THE 
 
 SHIP "MARY ALICE; 
 
 on, 
 
 MY PEAYEES WILL BE ANSWEEED, GOD WILL SAVE 
 YOU, MY PEECIOUS BOY, 
 
 BY 
 
 REV. THOMAS ATWOOD. 
 
 BOSTON: 
 FEANKLIN PEESS: EAKD, AVEEY, & CO. 
 
 1878.
 
 COPYRIGHT, 1878, 
 BY EEV. THOMAS ATWOOD.
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 THE Author of this narrative, having spent more than thirty 
 years of his life upon the ocean, and more than twenty years in 
 the Christian ministry, and supposing himself laid upon the 
 shelf for the crime of being an old man, and all income in that 
 direction being cut off, and deprecating idleness even in old 
 age, has written the within narrative, hoping to impress the 
 vast importance of experimental religion upon the minds of 
 every reader, from seeing the rich and ripe clusters of precious 
 fruit which others have gathered for themselves from the vine- 
 tree of Jesus love. As the gospel-bearing ship " Mary Alice " 
 will begin her history and mission, so the Author sends this 
 narrative abroad, which describes her first voyage around the 
 globe. Her second and subsequent ones may follow the first, if 
 this volume should attract and benefit the reading public. 
 
 THE AUTHOR.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PAGE. 
 
 Birth and Early Life of John Shields and his Sister. Painful 
 Providence. A Dying Mother s Prediction. Their Fa 
 ther s Death, and the Orphans Resolutions. A Painful 
 Incident and its Effects 7 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Johnny s First Voyage and Promotion. Johnny visits his 
 
 Sister, and finds her in a Lunatic-Asylum 15 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 A Thrilling Incident on his Third Voyage. His Fourth Voy 
 age, dismasted. Answer to his Mother s Prayers real 
 ized. A Double "Wedding 24 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Resolutions inspired from hearing a Sermon. A Launch, and 
 Night upon the Ocean. " The Mary Alice " sails for San 
 Francisco. A Midnight Conversion. A Powerful Prayer- 
 Meeting 34 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Bill falls from Aloft. A Doctor found. Bill wishes to repay 
 the Captain s "Wife for nursing him. Bill s Talk with 
 the Sailor-Landlords in San Francisco 50 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Alice makes her Husband a Present. A Mysterious Package 
 found and opened, and a Cousin found. A Mutiny 
 quelled at Midnight. Two more new Cousins found . . 61
 
 b CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 PAQE. 
 
 An Affliction sanctified by Prayer. Alice s Prediction. A 
 Welcome Visitor and Annie s Letter. Annie s Marriage 
 to Mr. Ernest Shields in London. The "Wrecked "Water 
 logged Ship. A Vessel supplied with Water. The 
 Wrecked Sailor s History. Mr. Mainstay s Sermon to 
 the Wrecked Sailors 71 
 
 CHAPTER VLTL 
 
 Capt. Shields s Method of treating Sailors on their Arrival. 
 Capt. Shields and Wife, her Father, and Annie and Hus 
 band, visit Mary. The Prayer-Meeting in G . The 
 
 Cemetery and Old Home visited. How they spent the 
 Sabbath. Capt. Shields s Presents to his Sister. Con 
 clusion, and Marriage-Hymn 85
 
 THE SHIP " MARY ALICE. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 TOHN SHIELDS, the subject of this narrative, was 
 ^ born in Vermont, and lived with "his parents, and 
 worked on the farm with his father through all the long 
 summer daj-s. The only education he received was by 
 attending the fall and winter terms of the district school. 
 He had one sister, two j ears his senior, whom he tenderly 
 loved, and to whom he was very warmly attached : her 
 name was Mary Bliss Shields. When Johnny, as Maiy 
 alwaj-s called him, had any leisure hours, he always sought 
 his sister Mary s company. She was his only playmate, 
 guide, and counsellor. Their love for each other was of 
 that quality which led them cheerfully to make sacrifices 
 one for the other, if they could administer to each other s 
 happiness by the sacrifices they made ; so that, if either of 
 them had presents made them by their friends of nuts and 
 candy, they remained untouched till a division was made 
 between them. 
 
