Ben Hadden | Page 2

away from England, off the
Texel. Other fishing grounds are from twelve to twenty miles off the
British coast. At times, more than a hundred vessels are together,

forming a large fleet. One of the oldest and wisest of the captains is
chosen as their head man, and is called the admiral of the fleet.
They have, of course, many rules and laws to govern them. When they
fish far from the land, they remain out six weeks, or more; and do not
once, all that time, go into port. There are, however, steamers
employed, which run to and fro to carry them food and fresh-water,
also to take ice to them. With this ice the fish are packed, as soon as
caught, in large baskets. The steamers then collect the fish from the
different fishing-vessels, and carry it to London, or to the nearest port
where there is a railway station. This account will give an idea of the
many thousand people employed as fishermen on the eastern coasts of
our country. In summer, while the weather is fine, their calling is
pleasant and healthy; but when storms arise the hardships and perils
are very great, and many of the men every year lose their lives, leaving
widows and orphans behind them.
There was belonging to Sandhills, the little hamlet about which I have
spoken, as fine and bold a set of fishermen as any to be found on the
British coast. There were from fifteen to twenty families. The largest
family was that of old John Hadden. He had eight sons and several
daughters: three of his sons were away at sea--two of these were on
board men-of-war, and the third was on board a trading-vessel; four
followed his calling as fishermen, and formed part of the crew of the
lugger of which he was master; the youngest, the eighth--Little Ben as
he was always called, the son of his old age--was as yet too young to go
regularly to sea. He, however, went with his father and brothers in the
summer season, when fine weather was looked for, and he would not
probably be exposed to hardships too severe for his tender years.
The fishermen of that coast were long known as rough and careless
men, thinking nothing of religion, and utterly ignorant of religious truth.
It used to be said of them, that as a rule they lived hard and died hard,
caring for nobody, and nobody caring for them. This was too true of
many, but not of all. It was not true of John Hadden. His outside was
rough enough, and very much so in winter, when he had on his high
fishing-boots, broad-flapped sou'-wester, thick woollen comforter,

Guernsey frock, with a red flannel shirt above it, and a pea-coat over
all. But he had an honest, tender, true, God-loving, and God-fearing
heart. As he had been brought up, so he brought up his children in "the
way they should go," trusting "that when they were old they would not
depart from it."
John Hadden was able to do what many of his friends could not; he
could read, having learned early in life. Not that he read very well, but
well enough to study the Book of books so as to understand what it
teaches. There are many, alas! who can read it far more easily than
could John Hadden, but do not. How many have the Bible, but do not
even look into it, treating it as though it were of less value than any
common book! How many would rather read light foolish books than
the "Holy Scriptures," though they "are able to make us wise unto
salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus!"
What does that verse mean? That if we read and study the Scriptures,
with faith in Christ Jesus, they will show us how we may, without fail,
gain more joy, happiness, wealth, and glory than words can tell; not
such as will pass away in a few short years, but such as will last for
ever and ever.
John Hadden prized the Bible as the only light which could point out to
him the way of eternal life. He read and read, and, more than all, he
prayed as he read, till he understood the Bible well, and was able to
shape his own course by it, and to point out to his sons how they might
shape theirs. When he took up the Bible he humbly prayed, "Lord,
teach me that I may read and understand Thy holy Word aright." These
words, and the spirit of these words, he taught his children.
John Hadden and his family neglected no means or opportunities of
knowing more about the Bible, or of obtaining instruction. He did not
say, as