CHAPTER X.Makes Several Successful Voyages—Becomes Rich—Buys a Ship of his Own—Makes his Fortune—Retires from the Sea—Returns to his Native Village.——"This active course,Chosen in youth, through manhood he pursued,Till due provision for his modest wantsHad been obtained; and, thereupon, resolvedTo pass the remnant of his days untaskedWith needless services, from hardship free,His calling laid aside, he lived at ease."—WORDSWORTH."The successful issue of my voyage not only gained me the entire confidence of the owner of my ship, but also put me in possession of a considerable sum of money, with which I was able, to my very great satisfaction, to meet all claims against me, besides supplying my friend's need, as I told you. This, however, left me without anything to live on, so that I was obliged to undertake a second voyage, in spite of a certain uneasy feeling of which I could not get rid."Since the time when in the prison I had received the assurance of the pardon of all my sins, I had been, it is true, quite satisfied as to the safety of my soul, knowing that God having received me into His fold, whatever might befall me, 'all things must work together for good.' Still I could not altogether overcome my apprehension at the thought of my father's curse, and of its influence on my temporal happiness and well-being. I felt that I was justified in this when I thought of the fifth commandment, 'Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.' He who honours, and consequently obeys his parents, I thought, has a promise here of a long and happy life, not indeed of eternal life, to gain which he must honour God and keep His commandments, that is, he must be converted and have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, for 'this is His commandment.' If he neglects this, he may indeed lead a long and prosperous life here, and yet lose his life hereafter. He who, on the contrary, disobeys his parents cannot be happy and successful in his earthly career, although he may, by sincere repentance and faith, obtain forgiveness of God, for his Saviour's sake, and everlasting happiness. If he has brought down upon himself his father's curse, even this forgiveness will not alter its effects in this world, although in the hands of the Almighty the very sorrows and sufferings it brings upon him may become the means of securing his eternal salvation."Thus convinced as I was that for His dear Son's sake God had forgiven all my sins, I still remembered with alarm those words in my father's letter, 'My curse shall be upon you, and follow you always;' and this portrait, which I had always hanging up in my cabin, helped to keep me in mind of them."I was, therefore, still a prey to great uneasiness, and even good fortune failed to bring peace to my mind. In all my prosperity I believed myself to be on the brink of some fresh disaster, having proved by experience the instability of earthly things; and when I was surrounded by misfortunes, I of course assigned them to the cause uppermost in my mind. My fears, however, were not realised during a second and third voyage which I made for my employer. On the contrary, they were so successful in a pecuniary point of view, that I was able to buy a ship of my own, which I freighted entirely on my own account. My trading this time succeeded beyond my utmost expectations, and on returning to England, I found myself in possession of a considerable fortune."I was now nearly sixty years of age, and was beginning to feel a wandering life almost too much for me. Accordingly I resolved to retire from active work, and return to my native land, to devote my few remaining years to preparation for life eternal and the glory of Him who has led me in such a wonderful manner to Himself."Although I have passed through so much during my forty years' wandering about the world, have endured so many troubles, and received so many undeserved blessings, and although God has shown Himself so good and gracious, slow to anger and of great kindness towards me, and though, during these last few years, especially, His blessing has rested on all I have undertaken, still even yet I start with a secret terror at the sight of that portrait which brings before my mind so clearly the father whom I disobeyed. The recollection of his curse is never absent. Sometimes in the middle of the night I wake up, trembling, expecting the house is about to fall and crush me, and it is only by earnest prayer that I can recover my self-possession."Here the captain ended his history, the recital of which had deeply interested each and all of his hearers. The worthy pastor did his utmost to convince him that his fears were only a vain superstition; but the captain shook his head. His kind counsellor saw that it would be unwise to argue the point, and left him with thanks for his graphic narrative, resolving to pray earnestly that God would remove from him the cloud of self-reproach, and enable him to spend the remainder of his days in the brightness of Christian hope.CHAPTER XI.The Curse Revoked—Conclusion."Commend the past to God, with all its irrevocable harm,Humbly, but in cheerful trust, and banish vain regrets;Come to Him, continually come, casting all the present at His feet,Boldly, but in prayerful love, and fling off selfish cares;Commit the future to His will—the viewless, fated future;Zealously go forward with integrity, and God will bless thy faith."