 Their parents were not wealthy ; yet they owned a snug 
 little farm, which, through their daily industry and econo 
 my, had alwa} T s yielded them something more than a com 
 petence for their daily necessities. Mr. Shields and his 
 wife, the parents of Johnny and Mary, were both living, 
 practical Christians. Mr. Shields was an Irish Protes 
 tant, and left Ireland in 1825 on account of the terrible 
 persecution to which all Protestants in Ireland were at 
 that time subjected, and was at the time he landed in 
 
 B , only twenty years of age. Remaining in B a 
 
 few days, he thought it would be better to go into the
 
 8 THE SHIP "MAEY ALICE." 
 
 country, and tr} r to learn some good trade which he be 
 lieved would secure to him a good living. He started out 
 on foot, depending upon God s providence to guide him, 
 
 and open the way. He came into the town of "VY , 
 
 where he hired himself to a Mr. H , to blow and strike 
 
 in his blacksmith-shop. Mr. H soon found him to be 
 
 a good, steady, industrious man, and he made a contract 
 with him ; and Mr. Shields continued to work for Mr. 
 
 H , receiving his board and twenty dollars per month 
 
 for his services. 
 
 At the close of the two years Mr. Shields, by his indus 
 try and close attention to his business, had become the 
 
 best horse-shoer in that vicinity ; and Mr. H , fearing 
 
 he might lose him, took him in as partner in his business. 
 He remained his partner for four years ; and in 1831 he 
 
 dissolved his partnership with Mr. H , and went to 
 
 Vermont and bought a farm, and erected a blacksmith- 
 shop in S , where, during the fall and winter, he 
 
 worked at his trade, and attended to his farm in the 
 summer. 
 
 In May, 1832, seven years after he landed in B , 
 
 Mr. Shields married Miss Mary Bliss. She was then 
 twentj -four, and he was twentj -seven years of age ; and I 
 remark that Mrs. Shields was what every person who 
 knew her called a consistent Christian. Perhaps none en 
 joyed the conjugal relation more than did Mr. Shields and 
 his wife, and he sometimes playfully called her his Bliss 
 ful Mary. Just eighteen months after their marriage, a 
 little daughter was given them to gladden their hearts. 
 The loving father could find no name so sweet to him as 
 that of his loving wife ; and he named her for her mother, 
 Mary Bliss Shields. She proved to have inherited her 
 mother s mild, affectionate, trusting disposition, which 
 soon made her a little sunbeam of light and love. Two 
 3 ears after, little Johnn} made his appearance in the house 
 hold to quicken the loving pulses of father, mother, and 
 sister ; and here was found one useful, loving, Christian 
 family. 
 
 Mr. Shields began the world right ; and, from the day 
 of his marriage, he never allowed business, friends, or 
 any other circumstances within his control, to prevent
 
 THE SHIP "MAEY ALICE." 9 
 
 him from sustaining Ms daily family worship ; and often 
 told his wife, that at the morning altar he found strength 
 for the duties of the day. Thus his two children were 
 brought up and educated to believe that God s claims 
 upon them were of first importance, and must never be 
 neglected. God and his claims first, and business and 
 the world afterwards, was his motto. The children at an 
 early age attended the sabbath school. Mary, at the age 
 of twelve years, indulged hope in Jesus her Saviour ; and, 
 although young, she very soon became a very intelligent 
 and practical Christian. Her mother had discharged her 
 duty faithfully, and now she was reaping the sweet fruit 
 age. Little Mar} 7 became very anxious for her dear 
 brother Johnny, that he, too, might know and love the 
 same Saviour who had forgiven her sins, and made her 
 rejoice in Jesus love. But Johnny, although he had 
 been taught the importance of religion, was so fond of 
 play, that he could not seem to fix his young mind upon 
 the subject. 
 
 In January, 1848, Mrs. Shields had taken a severe 
 cold. A fever soon set in, which brought on a terrible 
 cough ; and though husband, doctors, children, and 
 neighbors, by whom she was universally beloved, did all 
 that could be done, a quick consumption soon did its 
 work. Her husband s love for her had been so deep, 
 ardent, and tender, that it seemed as though his own life 
 would soon pay the forfeit of his love for her whom he 
 regarded as the best woman upon earth. Mrs. Shields 
 was, in fact, a noble woman, noble as a wife and mother, 
 noble as a constant, practical, living Christian. The in 
 fluence of her Christlike spirit was felt not only in her 
 household and the church, but in her neighborhood, and 
 wherever she was known. She had become fully ripe ; 
 and her Saviour called her away from the cares and toils 
 of earth to the home of the blessed. After she was taken 
 sick, and felt that she was about to leave those she loved, 
 she felt very anxious for her dear Johnny. She called 
 him to her bedside. He was about fourteen years of age. 
 She said, " My dear boj 7 , your mother will soon leave you, 
 and go to dwell with Jesus. If you were only a Chris 
 tian, there would not be a pang of sorrow in my leaving
 
