"I will hunger no more, neither thirst any more, soon,' he replied, promptly. "It seemed just as if he was going on an earthly journey, so calmly and even joyfully did he speak of the great change that awaited him. "While talking together about heaven, on the day he died, I said to him, 'Whom do you think you will see first there?' "It will be either my dear mother or the Lord Jesus. I will ask Jesus to let me sit at His feet.' 66 Seeing me look so troubled, he said, 'Dearest uncle, do not grieve so, or you will be ill too. It will not be long till we meet again, never to part.' "He lay very still for a while; then in a clear, distinct voice, he repeated two verses of his favourite hymn : 66 6 'Beyond the smiling and the weeping, I shall be soon; Beyond the waking and the sleeping, Beyond the sowing and the reaping, I shall be soon. Love, rest, and home! Sweet hope! Lord, tarry not, but come. "Beyond the parting and the meeting Beyond the farewell and the greeting, Love, rest, and home! Sweet hope! Lord, tarry not, but come.' "As he finished he sank back on his pillow ex. hausted, drew one long breath, and was gone to his eternal rest. "It would pain you unnecessarily to tell the whole story of our sufferings. But to sum all up, I will only say that finally the last cracker was dealt out, and starvation stared us in the face. But deliverance was nearer than any of us supposed. The good man's word came true, for the Lord proved a present help in time of trouble. It was the gladdest sight I ever saw, the sight of your sails as I descried them through the glass in the distance. Feeble as most were, it was a wonderful shout that rent the heavens from the deck of our ship as the fact was announced. "The man of God, as he saw your good ship bearing down upon us, said, 'Come, let us give the Lord thanks.' Passengers and sailors, women and children, old and young, gathered together on the deck. He offered a most wonderful prayer of gratitude and praise to our heavenly Father, in which all fervently joined, the whole assembly with one voice responding 'Amen,' at its close. "Now, my friends,' said he, 'let us sing to the tune of Old Hundred, the long metre doxology : "Praise God, from whom all blessings flow.' "Such singing, (feeble as many were,) I never heard before. "Truly, it was a solemn and a blessed time; I shall never forget it." As the captain finished his narrative, there were no dry eyes in his audience. |