—TUPPER.A year had passed away since the captain had taken up his abode in the "Forester's House," as it was still called, in the course of which the intimacy between him and his good friend the pastor had been confirmed by many mutual acts of kindness. The captain was a great favourite with the children, and a visit to his house was looked upon by them as the greatest possible treat, and many were the interesting and instructive stories which he related for their amusement. His long wanderings in almost every part of the world furnished him with an inexhaustible supply of anecdotes and narratives of foreign customs, which the children could never grow tired of listening to. His friends, however, could not help noticing that he had not yet shaken off his fear that some fresh misfortune was in store for him, in consequence of his youthful disobedience and the curse which his father had pronounced upon him. This he believed, being unrevoked, would, as his father had written, "follow him always."Thus this one great sin of disobeying his father's commands had embittered his happiness for more than forty years, not only when he was suffering what he justly believed to be the consequences of his wickedness, but long after he had earnestly repented of all his sins, and was living a peaceful, godly life.Oh that all the boys and girls who may read this story would think over those words of St Paul, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord; for this is right. Honour thy father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth," (Eph. vi. 1-3), and learn from this narrative that every act of wilful disobedience to a parent's commands is a sin against God, which He is sure to punish.The good pastor's prayers that the captain might be relieved from his anxiety of mind were not in vain, and he himself was destined to be the happy instrument in God's hands of removing the burden that had so long oppressed his friend. It happened one day when the pastor was writing in his study, that a man called upon him for the purpose of obtaining a certificate of his birth, which was necessary to enable him to receive a legacy to which he was entitled. The pastor inquired his name."My name is John Lobert," said the man, "and I have been living at Liverpool for many years; but I now intend to settle down here in my native village for the remainder of my life.""When you were at Liverpool, did you ever meet Captain Buchman?" asked the pastor."No," said Lobert, "I never met him there; but I used to know him very well as a boy; in fact, he was an old schoolfellow of mine. I was astonished when I arrived at Dornbach last night to hear that he was living here. I shall be delighted to see him again.""The captain, I am sure, will be pleased to see one of his old companions," replied the pastor, "but wait a moment, and I will give you your certificate. In what year were you born?""In 17—," answered Lobert."Ah, that was in my predecessor's time," said the pastor; "I must look through the old register, which ends at his death in 17—," and unlocking a large box which stood in the corner of the room, he took out the book, and soon found the entry of Lobert's birth. Upon the same page he noticed the name of his friend the captain, and underneath it was fastened a sheet of paper. The pastor unfolded this, and glancing over its contents, cried out with delight, "Oh, what a blessed discovery this is for my dear friend the captain!" He folded up the paper, and putting it in his pocket, wrote out the required certificate for Lobert, who took his leave, promising to call and see the captain on the next day.As soon as he had gone, the pastor ran to the captain's house."Good news, my friend," said he as soon as they met "I am the bearer of happy tidings for you. Here, read this paper."The captain's eyes filled with tears as he read, and falling on his knees, he gave thanks to God for the mercy He had shown him, He then rose from his knees and read aloud the important document, which was as follows:—"I earnestly beg any one into whose hands this paper may fall, to tell my son, Francis Buchman (if he be still living), that his old father before his death has forgiven his disobedience, and revoked the curse which he pronounced upon him in a moment of anger. I pray also that God will forgive him, and turn him from the error of his ways."G. BUCHMAN, Pastor."Dornbach, 15th June, 17—."The captain was quite an altered man now. The anxiety that had weighed upon his mind for so many years being removed, his life glided on smoothly and peacefully. The past only seemed to him as a terrible dream, from which he had now awakened.Lobert duly called upon the captain on the following day, and was received with much joy, which was increased when he found that he too had chosen that better part which shall never be taken away. He soon became intimate with the pastor's family, and the three friends enjoyed each other's society for many happy years. The captain devoted the greater part of his time and his fortune to relieving the wants of the poor in the neighbourhood, and was long remembered by the inhabitants of the little village of Dornbach as the "Good Captain Buchman."THE END* * * * * * * *JAMES NISBET & CO.'SSELECT LIST OF BOOKSSUITABLE FORPRESENTS AND PRIZES,BYWELL-KNOWN AND POPULAR WRITERS.Profusely Illustrated and handsomely Bound in Cloth.A Complete List will be forwarded post free on application to the Publishers.Books for Young Readers.By R. M. BALLANTYNE.With Illustrations. 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CHAPTER X.