 10 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 
 
 3 r ou all. Your dear father and sister, that you love, will 
 find a home with me in yon bright world of glory when 
 ever Jesus the Master calls them." She then put her 
 arm around him, and drew him closer to her, and said, 
 "Remember, and never forget, the words of your dying 
 mother : Give your heart and your life to Jesus. Trust 
 in him as your sister has, and Jesus will save you as he 
 did save her. God will answer my prayers for you. God 
 will save you, my precious boy." The effort she had made 
 to impress truth upon Johnny s mind weakened her so 
 much, that she only lingered a few hours ; and her last 
 words were, " All is peace." Peace, indeed, and triumph 
 and glory, for her, but not so to the bleeding husband and 
 father s soul. She was buried from the church where she 
 for 3"ears had ever been a consistent member ; and, as one 
 after another looked into that sweet face from which the 
 victor s smile had not yet departed, each felt that there 
 was a supporting power in the religion of Jesus to which 
 this world were strangers. 
 
 After the funeral was over, and the grief-stricken ones 
 had returned to their homes, Mr. Shields called his two 
 children to him, and said, "Your dear mother has gone 
 to dwell with the Saviour she so ardently loved, and whom 
 she so faithfully served. And now, my dear Mary, I wish 
 to tell you that you have many of your dear mother s 
 traits of character, I trust, indelibly stamped upon your 
 heart, as well as her features and form of person ; and 
 my desire is, that you may become as good and useful as 
 your dear mother was. You will now assume all the 
 duties of housekeeper, for which your mother has so 
 faithfully trained and educated you ; and I know it will 
 be your pleasure to try to comfort me in my heart-rending 
 sorrow. I fear that both of you, my dear loved children, 
 will soon be left orphans ; and I now, therefore, commit 
 and commend you to my faithful Saviour, who is the 
 orphans God. Your dear mother s death will, I fear, 
 soon be the -means of terminating my own existence here 
 with 3 T ou. Although in heart I am fully resigned to God s 
 will in removing my almost idolized wife from earth to 
 heaven, yet my physical structure has received such a 
 shock, that I fear it will never rally again to my former
 
 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 11 
 
 state of health. My farm is unencumbered. I owe no 
 debts. If I should die suddenly, in my desk you will 
 find my bank-book, which claims one thousand dollars in 
 
 the savings bank in B . The farm and buildings are 
 
 worth about four thousand dollars more. Thus you see 
 that you will have something to begin the world with. I 
 have told } ou how I began life ; and, when I married your 
 mother, I believe I was the happiest man on earth. Should 
 either of you ever marry, I beg of you, under no circum 
 stances, ever to many any person that is not a living, 
 practical Christian." 
 
 Only one year had passed away after Mr. Shields 
 buried his wife, when he was, by his neighbors, brought 
 home dead. While shoeing a horse, his hammer fell out 
 of his hand, and he fell over backward without utttering 
 a word or groan. The attending plrysician said he had 
 died with a sudden attack of the heart. Johnny was at 
 work in the yard, sawing wood, when the lifeless body 
 of his father was brought home. So sudden was the 
 announcement, that his sister Mary fainted away. When 
 Johnnj saw the bod} T of his dead father, and his appar 
 ently lifeless sister, whom he loved even dearer than his 
 own life, he broke down, and cried out in his grief-stricken 
 anguish, " I am all alone ! " He embraced his sister, say 
 ing, "Mary, my dear sister Mar}", do speak to me once 
 more ! Speak, dear Mary ! Do not leave me alone, my 
 dear sister!" Oh, how often does the dear Father in 
 heaven send these sharp pangs of sorrow into human 
 hearts, to test, prove, and discipline us, and better fit us 
 to accomplish our mission here upon earth ! After an 
 hour s unconsciousness Mary was restored. The neigh 
 bors, friends, and their pastor, all gathered around, and 
 deeply sympathized with these lonely orphans, administer 
 ing consolation and assistance to these children of afflic 
 tion and sorrow. 
 
 These two children had loved their dear mother with 
 all the warm intensity of their young hearts ; but their 
 dear father was left to them, and their hearts clung to 
 him as the running vine clings to the wall. Now he 
 was gone, their last earthly prop had been removed. 
 After the first gush of feeling had subsided, dear trusting
 
 12 THE SHIP "MABY ALICE." 
 
 Mary said to her dear brother Johnny, " Jesus is left to 
 us still. Jesus never dies, and will support us, even in 
 this sad affliction. You know, my dear brother, that 
 father and mother both taught us to trust in Jesus ; and 
 his word says, They that trust in the Lord shall be as 
 Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for 
 ever. And Johnny said, " Dear Mary, I wish I could 
 see and feel as you do ; but I cannot. If God had not 
 .jtaken awa}- our dear father, I think I could have borne my 
 mother s death better. But, now both are gone, what 
 shall we do?" "Why, Johnny, do you not remember 
 what dear father told us after mother s death? He said 
 that his Saviour would be the orphans God ; and I am 
 sure he will. And I want 3*011 to trust him now." "Well, 
 for your sake I will try." 
 
