One sultry forenoon Terrence O’Connor, the assistant steward3, went aft and whispered to him that Ian Stuart, the sick boy, wanted very much to see him.
“I think he’s dying, sor,” said Terrence, in a low tone.
“Has the doctor seen him this morning?” asked Hayward, as he rose quickly and hurried forward.
“He’s seed him twice, sor,” said Terrence, “an’ both times he shook his head as he left him.”
It was evident that the steerage passengers felt death to be hovering4 over them, for they were unusually silent, and those who were in the fore-cabin at the time Hayward passed cast solemn glances at him as he descended5 and went to the berth6 of the poor boy. It was a comparatively large berth, and, being at the time on the weather side of the ship, had the port open to admit fresh air.
“My poor boy, do you suffer much?” said the doctor, in soothing7 tones, as he sat down beside Ian, and took his hand.
It was obvious that Ian suffered, for an expression of weariness and pain sat on his emaciated8 countenance9, but on the appearance of Hayward the expression gave place to a glad smile on a face which was naturally refined and intellectual.
“Oh, thank you—thanks—” said Ian, in a low hesitating voice, for he was almost too far gone to speak.
“There, don’t speak, dear boy,” said the doctor, gently. “I see you have been thinking about our last conversation. Shall I read to you?”
“No—no. Jesus is speaking—to me. His words are crowding on me. No need for—reading when He speaks; ‘Come—unto Me—I will never—leave—’”
His breath suddenly failed him, and he ceased to speak, but the glad look in his large eyes showed that the flow of Divine words, though inaudible, had not ceased.
“Mother—father,” he said, after a short pause, “don’t cry. You’ll soon join me. Don’t let them cry, Dr Hayward. The parting won’t be for long.”
The Doctor made no reply, for at that moment the unmistakable signs of dissolution began to overspread the pinched features, and in a few minutes it became known throughout the ship that the “King of Terrors” had been there in the guise11 of an Angel of Light to pluck a little flower and transplant it into the garden of God.
They were a lowly couple, who could not see far in advance of them, even in regard to things terrestrial. The last words of their child seemed to have more weight than the comfort offered by the doctor.
“Cheer up, David,” said the poor wife, grasping her husband’s hand, and striving to check her sobs13, “Ian said truth, it won’t be long afore we jine him, the dear, dear boy.”
But even as she uttered the words of cheer her own heart failed her, and she again gave way to uncontrollable grief, while her husband, dazed and motionless, sat gazing at the face of the dead.
The funeral and its surroundings was as sad as the death. Everything was done to shroud14 the terrible reality. The poor remains15 were tenderly laid in a black deal coffin16 and carried to the port side of the ship by kind and loving hands. A young Wesleyan minister, who had been an unfailing comforter and help to the family all through the boy’s illness, gave a brief but very impressive address to those who stood around, and offered up an earnest prayer; but nothing could blind the mourners, especially the parents, to the harsh fact that the remains were about to be consigned17 to a never resting grave, and that they were going through the form rather than the reality of burial, while, as if to emphasise18 this fact, the back fin10 of a great shark was seen to cut the calm water not far astern. It followed the ship until the hollow plunge19 was heard, and the weighted coffin sank into the unknown depths of the sea.
An impression that never faded quite away was made that day on some of the more thoughtful and sensitive natures in the ship. And who can say that even amongst the thoughtless and the depraved no effect was produced! God’s power is not usually exerted in visibly effective processes. Seeds of life may have been sown by that death which shall grow and flourish in eternity20. Certain it is that some of the reckless were solemnised for a time, and that the young Wesleyan was held in higher esteem21 throughout the ship from that day forward.
Some of the passengers, however, seemed very soon to forget all about the death, and relapsed into their usual frames of mind. Among these was Ned Jarring. For several days after the funeral he kept sober, and it was observed that the Wesleyan minister tried to get into conversation with him several times, but he resisted the good man’s efforts, and, when one of his chums laughingly remarked that he, “seemed to be hand and glove wi’ the parson now,” Black Ned swung angrily round, took to drinking again, and, as is usually the case in such circumstances, became worse than before.
