The Story of Grenfell of the Labrador | Page 7

at its hardest and when they have the
greatest need of a doctor. Anyhow you'll have some rugged days at sea
if you go in winter."
He went on to explain that a few men had become interested in the
fishermen of the fleets and had chartered a vessel to go among them to
offer diversion in the hope of counteracting to some extent the
attraction of the whiskey and rum traders whose vessels sold much
liquor to the men and did a vast deal of harm. This vessel was open to
the visits of the fishermen. Religious services were held aboard her on
Sundays. There was no doctor in the fleet, and the skipper, who had
been instructed in ordinary bandaging and in giving simple remedies
for temporary relief, rendered first aid to the injured or sick until they
could be sent away on some home-bound vessel and placed in a
hospital for medical or surgical treatment. Thus a week or sometimes
two weeks would elapse before the sufferer could be put under a
doctor's care. Because of this long delay many men died who, with
prompt attention, would doubtless have lived.
"The men who have fitted out this mission boat would like a young
doctor to go with it," concluded Sir Frederick. "Go with them for a little
while. You'll find plenty of high sea's adventure, and you'll like it."
In more than one way this suited Grenfell exactly. The opportunity for
adventure that such a cruise offered appealed to him strongly, as it
would appeal to any real live red-blooded man or boy. It also offered an
opportunity to gain practical experience in his profession and at the
same time render service to brave men who sadly needed it; and he
could lend a hand in fighting the liquor evil among the seamen and thus
share in helping to care for their moral, as well as their physical welfare.
He had seen much of the evils of the liquor traffic during his student
days in London, and he had acquired a wholesome hatred for it. In short,
he saw an opportunity to help make the lives of these men happier.
That is a high ideal for any one--to do something whenever possible to

bring happiness into the lives of others.
This was too good an opportunity to let pass. It offered not only
practice in his profession but service for others, and there would be the
spice of adventure.
He applied without delay for the post, requesting to go on duty the
following January. Whether Sir Frederick Treves said a word for him to
the newly founded mission or not, I do not know, but at any rate
Grenfell, to his great delight, was accepted, and it is probable the group
of big hearted men who were sending the vessel to the fishermen were
no less pleased to secure the services of a young doctor of his character.
At last the time came for departure. The mission ship was to sail from
Yarmouth. Grenfell had been impatiently awaiting orders to begin his
duties, when suddenly he received directions to join his vessel prepared
to go to sea at once. Filled with enthusiasm and keen for the adventure
he boarded the first train for Yarmouth.
It was a dark and rainy night when he arrived. Searching down among
the wharves he found the mission ship tied to her moorings. She proved
to be a rather diminutive schooner of the type and class used by the
North Sea fishermen, and if the young doctor had pictured a large and
commodious vessel he was disappointed. But Grenfell had been
accustomed in his boyhood to knocking about with fishermen and now
he was quite content with nothing better than fell to the lot of those he
was to serve.
The little vessel was neat as wax below deck. The crew were
big-hearted, brawny, good-natured fellows, and gave the Doctor a fine
welcome. Of course his quarters were small and crowded, but he was
bound on a mission and an adventure, and cramped quarters were no
obstacle to his enthusiasm. Grenfell was not the sort of man to growl or
complain at little inconveniences. He was thinking only of the duties he
had assumed and the adventures that were before him.
At last he was on the seas, and his life work, though he did not know it
then, had begun.

III
ON THE HIGH SEAS
The skipper of the vessel was a bluff, hearty man of the old school of
seamen. At the same time he was a sincere Christian devoted to his
duties. At the beginning he made it plain that Grenfell was to have
quite enough to do to keep him occupied, not only in his capacity as
doctor, but in