 Mr. Shields had ever been a very warm-hearted, con 
 sistent Christian man, whose counsel was ever sought 
 because of his prudence and discretion. His life had 
 been an open volume of love to God and good-will to 
 men. 
 
 After the funeral the two orphans returned to their sad 
 home. Mar}^ said to Johnny, " I think we had better 
 continue to keep house, and you do the farm-work, and I 
 will help you all I can." Johnny assented to his dear 
 sister s proposals. He had never thought of doing any 
 thing without first submitting it to the judgment of his 
 dear Mary ; and his love for her since the death of his 
 father had become, if possible, doubly intensified. He 
 was so afraid something would happen to her when he 
 was in the field at work, that he told her, if she ever 
 wanted him, to blow the dinner-horn, and he would come 
 to her at once. When the hay-season came on, he told 
 his sister he would not be able to cut all their grass, cure 
 it, and get it into the barn, without help ; and Mary 
 thought he ought to have help too. At this time a very 
 good-looking young man asked Johnny if he knew of any 
 person who wished to hire help through the hay-season ; 
 and Johnny told him he wished to hire some one to help 
 him get his hay. He agreed to work for Johnny for a 
 dollar and fifty cents per day and his board, through the 
 haying-season. Johnny invited him into the house, and
 
 THE SHIP "MAKY ALICE." 13 
 
 introduced him to his sister Mary ; and all went on very 
 well until the third da3 r , when Johnny missed his hired 
 man, but thought nothing of it until he heard the well- 
 known horn blow. Without dropping his pitchfork, lie 
 ran as quick as he could to the house. Mary appeared 
 at one of the attic-windows, and told Johnn} that the 
 young man had insulted her, and she had taken the horn 
 and fled to the attic, and fastened all the doors behind 
 her, that she might be safe until he came. 
 
 Johnn}*, on hearing his sister s story, became so en 
 raged, that Mary was affrighted. She had never in her life 
 seen her brother s temper raised before ; and she began 
 to beg him not to hurt the man, but pay him, and send 
 him away. But Johnny would not listen to his sister 
 now : she had been insulted, and that he would not for 
 one moment bear. lie would protect his sister with his 
 life, if it was necessaiy. The man had fastened all the 
 outside doors. He ordered him to open the door ; but he 
 refused. Johnny went into the cellar, and up the cellar- 
 stairs ; and in a moment he stood before the man who 
 had insulted his dear sister Mary, with the following 
 words : "I did not hire you to insult my sister. Now 
 leave my house this moment. Come here to-morrow, 
 and I will pay you what I owe 3 ou." The young man 
 said, " You hired me for the hay-season, and I shall not 
 leave until the season closes." Mary, hearing some 
 loud words, and fearing the consequences, made her ap 
 pearance, to aid, if possible, in the peaceable settlement of 
 the matter. As soon as she came into the room, this 
 young man attempted to embrace her in his arms. Johnny 
 in an instant thrust his pitchfork through his body, and 
 he fell to the floor with the cry, " You have killed me ! " 
 Johnny mounted a horse, and went for a plrysician, send 
 ing some of the neighbors to Mary s assistance. The 
 doctor came, examined and dressed the wound, saying it 
 was not dangerous ; and the neighbors removed the man 
 to the alms-house, to be cared for by the overseer. In 
 the mean time, Johnny, fearing the consequences, told 
 Mar} he must flee, and leave, for fear of arrest. Mary 
 besought him to give himself up to the officers of law, 
 and all would be well. But Johnny was so filled with
 
 14 THE SHIP " MARY ALICE." 
 
 fear, that he dared not remain. Taking a few dollars and 
 a few clothes, he very warmly embraced his dear sister, 
 saying he would write to her, but would not tell her where 
 he was going. It is doubtful if he knew himself where 
 he was going ; for he was so much excited, that he hardly 
 knew what he did or said.
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 "V""OUNG Shields made his way straight to a seaport, 
 *- and found a ship bound to London, commanded by 
 
 Capt. B . After the ship had hauled into the stream 
 
 he wrote to his sister. 
 
 Johnny was very seasick for a few days ; and, after it 
 was over, some of the old tars began to impose duties 
 upon Johnny which he had never agreed to perform ; and, 
 if he showed the slightest indisposition to perform them, 
 then they would strike and kick him. After patiently 
 bearing their insults as long as he could, he told Capt. 
 