Makes Several Successful Voyages—Becomes Rich—Buys a Ship of his Own—Makes his Fortune—Retires from the Sea—Returns to his Native Village.
——"This active course,Chosen in youth, through manhood he pursued,Till due provision for his modest wantsHad been obtained; and, thereupon, resolvedTo pass the remnant of his days untaskedWith needless services, from hardship free,His calling laid aside, he lived at ease."—WORDSWORTH.
——"This active course,Chosen in youth, through manhood he pursued,Till due provision for his modest wantsHad been obtained; and, thereupon, resolvedTo pass the remnant of his days untaskedWith needless services, from hardship free,His calling laid aside, he lived at ease."—WORDSWORTH.
——"This active course,
——"This active course,
Chosen in youth, through manhood he pursued,
Till due provision for his modest wants
Had been obtained; and, thereupon, resolved
To pass the remnant of his days untasked
With needless services, from hardship free,
His calling laid aside, he lived at ease."
—WORDSWORTH.
—WORDSWORTH.
—WORDSWORTH.
"The successful issue of my voyage not only gained me the entire confidence of the owner of my ship, but also put me in possession of a considerable sum of money, with which I was able, to my very great satisfaction, to meet all claims against me, besides supplying my friend's need, as I told you. This, however, left me without anything to live on, so that I was obliged to undertake a second voyage, in spite of a certain uneasy feeling of which I could not get rid.
"Since the time when in the prison I had received the assurance of the pardon of all my sins, I had been, it is true, quite satisfied as to the safety of my soul, knowing that God having received me into His fold, whatever might befall me, 'all things must work together for good.' Still I could not altogether overcome my apprehension at the thought of my father's curse, and of its influence on my temporal happiness and well-being. I felt that I was justified in this when I thought of the fifth commandment, 'Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.' He who honours, and consequently obeys his parents, I thought, has a promise here of a long and happy life, not indeed of eternal life, to gain which he must honour God and keep His commandments, that is, he must be converted and have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, for 'this is His commandment.' If he neglects this, he may indeed lead a long and prosperous life here, and yet lose his life hereafter. He who, on the contrary, disobeys his parents cannot be happy and successful in his earthly career, although he may, by sincere repentance and faith, obtain forgiveness of God, for his Saviour's sake, and everlasting happiness. If he has brought down upon himself his father's curse, even this forgiveness will not alter its effects in this world, although in the hands of the Almighty the very sorrows and sufferings it brings upon him may become the means of securing his eternal salvation.
"Thus convinced as I was that for His dear Son's sake God had forgiven all my sins, I still remembered with alarm those words in my father's letter, 'My curse shall be upon you, and follow you always;' and this portrait, which I had always hanging up in my cabin, helped to keep me in mind of them.
"I was, therefore, still a prey to great uneasiness, and even good fortune failed to bring peace to my mind. In all my prosperity I believed myself to be on the brink of some fresh disaster, having proved by experience the instability of earthly things; and when I was surrounded by misfortunes, I of course assigned them to the cause uppermost in my mind. My fears, however, were not realised during a second and third voyage which I made for my employer. On the contrary, they were so successful in a pecuniary point of view, that I was able to buy a ship of my own, which I freighted entirely on my own account. My trading this time succeeded beyond my utmost expectations, and on returning to England, I found myself in possession of a considerable fortune.
"I was now nearly sixty years of age, and was beginning to feel a wandering life almost too much for me. Accordingly I resolved to retire from active work, and return to my native land, to devote my few remaining years to preparation for life eternal and the glory of Him who has led me in such a wonderful manner to Himself.
