himself to the Lord. God was answering the persevering prayer of his pious mother. She had sown in tears; now, though she knew it not, she was about to reap in joy. The Lord's promise was made good: "The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee." Nor was he ashamed of the Master whom he determined to serve. When his fellow-sailors tried to jeer him out of prayer and reading of the Bible, he only prayed for them, and tried to do them some kind service. Finding they could produce no effect on him by their persecution, they concluded to give it up. Nor was his Christian example without influence upon his comrades. They soon became averse to swearing before him, and those who had had a religious training like himself, before the voyage was over, sometimes joined him in his religious exercises. Mrs Fraser did not fail to point out to Donald how faithful God had been to His word in answering his mother's prayers on Sandy's behalf. One of the first things that he did on his partial recovery was to write a long letter to his mother, detailing all that the Lord had done for his soul. Sandy was fond of reading, and he often borrowed Donald's Josephus. In fact they might be said to have read it together. In the bows of the ship there was a little seat, out of the way alike of passengers and sailors, where, when Sandy's leg began to mend, so that he could move round on a crutch, these two lads were always to be found. First the one read aloud and then the other, while they examined together the curious old pictures with which the volume was illustrated. This great folio proved a perfect treasury of good things to these two young people,—a source of pleasure and profit to both. VIII. ONE day, as Donald was standing on deck with his mother and Mrs Richardson, he heard the mate, who was near by with his telescope, exclaim, "A ship in the distance, and she is making signals of distress." The helmsman was directed to bear down upon her; and, as there was a stiff breeze blowing at the time, they were not long in nearing her. As she became more and more distinct, every eye was strained to see the suffering vessel. When within hailing distance, the captain called out to the stranger craft to know her name, and what was the cause of her distress. The reply came promptly. She was the William Tell, from Liverpool, and bound for Halifax; that they were out of provisions and water, and that the ship was disabled. The afternoon was spent in removing the passengers from her. A portion of the crew, on being F |