A fine-toned manly1 voice was heard, as the boat approached the mission smack2, singing one of the popular hymns3 which are now pretty well-known throughout the fishing fleets.
“No mistaking that voice,” said David Bright turning an amused look on Billy; “Singin’ Peter won’t knock off till he’s under the sod or under the sea.”
“Then he’ll never knock off at all,” returned Billy, “for Luke there has bin4 tellin’ me that we only begin to sing rightly a song of praise that will never end when we git into the next world.”
“That depends, lad, on whether we goes up or down.”
“Well, I s’pose it does. But tell me, daddy, ain’t the hand very bad? I’m so awful sorry, you know.”
“It might ha’ bin worse, Billy, but don’t you take on so, my boy. We’ll be all right an’ ship-shape when we gets it spliced5 or fixed7 up somehow, on board the mission-ship.”
The hand was not however, so easily fixed up as David Bright seemed to expect.
“Come down an’ let’s have a look at it, David,” said the skipper, when the vessel8’s deck was gained.
By that time Singing Peter had stopped his tune9, or, rather, he had changed it into a note of earnest sympathy, for he was a very tender-hearted man, and on terms of warm friendship with the master of the Evening Star.
“It’s a bad cut,” said Peter, when the gaping10 gash11 in the poor man’s palm was laid bare, and the blood began to flow afresh. “We’ll have to try a little o’ the surgeon’s business here. You can take a stitch in human flesh I daresay, skipper? If you can’t, I’ll try.”
The mission skipper was, however, equal to the occasion. He sponged the wound clean; put a couple of stitches in it with sailor-like neatness—whether with surgeon-like exactness we cannot tell—drew the edges of the wound still more closely together by means of strips of sticking plaster; applied12 lint14 and bandages, and, finally, did up our skipper’s fist in a manner that seemed quite artistic15 to the observant men around him.
“A regular boxin’-glove,” exclaimed David, hitting the operator a gentle tap on the nose with it.
“Thank ’ee, friend,” said the amateur surgeon, as he proceeded to re-stow his materials in the medicine chest; “you know that the Fishermen’s Mission never asks a rap for its services, but neither does it expect to receive a rap without asking. Come, David, you mustn’t flourish it about like that. We all know you’re a plucky16 fellow, but it’ll never splice6 properly if you go on so.”
“Hold on, Mr Missionary17!” cried Gunter, as the lid of the chest was being closed, “don’t shut up yet. I wants some o’ your doctor’s stuff.”
“All right my hearty18! What do you want?”
“He wants a pair o’ eye-glasses,” cried Billy, whose heart was comforted, and whose spirits were raised by the success of the operation on his father’s hand; “you see he’s so short-sighted that he can’t see no good in nobody but his-self.”
“Shut up, you young catfish19! See here,” said Gunter, stretching out his wrists, which were red and much swollen20.
“Oh! I can give you something for that;” so saying the skipper supplied the fisherman with a little ointment21, and then, going to a cupboard, produced a pair of worsted cuffs23. “You rub ’em well with that first,” he said, “an’ then wear the cuffs.”
“He’ll want more cuffs than that,” said Billy.
“I think not my boy,” said the skipper, with a benignant look, as he stooped to lock the chest. “When these are worn-out he can have more.”
“Well, if you’d take my advice,” returned Billy, “you’d give him another pair. A cuff22 on each side of his head would do him a world of good.”
Gunter turned sharply to make a grasp at his young tormentor24, but the lad had taken care to have the cabin table between them, and at once sprang laughing up the companion.
“He’s a smart boy, that,” remarked the mission skipper.
“Rather too smart,” growled25 Gunter, as he pocketed his salve and cuffs, and went on deck.
“Smart enough!” remarked David Bright with a low chuckle26 of satisfaction.
“Come now,” said the Missionary, “you’ll stop and have some coffee or cocoa with us. You can’t work wi’ that hand, you know. Besides, there’ll be no fishin’ till this calm’s over. So we mean to have a little meetin’ in the afternoon. We’re in luck too, just now,” he added in a lower voice, “for we’ve got a real parson aboard. That’s him talkin’ to my mate. He’s here on a visit—partly for his health, I believe—a regular clergyman of the Church of England and a splendid preacher, let me tell you. You’ll stop, now, won’t you?”