"Although I have passed through so much during my forty years' wandering about the world, have endured so many troubles, and received so many undeserved blessings, and although God has shown Himself so good and gracious, slow to anger and of great kindness towards me, and though, during these last few years, especially, His blessing has rested on all I have undertaken, still even yet I start with a secret terror at the sight of that portrait which brings before my mind so clearly the father whom I disobeyed. The recollection of his curse is never absent. Sometimes in the middle of the night I wake up, trembling, expecting the house is about to fall and crush me, and it is only by earnest prayer that I can recover my self-possession."
Here the captain ended his history, the recital of which had deeply interested each and all of his hearers. The worthy pastor did his utmost to convince him that his fears were only a vain superstition; but the captain shook his head. His kind counsellor saw that it would be unwise to argue the point, and left him with thanks for his graphic narrative, resolving to pray earnestly that God would remove from him the cloud of self-reproach, and enable him to spend the remainder of his days in the brightness of Christian hope.
CHAPTER XI.
The Curse Revoked—Conclusion.
"Commend the past to God, with all its irrevocable harm,Humbly, but in cheerful trust, and banish vain regrets;Come to Him, continually come, casting all the present at His feet,Boldly, but in prayerful love, and fling off selfish cares;Commit the future to His will—the viewless, fated future;Zealously go forward with integrity, and God will bless thy faith."—TUPPER.
"Commend the past to God, with all its irrevocable harm,Humbly, but in cheerful trust, and banish vain regrets;Come to Him, continually come, casting all the present at His feet,Boldly, but in prayerful love, and fling off selfish cares;Commit the future to His will—the viewless, fated future;Zealously go forward with integrity, and God will bless thy faith."—TUPPER.
"Commend the past to God, with all its irrevocable harm,
Humbly, but in cheerful trust, and banish vain regrets;
Come to Him, continually come, casting all the present at His feet,
Boldly, but in prayerful love, and fling off selfish cares;
Commit the future to His will—the viewless, fated future;
Zealously go forward with integrity, and God will bless thy faith."
—TUPPER.
—TUPPER.
A year had passed away since the captain had taken up his abode in the "Forester's House," as it was still called, in the course of which the intimacy between him and his good friend the pastor had been confirmed by many mutual acts of kindness. The captain was a great favourite with the children, and a visit to his house was looked upon by them as the greatest possible treat, and many were the interesting and instructive stories which he related for their amusement. His long wanderings in almost every part of the world furnished him with an inexhaustible supply of anecdotes and narratives of foreign customs, which the children could never grow tired of listening to. His friends, however, could not help noticing that he had not yet shaken off his fear that some fresh misfortune was in store for him, in consequence of his youthful disobedience and the curse which his father had pronounced upon him. This he believed, being unrevoked, would, as his father had written, "follow him always."
Thus this one great sin of disobeying his father's commands had embittered his happiness for more than forty years, not only when he was suffering what he justly believed to be the consequences of his wickedness, but long after he had earnestly repented of all his sins, and was living a peaceful, godly life.
Oh that all the boys and girls who may read this story would think over those words of St Paul, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord; for this is right. Honour thy father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth," (Eph. vi. 1-3), and learn from this narrative that every act of wilful disobedience to a parent's commands is a sin against God, which He is sure to punish.
The good pastor's prayers that the captain might be relieved from his anxiety of mind were not in vain, and he himself was destined to be the happy instrument in God's hands of removing the burden that had so long oppressed his friend. It happened one day when the pastor was writing in his study, that a man called upon him for the purpose of obtaining a certificate of his birth, which was necessary to enable him to receive a legacy to which he was entitled. The pastor inquired his name.
"My name is John Lobert," said the man, "and I have been living at Liverpool for many years; but I now intend to settle down here in my native village for the remainder of my life."
"When you were at Liverpool, did you ever meet Captain Buchman?" asked the pastor.
"No," said Lobert, "I never met him there; but I used to know him very well as a boy; in fact, he was an old schoolfellow of mine. I was astonished when I arrived at Dornbach last night to hear that he was living here. I shall be delighted to see him again."
"The captain, I am sure, will be pleased to see one of his old companions," replied the pastor, "but wait a moment, and I will give you your certificate. In what year were you born?"
"In 17—," answered Lobert.
