The History of Little Peter, the Ship Boy | Page 8

He did not omit, before he took off his clothes, to kneel down and pray
for protection for himself and all on board. No one saw the young boy
in the attitude of prayer, or he would not have escaped interruption, but
Peter knew that God saw him and heard him. Young and humble as he
was, and unpromising as were the manners of those among whom he
had been thrown, he felt no fear. His mind was at rest. He climbed into
his berth and was soon asleep.
CHAPTER THREE.
PERILS AT SEA.
The Polly had made good progress on her voyage, the North Foreland
had been rounded, and with a fair breeze under all sail she was running
to the north. There were numerous other colliers, brigs and schooners
and vessels of all sizes, scattered far and wide over the sea, some close
at hand, others mere specks, their loftier canvas just rising above the
clearly-defined horizon.
Poor Peter had had a hard life of it, ordered about by every one on

board, often receiving an undeserved cuff and kick, or finding the end
of a rope laid sharply across his shoulders when he did not understand
an order which he had never before heard issued. His clothes and face
and hands were now almost as dirty as those of his companions,
although he did his best to keep them clean, but he had received a
rope's-ending from the cook for taking fresh water for the purpose of
washing himself, and he found that the salt water had little effect on his
skin. But he did not complain. He had a source of comfort within him
of which those around knew nothing. What grieved him most was the
fearful language he heard hourly uttered, God's holy name profaned,
foul oaths, and obscene conversation. Whenever he could he
endeavoured to escape from it. He either tried to get on deck when his
shipmates were below, or below when they were on deck--to get
anywhere where they were not. Still, so persistent are depraved human
beings under the influence of Satan, in showing their enmity to those
who love God, and to God Himself, that they often followed him with
their ribald shouts, and kept him forcibly down among them.
Alas! this is no uncommon scene on board, not only many a collier, but
many a proud ship that sails over the ocean. Still, Peter had not read his
Bible in vain. Influenced by God's Holy Spirit, he knew that he must
return good for evil. Now and then, when a retort rose to his lips, he
sought for grace to repress it, and he either remained silent or gave a
mild reply. He persevered, too, in reading his Bible. Often when the
lantern was lit in the forepeak, and the watch below were asleep, he
would rise from his berth, and by its pale light sit on a chest beneath it
and read from the sacred page, although he could with difficulty make
out the words. At other times he would stow himself away forward, and
opening his beloved book, draw comfort and consolation from it till he
was summoned to some duty by one of his task-masters. Two or three
times he had stolen aloft unnoticed by those on deck, and read
uninterruptedly for an hour or more, but the mate at length discovering
him, called him down.
"I told you we don't allow idlers aboard," exclaimed old Jim, bestowing
several cuts with a rope's-end on his shoulders. "Don't let me ever catch
you again with your book aloft doing nothing, or overboard it goes; we

don't want psalm-singers or Bible-readers among us. Remember my
words."
Peter trembled with alarm for the safety of his book. The mate might
put his threat into execution, and what could he do to prevent it? Yet he
would fight hard before he would give it up, of that he was determined.
At the same time he knew that he must obey orders, and he dare not
again venture aloft to read. Even if he read on deck, he might run the
risk of losing his book. Yet read he must. He asked for guidance and
direction from above. The fear which had thus been aroused of losing
his Bible made him consider how he could still better secure it.
Hitherto he had carried it inside his shirt, with his waistcoat buttoned
over it. He now determined to make a canvas case and sling it round his
neck. One of the men had some canvas for mending his clothes. Peter
purchased a piece, together with some twine, with one of the few
shillings he had in his pocket, and borrowed a sail needle from the mate,
who lent it, not knowing the object it