David Bright’s countenance27 grew sad. The memory of his recent failure and fall came over him.
“What’s the use o’ me attendin’ your meetin’s?” he said, almost angrily; “my soul’s past recovery, for I don’t believe in your prayin’ an’ psalm-singin’.”
“You trusted me freely wi’ your hand, David, though I’m no surgeon. Why won’t you trust me a little wi’ your soul, though I’m no parson—especially as it seems to be in a very bad way by your own account? Have a talk wi’ the parson. He’s got such a way with him that he’s sure to do you good.”
It was not so much the words thus spoken as the grave, kind, sensible tones and looks which accompanied them, that won the despairing fisherman.
“Well, I’ll stop,” he said, with a short laugh; “the cocoa may do me good, even though the meetin’ don’t.”
“Now you’re becoming soft and unmanly—a regular old wife,” whispered the demon28, who had watched him anxiously throughout the whole morning.
“The boat’s alongside, father,” Billy called out, at that moment down the open skylight.
“That’s right,” replied the father in a strong hearty voice. “You go aboard wi’ the rest, my boy, an’ come back in the arternoon when you see ’em hoist29 the mission-flag. I’m goin’ to stop aboard, an we’ll all attend the meetin’ together. An’ look you, Billy, fetch my Noo Testament30 with ’ee—the one your mother gave me.”
“Praise the Lord for these words!” said the mission skipper.
He did not say it very loud, for he was not by nature a demonstrative man; neither did he whisper it, for he was not ashamed to thank his God for mercies received.
At the same moment the demon fled away for that time—according to the true word, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
David Bright did not talk much that afternoon. His injured hand gave him considerable pain, but it was not that which silenced him. Thoughts too deep for utterance31 were passing through his brain. It was the turning-point of his life; and, while his mind was busy with the great issues that must be faced sooner or later by all mankind, he listened with mingled32 surprise, hope, fear, and pleasure, to the free and hearty converse33 of the godly crew of the gospel-ship, as they discoursed34 pleasantly, now of the homes in Yarmouth or Gorleston, now of the home above; or sang, with stentorian35 voices, some of the lively hymns that are happily current in the present day, or prayed in the ungrammatical language, and with the intense fervour, of untutored but thoroughly36 earnest men.
They thought that David was suffering from his injury, and wisely let him alone, though they occasionally gave him a cheering word, and frequently plied13 him with hot cocoa, which he preferred much, he said, to coffee.
This may seem to some a rather incongruous way of presenting religious and secular37 things. It may be so, but we are not careful to preserve congruity38, or to dilute39 our dish to please the palate of the fastidious. This world is full of incongruities40, and we are endeavouring to present that portion of it now under consideration as it actually is at the present time.
The heartiest41, the most genial42, and perhaps the noisiest fisherman there that day was the man whom we have referred to more than once as Singing Peter. It seemed as if he were intoxicated43 with joy, and could not refrain from bursting into song in praise of Redeeming44 Love. But Peter was by no means exclusive in his ideas. He could descend45 to the simple matters of this life when needful. Like David Bright he was a temporary visitor to the mission-ship, and waited for the afternoon meeting. Peter possessed46:
“A heart at leisure from itself,
To soothe47 and sympathise,”
and found time to have a private talk with David, whom he drew out so tenderly, yet powerfully, that he wormed from him the whole story of his spiritual as well as spirituous warfare48. He even got him down into the cabin alone, and, when there, proposed that they should pray together. To this David at once agreed, and the good man prayed with such simple fervour that David found himself ere long weeping like a child. That the prayer of Singing Peter was in harmony with his spirit was evident from the deep “Amen!” which he uttered at its conclusion.
“Many a time, Peter,” he said, grasping his friend’s hand, as they rose from their knees, “many a time has my face bin washed wi’ salt water from the sea, but it’s not often bin dabbled49 wi’ salt water from my eyes!”
