A vessel was wrecked off the shore. Eager eyes were watching and strong arms manned the life-boat. For hours they tried to reach that vessel through the great breakers that raged and foamed on the sand-bank but it seemed impossible. The boat appeared to be leaving the crew to perish. But after a while the Captain and sixteen men were taken off, and the vessel went down. "When the life-boat came to you," said a friend, "did you expect it had brought some tools to repair your old ship?" "Oh, no," was the response; "she was a total wreck. Two of her masts were gone, and if we had stayed mending her, only a few minutes, we must have gone down, sir." "When once off the old wreck and safe in the life-boat, what remained for you to do?" "Nothing, sir, but just to pull for the shore." Light in the darkness, sailor, day is at hand! CHO. -- Trust in the life-boat, sailor, all else will fail, Stronger the surges dash and fiercer the gale, Bright gleams the morning, sailor, lift up thy eye; Clouds and darkness disappearing, glory is nigh! P. P. BLISS. |