"Ah, that was in my predecessor's time," said the pastor; "I must look through the old register, which ends at his death in 17—," and unlocking a large box which stood in the corner of the room, he took out the book, and soon found the entry of Lobert's birth. Upon the same page he noticed the name of his friend the captain, and underneath it was fastened a sheet of paper. The pastor unfolded this, and glancing over its contents, cried out with delight, "Oh, what a blessed discovery this is for my dear friend the captain!" He folded up the paper, and putting it in his pocket, wrote out the required certificate for Lobert, who took his leave, promising to call and see the captain on the next day.
As soon as he had gone, the pastor ran to the captain's house.
"Good news, my friend," said he as soon as they met "I am the bearer of happy tidings for you. Here, read this paper."
The captain's eyes filled with tears as he read, and falling on his knees, he gave thanks to God for the mercy He had shown him, He then rose from his knees and read aloud the important document, which was as follows:—
"I earnestly beg any one into whose hands this paper may fall, to tell my son, Francis Buchman (if he be still living), that his old father before his death has forgiven his disobedience, and revoked the curse which he pronounced upon him in a moment of anger. I pray also that God will forgive him, and turn him from the error of his ways.
"G. BUCHMAN, Pastor.
"Dornbach, 15th June, 17—."
The captain was quite an altered man now. The anxiety that had weighed upon his mind for so many years being removed, his life glided on smoothly and peacefully. The past only seemed to him as a terrible dream, from which he had now awakened.
Lobert duly called upon the captain on the following day, and was received with much joy, which was increased when he found that he too had chosen that better part which shall never be taken away. He soon became intimate with the pastor's family, and the three friends enjoyed each other's society for many happy years. The captain devoted the greater part of his time and his fortune to relieving the wants of the poor in the neighbourhood, and was long remembered by the inhabitants of the little village of Dornbach as the "Good Captain Buchman."
THE END
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By R. M. BALLANTYNE.
With Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 2s. 6d. each.
"The fathers, mothers, guardians, uncles and aunts who wish to find an acceptable present for a healthy-minded boy cannot possibly go wrong if they buy a book with Mr. Ballantyne's name on the title page."—Academy.
THE HOT SWAMP: A Romance of Old Albion.
THE BUFFALO RUNNERS: A Tale of the Red River Plains.
CHARLIE TO THE RESCUE! A Tale of the Sea and the Rockies.
BLOWN TO BITS; or, The Lonely Man of Rakata. A Tale of the Malay Archipelago.
BLUE LIGHTS; or, Hot Work in the Soudan.
THE FUGITIVES; or, The Tyrant Queen of Madagascar
RED ROONEY; or, The Last of the Crew.
THE ROVER OF THE ANDES: A Tale of Adventure in South America.
THE YOUNG TRAWLER: A Story of Life and Death and Rescue in the North Sea.
DUSTY DIAMONDS, CUT AND POLISHED: A Tale of Arab City Life.
THE BATTERY AND THE BOILER; or, Adventures in the Laying of Submarine Electric Gables.
THE GIANT OF THE NORTH; or, Pokings Round the Pole.
THE LONELY ISLAND; or, The Refuge of the Mutineers.
POST HASTE: A Tale of Her Majesty's Mails.
IN THE TRACK OF THE TROOPS: A Tale of Modern War.
THE SETTLER AND THE SAVAGE: A Tale of Peace and War in South Africa.
UNDER THE WAVES; or, Diving in Deep Waters.
RIVERS OF ICE: A Tale Illustrative of Alpine Adventure and Glacier Action.
THE PIRATE CITY: An Algerine Tale.
BLACK IVORY: A Tale of Adventure among the Slavers of East Africa.
THE NORSEMEN IN THE WEST; or, America before Columbus.
THE IRON HORSE; or, Life on the Line.
THE FLOATING LIGHT OF THE GOODWIN SANDS.
ERLING THE BOLD: A Tale of the Norse Sea-Kings.
THE GOLDEN DREAM: A Tale of the Diggings.
DEEP DOWN: A Tale of the Cornish Mines.
FIGHTING THE FLAMES: A Tale of the London Fire-Brigade.
