carefully handed up theside, and taken into the warm engine room, the little girl stillunconscious, and the boys so exhausted as to be not far from the samecondition.
Their rescue had been effected just in time. A little more, and utterlyunable to keep themselves afloat any longer, they would have sunkbeneath the pitiless waves.
"It seemed awful to have to die that way," said Bert, when telling hisparents about it. "I was getting weaker and weaker all the time, and so,too, was Frank, and I thought we'd have to let the poor little girl go,and strike out for ourselves. But we kept praying hard to God to helpus; and then all of a sudden I saw a light, and I said to Frank,'There's the steamer--hold on a little longer;' and then I could hearthe sound of the paddles, and the next thing the captain shouted to usand flung us a life preserver, and we got a good grip of that, and heldon until the boat took us all in."
The heroic action of the two boys made them famous in Halifax. Thenewspapers printed columns in their praise, a handsome subscription wastaken up in a day to present them each with a splendid gold medalcommemorating the event; important personages, who had never noticedthem before, stopped them on the street to shake hands with them, andwhat really pleased them most of all, Dr. Johnston gave the school aholiday in their honour, having just delivered an address, in which,with flashing eyes and quivering lips, he told the other scholars howproud he felt of Frank and Bert, and how he hoped their schoolmateswould show the same noble courage if they ever had a like opportunity.
The parents of the little one they rescued were plain people of limitedmeans, but they could not deny themselves the luxury of manifestingtheir gratitude in some tangible form. Accordingly, they had twopictures of their daughter prepared, and placed in pretty frames,bearing the expressive inscription, "Rescued," with the date beneath;and the mother herself took them to the boys, the tears that bathed hercheeks as she presented them telling far better than any words could do,how fervent was her gratitude.
Deeply as Frank had been moved at being brought through his own generousimpulse into such close quarters with death, the excitement and bustleof the days immediately following the event so filled his mind that theimpression bade fair to pass away again, leaving him no better than hehad been before. Bu
t it was not God's purpose that this should be theresult. Before the good effects of that brief prayer meeting in thewater were entirely dissipated, another influence came to their support.Although he knew it not, he was approaching the great crisis of hislife, and by a way most unexpected; he was shortly to be led into thathigher plane of existence, toward which he had been slowly tendingthrough the years of his friendship with Bert.
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