 B how the crew had been treating him. Capt. B 
 
 called all hands aft, and told them the first man that 
 imposed upon his boy again he would put in irons for 
 disobedience of orders. After this every thing went on 
 quietly ; and Johnm* grew in favor with his captain and 
 officers. Arriving in London, the second mate and all 
 the crew left the ship. After the home cargo was in, and 
 
 all stowed away, Capt. B called Johnny into the 
 
 cabin, and said to him, " Although this is } our first voy 
 age, I am so well satisfied with your character, that I now 
 offer you the the second officer s berth on board my ship ; 
 and Mr. Transom and myself will teach you all we can, 
 and you must not be afraid or ashamed to ask any ques 
 tion of myself or of my first officer." Johnny was over 
 whelmed with astonishment at Capt. B s proposal ; 
 
 but he accepted the office, and filled it faithfully, to the 
 satisfaction of both captain and mate. 
 
 They arrived home in 1850. He wrote to his sister to 
 get some one to look after the place, and come and meet 
 
 him at the T House. On the fifth da}* after his arrival 
 
 his dear sister met him at the T House. After a 
 
 warm, loving greeting, Mary wished him to return home 
 with her. He then told her that he meant to follow the
 
 16 THE SHIP "MAKY ALICE." 
 
 sea, and hoped, by strict attention to his business, to rise 
 to a captain s office. She rejoiced with him in his promo 
 tion, and told him the man with whom he had the diffi 
 culty had got well, and had gone away to some other part 
 of the country. Mary spent only a few days with her 
 brother, and then returned to her country home. In 
 March her brother s ship sailed for San Francisco, with 
 fifty gold-hunting passengers on board, arriving there in 
 July. In August the} sailed again for Hong Kong, where 
 they arrived after a passage of thirty-two days. In No 
 vember the} sailed for B . All went on well till in 
 
 January. While scudding before a heavy gale, under a 
 close-reefed maintopsail and fore-staysail, through the 
 carelessness of the man at the wheel the ship broached 
 to ; and a sea swept overboard the man at the wheel, and 
 Mr. Transom the first officer, cleaning the decks of water- 
 casks, spare spars, and bulwarks, and making the ship 
 to tremble from truck to keelson. The captain and all 
 hands were on deck as soon as they could get there. 
 When it was found that Mr. Transom, the first officer, 
 had been swept overboard, a sad wail of woe was heard 
 by every man on board ; for he was loved by all, and by 
 none more than Johnny ; for he had been his teacher, 
 and Johnny had availed himself of his faithful instruc 
 tions. 
 
 Capt. B mourned the loss of his first officer, who 
 
 had been with him several voyages, and expected to have 
 
 command of "The S ," or some other ship, on their 
 
 arrival home. Nothing more occurred worth} of note 
 during the remnant of their passage. But we must drop 
 the familiar term of Johnny now ; for he has become the 
 
 first officer of the noble ship " S ." They arrived the 
 
 following February, making the passage in one hundred 
 days from Hong Kong to B . 
 
 After the cargo was discharged, Mr. Shields asked Capt. 
 
 B for a brief furlough, which was -readily given. He 
 
 took the train for B , and then hired a man to carry 
 
 him to his old home in G . As he drew near, and 
 
 recognized some of the old trees, his heart leaped for joy 
 to think he should surprise his dear sister, and hold her 
 in his embrace ere she was aware. He arrived at the old
 
 THE SHIP "MAKY ALICE." 17 
 
 home about four P.M. ; but, instead of meeting his dear 
 sister Mary, he was met by a strange gentleman that he 
 had never seen before. He immediately inquired for his 
 sister, and made himself known as her brother, and was 
 promptly told she was not at home.. He inquired where 
 she was ; for he must see her, let her be wherever she 
 might be. After a while the gentleman told him she was 
 his wife, and had become insane, and he found it neces 
 sary to send her away because he could not live peaceably 
 with her. Mr. Shields in a moment mistrusted that some 
 thing was wrong ; and, fearing he should arouse the man s 
 suspicions, he assumed as quiet an appearance as possible. 
 He then asked him when the}- were married. He told 
 him on New- Year s Day, Jan. 1, 1851, and that their 
 
 pastor, Rev. Mr. M , had married them. Mr. Shields, 
 
 being well acquainted with Mr. M , thought it best 
 
 to repair to the pastor s house to get a more correct solu 
 tion of the strange story told him by his new-found 
 
 brother-in-law. Mr. M gave him a warm and cordial 
 
 reception, asking if he had been at his old home. After 
 
 replying in the affirmative, Mr. M said, " Come into 
 
 my study, and I will frankly tell you all I know about it. 
 
