Hurrah for New England! | Page 7

"Well done for Moody Dick! he's sailing under new colors. Who would
have thought of his hoisting a petticoat for a flag?" said Blunt Harry, an
old, fat seaman, who is esteemed the wit of the crew.
"Not I," replied Brown Tom; "but if the giver of these books has a
pretty face of her own, they are worth keeping; if not, I don't care for
any of her lumber."
"Well, that she has," said Captain Peck, warmly; "you'll have to go
round the world again before you find a sweeter face than Miss Louisa
Colman's. She begged me to bring them on board, and ask each sailor
to accept a copy for his own use."
"I'll take one for myself, and thank ye, too, for mine was left by mistake
at the tavern, there," observed Old Jack, a quiet man, who had just
come on deck. So saying, he took up the largest of the Bibles with an
air of reverence, quite in contrast with his usual bold, careless manner,
adding, as he saw the name of the donors on the fly-leaf,--"Bless the
Seamen's Friend Society and Miss Colman, too, if she's like the rest of
the dear ladies who take such an interest in us poor wanderers of the
deep."
As the name of Miss Colman was mentioned, the face of Moody Dick
met my eye, and never did I see such powerful emotion as his toil-worn
features betrayed. His eyes, which are of that pale blue peculiar to
mariners, were filled with tears, and, unable to control his feelings, he
turned suddenly round towards the water; but his distress was evident
from the agonized writhing of every limb and muscle.
The sailors, rough and coarse as they are, had too much real feeling to

remark upon this surprising change, and in a few moments it seemed
forgotten in the excitement of finally setting sail. When I next saw him,
Dick's features were hard and stony as ever; but last night, when almost
every one was asleep, I saw him bring out the Bible of which he had
quietly taken possession, and I noticed that he had sewed a coarse
covering over it, and held it as if it were made of gold.
When you and I, Bennie, used to kneel down so regularly, and say our
prayers every night, I did not think that the same act would ever require
a stronger effort of moral courage than any thing I have ever done. The
first night we were out, after reading a chapter, as we always do at
home, before getting into my little berth, I knelt down, without even
thinking that there was any body on board who would not do the same
thing. I was so taken up with the duty I was performing, that I did not
notice if others were looking at me; for if ever I felt the need of the
protection of God, it is now. The land is so full of things that men have
made, and they are so busy all around you, that it does not seem half so
much as if it were God's own world as the ocean, where every object,
except the little vessel you are in, is of his creation. As I looked up and
saw all the universe he had made, and round on the broad waters, and
thought how soon, with one wave, they could sweep us out of existence,
I felt the need of prayer more than ever before, and I cannot now
imagine how those men could sleep, without first asking God to take
care of them. I am afraid, though, that some of the sailors don't even
believe that there is such a being, and they say his awful name without
any fear, and ask him to curse each other every few moments, as if they
had never heard what a dreadful thing it is to be under the displeasure
of the Almighty.
When I got up from my knees, I heard a loud laugh from "Blunt
Harry," who called out to Clarendon,--"Why don't you rock that baby to
sleep, now he has said his prayers, and then say your own and turn in?"
Clarendon would have made some angry reply, but he has found out
that there is no use in getting in a passion, for the men consider him on
a perfect level with themselves, and will say what they choose to him.
"Let the boy alone," interposed Moody Dick. "I only wish I could say

my prayers this night with the same childlike confidence."
"No, don't mind them, my fine fellow," said Old Jack, the same man
who had spoken so warmly of the Seamen's Friend Society, and he
gave me a rough tap on the shoulder, which