Thus the little world of ship-board went on from day to day, gradually settling down into little coteries22 as like-minded men and women began to find each other out. Gradually, also, the various qualities of the people began to be recognised, and in a few weeks—as in the greater world—each man and woman was more or less correctly gauged24 according to worth. The courageous25 and the timid, the sensible and the vain, the weak and the strong, the self-sacrificing and the selfish, all fell naturally into their appropriate positions, subject to the moderate confusion resulting from favouritism, abused power, and other forms of sin. It was observable also that here, as elsewhere, all the coteries commented with considerable freedom on each other, and that each coterie23 esteemed26 itself unquestionably the best of the lot, although it might not absolutely say so in words. There was one exception, namely in the case of the worst or lowest coterie, which, so far from claiming to be the best, openly proclaimed itself the worst, gloried in its shame, and said that, “it didn’t care a button,” or words, even more expressive27, to the same effect.
Ned Jarring belonged to this last class. He was probably the worst member of it.
One night an incident occurred which tested severely28 some of the qualities of every one on board. It was sometime after midnight when the dead silence of the slumbering30 ship was broken by perhaps the most appalling31 of all sounds at sea—the cry of “Fire!”
Smoke had been discovered somewhere near the fore-cabin. Fortunately the captain had just come up at the time to speak with the officer of the watch on deck. At the first cry he ran to the spot pointed32 out, telling the officer to call all hands and rig the pumps, and especially to keep order among the passengers.
The first man who leaped from profound slumber29 into wide-awake activity was Dr Hayward. Having just lain down to sleep on a locker33, as he expected to be called in the night to watch beside a friend who was ill, he was already dressed, and would have been among the first at the scene of the fire, but for an interruption. At the moment he was bounding up the companion-ladder, a young man of feeble character—who would have been repudiated34 by the sex, had he been born a woman—sprang down the same ladder in abject35 terror. He went straight into the bosom36 of the ascending37 doctor, and they both went with a crash to the bottom.
Although somewhat stunned38, Hayward was able to jump up and again make for the region of the fire, where he found most of the men and male passengers working with hose and buckets in the midst of dire39 confusion. Fortunately the seat of the conflagration40 was soon discovered; and, owing much to the cool energy of the captain and officers, the fire was put out.
It was about a week after this thrilling event that Mrs Massey was on the forecastle talking with Peggy Mitford. A smart breeze was blowing—just enough to fill all the sails and carry the ship swiftly on her course without causing much of a sea. The moon shone fitfully through a mass of drifting clouds, mingling41 its pallid42 light with the wondrous43 phosphoric sheen of the tropical seas.
Mrs Mitford had been regaling her companion with a long-winded and irrelevant44, though well-meant, yarn45 about things in general and nothing in particular; and Nellie, who was the personification of considerate patience, had seated herself on the starboard rail to listen to and comment on her lucubrations.
“Yes, as I was sayin’, Nellie,” remarked Peggy, in her soft voice, after a brief pause, during which a variety of weak little expressions crossed her pretty face, “I never could abide46 the sea. It always makes me sick, an’ when it doesn’t make me sick, it makes me nervish. Not that I’m given to bein’ nervish; an’, if I was, it wouldn’t matter much, for the sea would take it out o’ me, whether or not. That’s always the way—if it’s not one thing, it’s sure to be another. Don’t you think so, Nellie? My John says ’e thinks so—though it isn’t to be thought much of what ’e says, dear man, for ’e’s got a way of sayin’ things when ’e don’t mean ’em—you understand?”
“Well, I don’t quite understand,” answered Mrs Massey, cutting in at this point with a laugh, “but I’m quite sure it’s better to say things when you don’t mean them, than to mean things when you don’t say them!”