 Mr. II came here to G some time in November 
 
 last, and brought with him a letter from a church in New 
 York, and upon that letter was received into our church. 
 His zeal and apparent active piety made him . many warm 
 friends. He took charge of a Bible-class in our sabbath 
 school ; and his apparent ready knowledge of the Bible 
 very soon won for him the admiration of all ; and 3 r our 
 dear sister Mary became very warmly attached to him. 
 In December Mary came to me for advice, and I gave 
 her as good counsel as I knew how. to give. She said 
 
 that Mr. II had asked her to become his wife. She 
 
 kept nothing back. She told me what her father had said 
 to her before he died ; and like a loving, confiding girl, 
 as she always was, she had come to her pastor for advice, 
 and I freely gave it. While I could see no reason why 
 she might not accept his proposals, yet, as he was an 
 entire stranger, I could see nothing inconsistent with his 
 waiting until she had more time and a better opportunity 
 of judging his character. Before she left me I urged her
 
 18 THE SHIP " MAKY ALICE." 
 
 b} T all means to wait till your return. She thanked me 
 kindly for my counsel, but made me no other reply. I 
 soon became satisfied that he was pressing his suit with 
 such vigor that I feared the contract would soon be closed. 
 She never came to me for advice again. On the even 
 ing of last New-Year s Day they came to my house, 
 and I married them here. In three weeks after his mar 
 riage he was excluded from our church for gambling. I 
 suppose you knew your father left a thousand dollars in 
 
 the bank in B ; and her husband managed to get five 
 
 hundred dollars of that money, which was all spent in 
 gambling. Then Mary went to the bank, and forbade 
 them paying him any more money, saying the other five 
 hundred belonged to her brother. Finding that source 
 of income diy, he then entered the blacksmith s shop, 
 and carried all the tools away, and sold them for what he 
 could get. He then sold your father s family horse, and 
 spent the monej in the same waj- ; and it was some days 
 before his wife knew he had sold her horse. All these he 
 sold to gratify his gambling propensities. Only a few 
 
 da} S afterwards, one of her neighbors, Mr. D , told 
 
 her that her husband had offered to sell him her favorite 
 
 cow Dolly for twenty dollars. She said to Mr. D- , 
 
 I wish }-ou to come here this evening as a witness to 
 
 what I wish to say to him. That evening Mr. D 
 
 came ; and Mary said to him, in Mr. D s presence, 
 
 Mr. H , }-ou came here last fall, and brought a 
 
 letter from a B church in New York, and was cor 
 dially received ; and at that time no member in the church 
 was more warmly loved than }*ou were. Up to the time 
 you married me, last New-Year s Eve, you seemed to be 
 a consistent Christian man. Three weeks after our mar 
 riage you were excluded from the church for gambling ; 
 
 and I tell you now, in the presence of Mr. D , that 
 
 you are a base h} r pocrite. You have deceived me. Your 
 love for me was only assumed, that } T OU might the better 
 accomplish your gambling designs, which at that time 
 were fully developed. You promised before God to love, 
 cherish, and protect me as your wife. Then I loved you, 
 and I did make sacrifices to gratify your wishes ; but you 
 spent my money and sold my property without my knowl-
 
 THE SHIP "MAKY ALICE." 19 
 
 edge or consent. My father s horse, which had been one 
 of our famil}" pets for several } r ears, you. sold without my 
 knowledge ; and last night you offered him my best cow, 
 
 dear old Dolly, for twenty dollars. If Mr. D 
 
 says that, he is a liar, said the infuriated husband. 
 
 Mr. D then said, You came into my barn while I 
 
 was milking, and said you would sell me Dolly for twenty 
 dollars ; and I asked you if you had Mary s permission. 
 And do you not remember the reply you made me ? "I 
 am master now, and will do with the property as I think 
 
 best." Mr. D , you are a liar, sir. I repeat it ; 
 
 and I wish you to leave my house at once. Mr. D 
 
 said, I will, but not till I have first taught you to carry 
 a civil tongue in your head. And the sturdy farmer 
 
 took Mr. H by the collar, and cuffed his ears right 
 
 smartly, till he begged the farmer s pardon. Mr. D 
 
 then left the house. As soon as he was gone, Mr. H 
 
 laid hold of his wife, that he had promised to protect, 
 saying, I will pay you now for saying what you did in 
 