In the afternoon the weather became unusually sultry, and as the calm continued, many of the fishing-smacks50 closed by imperceptible degrees around the mission-ship, whose flag flying at the mizzen told that the worship of God was soon to begin. Several of the other smacks also flew Bethel-flags. These belonged to the whole-hearted ones who had fairly and boldly come out on the Lord’s side. Others drew near, although they did not fly the flag. Some of these belonged to the half-hearted, who wanted medicines or books, and were rather indifferent about the meeting, though willing enough, perhaps, to remain to it.
One way or another there was soon a long tail of boats floating astern of the gospel-ship, and a goodly congregation on her deck. Her skipper was very busy. Books were being actively51 exchanged. One or two men wanted to sign the pledge. Salves, and plasters, and pills, were slightly in demand, for even North Sea fishermen, tough though they be, are subject to physical disturbance52.
At last the hour arrived, and the heavy-booted, rough-jacketed, sou’-westered, burly congregation adjourned53 to the hold, where, appropriately seated on fish-trunks, they opened their hymn-books and began to sing.
They had a harmonium—provided, of course, by the Mission—and it chanced that the mission skipper had music enough in him to play a simple accompaniment on it, but the strong-lunged congregation drowned it out in the first five minutes.
Then the invalid54 clergyman stood up and prayed, and read a chapter of God’s Word, after which he preached—ay, preached in a way that drew tears from some, and hearty exclamations55 of thankfulness from others. It was not the power of rhetoric56 or of eloquence57 though he possessed both, so much as that mighty58 power which consists in being thoroughly and intensely earnest in what one says, and in using a natural, conversational59 tone.
There were more signings of the temperance pledge after the service, and one or two whose minds had been wavering before, now came forward and offered to purchase Bethel-flags. Others wanted to purchase Testaments60, prayer-books, and gospel compasses—the latter being the invention of an ingenious Christian61. It consisted of a mariner’s compass drawn62 on card-board, with appropriate texts of God’s Word printed on the various “points.” The same ingenious gentleman has more recently constructed a spiritual chart so to speak, on which are presented to the eye the various shoals, and quicksands, and rocks of sin, and danger, and temptation, that beset63 the Christian pilgrim, as well as the streams, rivers, and channels, that conduct him from the regions of Darkness into the realms of Light.
All this took up so much time that it was getting dark when our fishermen began to go over the side, and proceed to their several vessels64.
Soon after that the aspect of nature entirely65 changed. The sultry calm gave place to a fast increasing breeze, which raised white crests66 on the darkening waves.
“A dirty night we’re going to have of it,” remarked David Bright to Singing Peter, as he got into his tossing boat with some difficulty.
“It’s all in the Master’s hands,” replied Peter, looking up with a glad expression on his weatherworn face. With these words he left the mission smack and returned to his own vessel.
The fishermen of the North Sea had cause to remember that night, for one of the worst gales67 of the season burst upon them. Fishing was impossible. It was all that they could do to weather the gale68. Sails were split and torn, rigging was damaged, and spars were sprung or carried away. The wind howled as if millions of wicked spirits were yelling in the blast. The sea rose in wild commotion69, tossing the little smacks as if they had been corks70, and causing the straining timbers to groan71 and creak. Many a deck was washed that night from stem to stern, and when grey morning broke cold and dreary72 over the foaming73 sea, not a few flags, half-mast high, told that some souls had gone to their account. Disaster had also befallen many of the smacks. While some were greatly damaged, a few were lost entirely with all their crews.
Singing Peter’s vessel was among the lost. The brightening day revealed the fact that the well-known craft had disappeared. It had sunk with all hands, and the genial fisherman’s strong and tuneful voice had ceased for ever to reverberate74 over the North Sea in order that it might for ever raise a louder and still more tuneful strain of deep-toned happiness among the harmonies of heaven.