“Perhaps you’re right, Nellie,” rejoined Mrs Mitford, with a mild nod of assent47; “I’ve sometimes thought on these things when I’ve ’ad one o’ my sick ’eadaches, which prevents me from thinkin’ altogether, almost; an’, bless you, you’d wonder what strange idears comes over me at such times. Did you ever try to think things with a sick ’eadache, Nellie?”
With a laugh, and a bright look, Mrs Massey replied that she had never been in a position to try that curious experiment, never having had a headache of any kind in her life.
While she was speaking, a broad-backed wave caused the ship to roll rather heavily to starboard, and Mrs Massey, losing her balance, fell into the sea.
Sedate48 and strong-minded though she was, Nellie could not help shrieking50 as she went over; but the shriek49 given by Mrs Mitford was tenfold more piercing. It was of a nature that defies description. Its effect was to thrill the heart of every one who heard it. But Peggy did more than shriek. Springing on the rail like an antelope51, she would have plunged52 overboard to the rescue of her friend, regardless of her own inability to swim, and of everything else, had not a seaman53, who chanced to be listening to the conversation—caught her with a vice-like grip.
“Hold on, Peggy!” he cried.
But Peggy shrieked54 and struggled, thus preventing the poor fellow from attempting a rescue, while shouts and cries of “man overboard” rang through the ship from stem to stern, until it became known that it was a woman. Then the cries redoubled. In the midst of the hubbub55 the strong but calm voice of the captain was heard to give orders to lower a boat and port the helm—“hard a-port.”
But, alas56! for poor Nellie that night if her life had depended on shouters, strugglers, shriekers, or boatmen.
At the moment the accident happened two men chanced to be standing57 on the starboard side of the ship—one on the quarter-deck, the other on the forecastle. Both men were ready of resource and prompt in action, invaluable58 qualities anywhere, but especially at sea! The instant the cry arose each sprang to and cut adrift a life-buoy59. Each knew that the person overboard might fail to see or catch a buoy in the comparative darkness. He on the forecastle, who chanced to see Nellie fall over, at once followed her with the life-buoy in his arms. Ignorant of this act the man near the stern saw something struggling in the water as the ship flew past. Without an instant’s hesitation60 he also plunged into the sea with a life-buoy in his grasp.
The faint light failed to reveal who had thus boldly plunged to the rescue, but the act had been observed both at bow and stern, and a cheer of hope went up as the ship came up to the wind, topsails were backed, and the boat was dropped into the water.
Twenty minutes elapsed before there was any sign of the boat returning, during which time the ship’s bell was rung continually. It may be better imagined than described the state of poor Bob Massey, who had been asleep on a locker in the fore-cabin when the accident occurred, and who had to be forcibly prevented, at first, from jumping into the sea when he heard that it was Nellie who was overboard.
“Stop that bell! boat ahoy!” shouted the captain.
“Ship aho–o–oy!” came faintly back on the breeze, while every voice was hushed and ear strained to listen, “All right! all saved!”
A loud “Thank the Lord!” burst from our coxswain’s heaving chest, and a wild ringing cheer leaped upwards62 alike from passengers and crew, while warm tears overflowed63 from many an eye that was more intimate with cold spray, for a noble deed and a life saved have always the effect of stirring the deepest enthusiasm of mankind.
A few minutes more and three dripping figures came up the gangway. First came Nellie herself; dishevelled and pale, but strong and hearty64 nevertheless, as might be expected of a fisher-girl and a lifeboat coxswain’s wife! She naturally fell into, or was caught up by, her husband’s arms, and was carried off to the cabin.
The cheer that greeted them was not unmingled with surprise.
“The best an’ the worst men i’ the ship!” gasped66 Joe Slag67, amid laughter and hearty congratulations.
He was probably right, for it was the young Wesleyan minister and Ned Jarring who had effected this gallant68 rescue.