SHIFTING WINDS: A Tough Yarn.
THE LIGHTHOUSE; or, The Story of a Great Fight between Man and the Sea.
THE LIFEBOAT: A Tale of our Coast Heroes.
GASCOYNE, THE SANDALWOOD TRADER.
THE WILD MAN OF THE WEST: A Tale of the Rocky Mountains.
THE RED ERIC; or, The Whaler's Last Cruise.
FREAKS ON THE FELLS: and Why I did not become a Sailor.
* * * * *
With Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 1s. 6d. each.
PERSONAL REMINISCENCES AND INCIDENTS. With Portrait of Author.
HUNTED AND HARRIED.
A COXSWAIN'S BRIDE; or, The Rising Tide. And other Tales.
THE GARRET AND THE GARDEN; or, Low Life High Up: and JEFF BENSON; or, The Young Coastguardsman.
THE CREW OF THE WATER-WAGTAIL.
THE MIDDY AND THE MOORS.
LIFE IN THE RED BRIGADE. A Fiery Tale.
THE PRAIRIE CHIEF. A Tale.
THE ISLAND QUEEN; or, Dethroned by Fire and Water.
THE MADMAN AND THE PIRATE.
TWICE BOUGHT: A Tale of the Oregon Gold Fields.
MY DOGGIE AND I.
THE RED MAN'S REVENGE.
PHILOSOPHER JACK: A Tale of the Southern Seas.
SIX MONTHS AT THE CAPE.
BATTLES WITH THE SEA; or, Heroes of the Lifeboat and the Rocket.
THE KITTEN PILGRIMS; or, Great Battles and Grand Victories. Crown 8vo. 1s.
* * * * *
R. M. BALLANTYNE'S
MISCELLANY OF ENTERTAINING ANDINSTRUCTIVE TALES.
With Illustrations. 1s. each.
Also in a Handsome Cloth Case, Price 20s.
From the "Athenæum."—"There is no more practical way of communicating elementary information than that which has been adopted in this series. When we see contained in 124 small pages (as inFast in the Ice) such information as a man of fair education should possess about icebergs, northern lights, Esquimaux, musk-oxen, bears, walruses, &c., together with all the ordinary incidents of an Arctic voyage woven into a clear connected narrative, we must admit that a good work has been done, and that the author deserves the gratitude of those for whom the books are especially designed, and also of young people of all classes."
I.
FIGHTING THE WHALES; or, Doings and Dangers on a Fishing Cruise.
II.
AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS; or, Life among the Red Indians and Fur Traders of North America.
III.
FAST IN THE ICE; or, Adventures in the Polar Regions.
IV.
CHASING THE SUN; or, Rambles in Norway.
V.
SUNK AT SEA; or, The Adventures of Wandering Will in the Pacific.
VI.
LOST IN THE FOREST; or, Wandering Will's Adventures in South America.
VII.
OVER THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS; or, Wandering Will in the Land of the Red Skin.
VIII.
SAVED BY THE LIFEBOAT; or, A Tale of Wreck and Rescue on the Coast.
IX.
THE CANNIBAL ISLANDS; or, Captain Cook's Adventures in the South Seas.
X.
HUNTING THE LIONS; or, The Land of the Negro.
XI.
DIGGING FOR GOLD; or, Adventures in California
/XII.
UP IN THE CLOUDS; or, Balloon Voyages.
XIII.
THE BATTLE AND THE BREEZE; or, The Fights and Fancies of a British Tar.
XIV.
THE PIONEERS: A Tale of the Western Wilderness.
XV.
THE STORY OF THE ROCK.
XVI.
WRECKED, BUT NOT RUINED.
XVII.
THE THOROGOOD FAMILY.
XVIII.
THE LIVELY POLL. A Tale of the North Sea.
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By Dr. MACAULAY.
STRANGE YET TRUE. By JAMES MACAULAY, M.D., Editor of the "Leisure Hour," &c. With many Illustrations. Extra crown 8vo.
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By S. M. S. CLARKE (Mrs. Pereira).
BARON AND SQUIRE. A Story of the Thirty Years' War. With Sixteen Illustrations. Extra crown 8vo.