 Mr. D s presence. He choked her until she fell; 
 
 and, in falling, she struck her head violently upon the 
 stove. He then took her in his arms, and laid her upon 
 a bed ; for he was terribly frightened lest she would die. 
 He called to one of his neighbors to go for the doctor, and 
 it was some three hours before he came. He immediately 
 
 inquired about the cause ; and Mr. H said she fell 
 
 upon the stove, but said nothing about how she came to 
 fall upon the stove. The doctor, in his examination, dis 
 covered a large black spot upon each side of her neck, 
 
 which he could not seem to understand. Mrs. H 
 
 was, after a long time, restored to consciousness ; but her 
 mind seemed to be wandering ; but she soon recognized 
 the doctor, and called him by name. Her husband came 
 to the bedside, intending to do something for her. She 
 said, Go away from me: you have killed me now. 
 Then her mind seemed to wander again ; and then she 
 would cry, saying, Dear Lord, send my dear Johnny 
 home to me : Johnny will take care of me when he comes : 
 Johnny loves me, and I love Johnny. The doctor told 
 
 Mr. H that it was necessary that some good woman 
 
 should take charge of Mrs. H , and that she must be
 
 20 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 
 
 kept very quiet. A little after, Mrs. H said to the 
 
 doctor, I wish you would send for widow B to come 
 
 and take care of me ; for she is a good Christian woman, 
 but pra}- don t you leave me till she comes. 
 
 " At this remark the doctor s suspicions were raised, 
 whether those black spots were not caused b}~ A iolence of 
 some kind ; and he despatched one of the neighbors for 
 
 widow B . He had asked her husband to go ; but 
 
 he refused, saying he might be needed in the house, but 
 he never left the room while the doctor remained. Some 
 
 two hours after, widow B came, and was very much 
 
 astonished to find Mrs. H in such a condition. 
 
 Widow B was a very smart, fearless woman, and a 
 
 good Christian woman, and had heard of Mr. II s 
 gambling proclivities. After she came, the doctor gave her 
 directions, and went home, saying he would come again 
 
 in the morning. Mr. H soon retired ; and, when 
 
 he was gone, Mrs. H told widow B the whole 
 
 story, how he choked her until she fell, and showed her 
 the black spots he made upon her throat with his fingers. 
 
 Widow B said to her that she had better say nothing 
 
 to him now about the matter, and talk but little when he. 
 was in the room ; that she would take good care of her, 
 and she should want for nothing. 
 
 " In the morning he came in, went to the bedside, and 
 said, How are you feeling this morning? She said, My 
 throat is very sore indeed. He turned away at once, 
 and showed evident signs of guilt. Through the da} T she 
 showed evident signs of partial insanity at least. When 
 the doctor came, and examined her, he shook his head, 
 sa} ing he had fears that she might lose her reason ; and 
 several times, when she saw her husband, she would say, 
 I hate him : drive him away. He sold my horse : he 
 wants to kill me. And she would cover herself up in the 
 
 bedclothes to get out of his sight. Mr. II said to 
 
 the doctor, Is it not strange that insane people often 
 hate their best friends? The doctor replied, by saving it 
 was strange ; but sometimes insane people knew who their 
 best friends were. Nothing more was said upon this 
 subject. Through the da}- she would at times seem to be 
 filled with fear, and exclaim, Do save me from that man !
 
 THE SHIP "MAKY ALICE." 21 
 
 he means to kill me. And then she would become as 
 quiet as an infant. Toward night she seemed more ra 
 tional, and for the first time asked for food. The nurse 
 brought her some nice gruel ; and she drank it very freely, 
 and seemed more like herself than at any time since she 
 was taken sick. Through the night she slept quietly, and 
 in the morning she wanted to get up ; and she sat up the 
 most of the da3*, and seemed as rational as she ever was. 
 Her husband did not come into the room during the day. 
 The next day she went about the house some, and wished 
 to know if her cows were taken care of, and her fowls 
 and pigs. Mr. PI suggested that she might now dis 
 charge her nurse, and save some expense. She replied, 
 saying it was a great pity that he did not think of saving 
 expense when he was gambling away her property. He 
 answered, saying, The least you say about that, the 
 better it will be for you. The nurse coming in, nothing 
 more was said. He told the nurse she might go home in 
 the morning. She said that she should not leave as long 
 
 as Mrs. II wished her to remain. That morning the 
 
 doctor called in to see how she was getting along ; and 
 
 Mr. PI asked the doctor if he was acquainted with 
 
 Dr. S , the principal physician of the lunatic-asylum 
 
 at B . Pie said he only knew him by repute, but 
 
 thought him very eminently fitted to fill that position. He 
 then asked the doctor if he did not think it would be a 
 
 good plan to request Dr. S to visit his wife, and for 
 
 him to meet with him in consultation : the doctor said he 
 
 certainly should have no objections. Mr. H said 
 
 he would write to him, and, when he received his reply, 
 would notify him of the time appointed for consulta 
 tion. Two days afterward Dr. S came, and was in 
 troduced by the family physician to the nurse and to 
 
 Mrs. H . She was surprised at seeing another plr^si- 
 
 cian called, without her being made aware of his coming ; 
 and it gave her nervous sj-stem such a sudden shock as to 
 dethrone her reason again for the time being. The con 
 sultation resulted in the opinions of the physicians that 
 she had better be removed to the asylum as soon as she 
 was able to be removed. Three days after the consulta 
 tion, under a plea that a ride was prescribed by the physi-
 
 22 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 
 
 cians, she was carried to the lunatic-asylum in B , and 
 
 she has now been there two weeks. Thus I believe I 
 have given you every item concerning youv sister Mary, 
 as far as I have known them, since her marriage to Mr. 
 H ." 
 