The performance of a good action has undoubtedly69 a tendency to elevate, as the perpetration of a bad one has to demoralise.
From that day forward Black Ned felt that he had acquired a certain character which might be retained or lost. Without absolutely saying that he became a better man in consequence, we do assert that he became more respectable to look at, and drank less!
Thus the voyage progressed until the good ship Lapwing sailed in among some of the innumerable islands of the Southern seas.
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1
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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anecdote
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| n.轶事，趣闻，短故事 | |
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steward
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| n.乘务员，服务员；看管人；膳食管理员 | |
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hovering
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| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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berth
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| n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊 | |
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soothing
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| adj.慰藉的；使人宽心的；镇静的 | |
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emaciated
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| adj.衰弱的，消瘦的 | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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fin
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| n.鳍；(飞机的)安定翼 | |
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guise
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| n.外表，伪装的姿态 | |
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bereaved
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| adj.刚刚丧失亲人的v.使失去（希望、生命等）( bereave的过去式和过去分词)；（尤指死亡）使丧失（亲人、朋友等）；使孤寂；抢走（财物） | |
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13
sobs
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| 啜泣（声），呜咽（声）( sob的名词复数 ) | |
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shroud
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| n.裹尸布，寿衣；罩，幕；vt.覆盖，隐藏 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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coffin
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| n.棺材，灵柩 | |
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consigned
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| v.把…置于（令人不快的境地）( consign的过去式和过去分词 )；把…托付给；把…托人代售；丟弃 | |
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emphasise
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| vt.加强...的语气，强调，着重 | |
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plunge
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| v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲 | |
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eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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coteries
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| n.（有共同兴趣的）小集团( coterie的名词复数 ) | |
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coterie
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| n.(有共同兴趣的)小团体，小圈子 | |
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gauged
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| adj.校准的；标准的；量规的；量计的v.（用仪器）测量( gauge的过去式和过去分词 )；估计；计量；划分 | |
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courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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esteemed
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| adj.受人尊敬的v.尊敬( esteem的过去式和过去分词 )；敬重；认为；以为 | |
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expressive
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| adj.表现的，表达…的，富于表情的 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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slumbering
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| 微睡，睡眠（slumber的现在分词形式） | |
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appalling
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| adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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locker
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| n.更衣箱，储物柜，冷藏室，上锁的人 | |
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repudiated
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| v.（正式地）否认( repudiate的过去式和过去分词 )；拒绝接受；拒绝与…往来；拒不履行（法律义务） | |
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abject
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| adj.极可怜的，卑屈的 | |
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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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stunned
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| adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词 | |
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dire
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| adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的 | |
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conflagration
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| n.建筑物或森林大火 | |
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41
mingling
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| adj.混合的 | |
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pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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wondrous
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| adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地 | |
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irrelevant
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| adj.不恰当的，无关系的，不相干的 | |
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45
yarn
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| n.纱，纱线，纺线；奇闻漫谈，旅行轶事 | |
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46
abide
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| vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受 | |
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47
assent
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| v.批准，认可；n.批准，认可 | |
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48
sedate
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| adj.沉着的，镇静的，安静的 | |
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49
shriek
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| v./n.尖叫，叫喊 | |
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50
shrieking
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| v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
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51
antelope
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| n.羚羊；羚羊皮 | |
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52
plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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53
seaman
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| n.海员，水手，水兵 | |
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54
shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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55
hubbub
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| n.嘈杂；骚乱 | |
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56
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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57
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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invaluable
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| adj.无价的，非常宝贵的，极为贵重的 | |
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buoy
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| n.浮标；救生圈；v.支持，鼓励 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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oars
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| n.桨，橹( oar的名词复数 )；划手v.划（行）( oar的第三人称单数 ) | |
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upwards
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| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
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overflowed
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| 溢出的 | |
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64
hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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slag
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| n.熔渣，铁屑，矿渣；v.使变成熔渣，变熔渣 | |
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68
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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69
undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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