THE DUKE'S PAGE; or, "In the Days of Luther." A Story for Boys. From the German. Sixteen Illustrations. Extra crown 8vo.
"A spirited and attractive narrative."—Literary Churchman.
"A capital story for boys."—Guardian.
"This is one of the most fascinating historical tales we have ever read."—British Weekly.
"Throughout incident succeeds incident, and the interest never flags until the end is reached. The illustrations are worthy of the vigorous writing."—Public Opinion.
"A very good story.... Of sterling value."—Spectator.
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By Rev. J. REID HOWATT.
THE CHILDREN'S PULPIT. A Year's Sermons and Parables for the Young. Extra crown 8vo. 2s. 6d.
THE CHILDREN'S ANGEL. Being a Volume of Sermons to Children. Crown 8vo. 2s. 6d.
THE CHILDREN'S PEW. Extra crown 8vo. 2s. 6d.
AFTER HOURS; or, The Religion of our Leisure Time. Small crown 8vo. 1s.
AGNOSTIC FALLACIES. Crown 8vo. 1s.
YOUTH'S IDEALS. Small crown 8vo. 1s.
FAITH'S STRONG FOUNDATIONS. Small crown 8vo. 1s.
LIFE WITH A PURPOSE. Small crown 8vo. 1s.
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By Lady KENNETT-BARRINGTON.
BIBLE HISTORY FOR CHILDREN. With a Short History of Christianity after the Days of the Apostles. With Illustrations. Small crown 8vo. 1s. 6d.
"This book is eminently adapted for children's capabilities, and has the great advantage of keeping as nearly as possible to Bible language. It is an excellent little book."—Christian Commonwealth.
"A little work that will commend itself to all who have to do with the religious training of the young."—Church Bells.
"The work is well and carefully done, the main current of the Bible story being rendered with point and brevity in the very spirit of the Scriptures."—School Board Chronicle.
* * * * *
By the Rev. EDWARD J. HARDY, M.A.
UNCLE JOHN'S TALKS WITH HIS NEPHEWS. Crown 8vo. 1s. 6d.
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By EVA TRAVERS EVERED POOLE.
LOTTA'S LIFE MISTAKE. With Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 2s.
GOLDEN LINKS IN A LIFE CHAIN. With illustrations. Crown 8vo. 2s. 6d.
"GOOD-NIGHT" THOUGHTS ABOUT GOD; or, Evening Readings for the Young. Small crown 8vo. 1s. 6d.
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By DARLEY DALE.
CISSY'S TROUBLES. With Illustrations. Small crown 8vo. 1s. 6d.
"A very charming story."—Yorkshire Post.
"The book will be a favourite with young people, especially with our girls."—Family Churchman.
LITTLE BRICKS. With Illustrations. Small crown 8vo. 1s. 6d.
"The story is fascinating from the interest which is excited and maintained. It is written with power and insight."—Courant.
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By WILLIAM CHARLES METCALFE.
STEADY YOUR HELM; or, Stowed Away. With Six Illustrations. Extra crown 8vo. 2s. 6d.
ABOVEBOARD. A Tale of Adventure on the Sea. With Six Illustrations. Extra crown 8vo. 2s. 6d.
"This is a delightfully exciting tale of the adventures of two sailor lads, with icebergs, pirates, and similar horrors of the sea. Its chief defect is that it leaves off too soon, even at the end of more than 300 pages."—Pall Mall Gazette.
"This story of a cruise is about as full of adventures as it can well be. There is plenty of 'go' in the narrative, and the incidents succeed each other with a very plausible probability."—Spectator.
"It is full of adventure and well written, but perhaps its chief recommendation is its thoroughly healthy tone."—Manchester Examiner.
"It is a long time since we have read anything racier, breezier, more healthful and invigorating than Mr. Metcalfe's fine sea story. There is a fine combination of adventure of the most thrilling order, without a trace of unwholesome sensationalism, and good sound teaching just as free from mawkish sentiment."—Methodist Recorder.
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By Mrs. SAXBY.
VIKING BOYS. With Four Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 1s. 6d.
THE LADS OF LUNDA. With Illustrations. Crown 8vo. 2s. 6d.