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1
manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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smack
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| vt.拍，打，掴；咂嘴；vi.含有…意味；n.拍 | |
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3
hymns
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| n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌( hymn的名词复数 ) | |
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4
bin
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| n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
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5
spliced
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| adj.（针织品）加固的n.叠接v.绞接( splice的过去式和过去分词 )；捻接（两段绳子）；胶接；粘接（胶片、磁带等） | |
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splice
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| v.接合，衔接；n.胶接处，粘接处 | |
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7
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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8
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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9
tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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10
gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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11
gash
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| v.深切，划开；n.(深长的)切(伤)口；裂缝 | |
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12
applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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plied
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| v.使用（工具）( ply的过去式和过去分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意 | |
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14
lint
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| n.线头；绷带用麻布，皮棉 | |
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15
artistic
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| adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的 | |
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16
plucky
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| adj.勇敢的 | |
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17
missionary
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| adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士 | |
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18
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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19
catfish
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| n.鲶鱼 | |
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swollen
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| adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀 | |
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ointment
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| n.药膏，油膏，软膏 | |
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cuff
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| n.袖口；手铐；护腕；vt.用手铐铐；上袖口 | |
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23
cuffs
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| n.袖口( cuff的名词复数 )v.掌打，拳打( cuff的第三人称单数 ) | |
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24
tormentor
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| n. 使苦痛之人, 使苦恼之物, 侧幕 =tormenter | |
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25
growled
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| v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说 | |
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26
chuckle
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| vi.／n.轻声笑，咯咯笑 | |
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27
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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28
demon
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| n.魔鬼，恶魔 | |
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29
hoist
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| n.升高，起重机，推动；v.升起，升高，举起 | |
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30
testament
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| n.遗嘱；证明 | |
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31
utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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32
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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33
converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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34
discoursed
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| 演说（discourse的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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35
stentorian
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| adj.大声的，响亮的 | |
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36
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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37
secular
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| n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的 | |
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38
congruity
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| n.全等，一致 | |
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39
dilute
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| vt.稀释，冲淡；adj.稀释的，冲淡的 | |
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40
incongruities
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| n.不协调( incongruity的名词复数 )；不一致；不适合；不协调的东西 | |
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41
heartiest
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| 亲切的( hearty的最高级 )； 热诚的； 健壮的； 精神饱满的 | |
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42
genial
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| adj.亲切的，和蔼的，愉快的，脾气好的 | |
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43
intoxicated
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| 喝醉的，极其兴奋的 | |
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44
redeeming
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| 补偿的，弥补的 | |
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45
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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46
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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47
soothe
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| v.安慰；使平静；使减轻；缓和；奉承 | |
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48
warfare
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| n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突 | |
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49
dabbled
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| v.涉猎( dabble的过去式和过去分词 )；涉足；浅尝；少量投资 | |
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50
smacks
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| 掌掴（声）( smack的名词复数 )； 海洛因； （打的）一拳； 打巴掌 | |
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51
actively
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| adv.积极地，勤奋地 | |
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52
disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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53
adjourned
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| （使）休会， （使）休庭( adjourn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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54
invalid
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| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
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55
exclamations
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| n.呼喊( exclamation的名词复数 )；感叹；感叹语；感叹词 | |
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56
rhetoric
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| n.修辞学，浮夸之言语 | |
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57
eloquence
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| n.雄辩；口才，修辞 | |
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58
mighty
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| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
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59
conversational
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| adj.对话的，会话的 | |
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60
testaments
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| n.遗嘱( testament的名词复数 )；实际的证明 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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62
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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63
beset
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| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
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64
vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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65
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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66
crests
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| v.到达山顶（或浪峰）( crest的第三人称单数 )；到达洪峰，达到顶点 | |
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67
gales
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| 龙猫 | |
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68
gale
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| n.大风，强风，一阵闹声（尤指笑声等） | |
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commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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corks
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| n.脐梅衣；软木( cork的名词复数 )；软木塞 | |
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71
groan
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| vi./n.呻吟，抱怨；(发出)呻吟般的声音 | |
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dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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73
foaming
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| adj.布满泡沫的；发泡 | |
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74
reverberate
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| v.使回响，使反响 | |
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