 Mr. Shields then said, " My dear sister Man-, your im 
 prisonment in B and to that man will soon terminate." 
 
 The next morning he called upon their family plrysician, 
 
 and said, " I wish you to go with me to B to aid me 
 
 in procuring the libert}" of my sister from her tyrannical 
 captivity." Arriving at the asylum, Mr. Shields was in 
 troduced to Dr. S , the principal physician, as Mrs. 
 
 H s onby brother. On his inquiring after the health 
 
 of his sister, the doctor said he did not see but she was 
 as rational as an}" person he ever saw. Mr. Shields said, 
 "Doctor, I wish to see her at once." The doctor said, 
 " It may be too much for her, and bring on a relapse." 
 Mr. Shields said he had no fears for the result. The 
 
 doctor then said Mr. H , her husband, did not wish him 
 
 to allow an}" person to see her without his written permis 
 sion. Mr. Shields then said, " Doctor, I shall not ask 
 the permission of a hypocrite or thief to see my own 
 dear sister, that he has deceived, insulted, and abused. 
 Doctor, you will lead me to her at once, or order some 
 other person to show me to her room." 
 
 The doctor, on hearing these statements, immediately 
 went with him. The moment the door opened, and she 
 saw her brother, she exclaimed, "Dear Saviour, I ex 
 pected an answer to my prayers;" and then, throwing 
 her arms around her brother s neck, she wept like a child, 
 and seemed unwilling to leave him for a single moment. 
 Finally, after her outburst of joy, she said, "You have 
 come to take me away, and to save me from future cruel 
 ties from my husband." Her brother merely said, " We 
 will not discuss that matter now. I will take care of you, 
 and take care of your husband too." She gathered up 
 
 her things, entered the carriage, rode back to G , and 
 
 drove right to the parsonage, where they were received 
 with the warmest affection. 
 
 Mr. Shields then said, "I have already been detained 
 from my business longer than I expected ; but I have a
 
 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 23 
 
 little more business to do before I leave, and shall begin 
 right now." Turning to his sister, he said, " Do you not 
 wish to be divorced from your husband? " She answered, 
 "Yes, I do. Though I do not believe in divorces as a 
 general thing, I think my circumstances will justify it." 
 
 Mr. Shields found no difficulty in procuring her divorce, 
 with such testimony as that of Rev. Mr. Merritt, widow 
 B , Mr. D , and their family physician. The hus 
 band was called to show any reasons why the divorce 
 should not be made ; but his guilt prevented him from 
 putting in an appearance at the trial ; and the divorce was 
 granted. Mr. Shields then went to his old home, and 
 
 showed Mr. H the divorce-papers, and told him that 
 
 he did not wish to have any trouble with him, that he 
 would give him twenty-four hours to gather together 
 whatever property was really his own, and leave the 
 place, or he would sue him for gambling away the prop 
 erty of her who once was his wife, but never would be 
 
 again. Mr. H asked Mr. Shields if he could not be 
 
 permitted to see Mrs. H for a few moments before 
 
 he left; and he told him, "Never! She has suffered 
 enough from you already, and she never wishes to see 
 you again." The next day Mr. Shields hired the farm 
 to a young farmer just married. He did not think it 
 prudent for his sister to live there alone ; and she re 
 mained at Mr. Merritt s, their pastor, her brother being 
 responsible for her board.
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 ME. SHIELDS having finished up all his business, 
 and placed his sister in a respectable Christian 
 
 home, returned to B , where he found the ship all 
 
 loaded, and ready for sea. Capt. B informed Mr. 
 
 Shields that Mr. L , his owner, and his only child and 
 
 daughter Alice, would take passage with them to Liver 
 pool, and then they were going on a Continental tour. 
 
 Mr. L was a very wealthy man : he had lost his very 
 
 amiable wife about one year before, and he had not felt 
 like doing business since, and thought that rest and travel 
 would be an advantage to himself and daughter. 
 
 Thej T sailed in May, 1851. On the second day after 
 sailing, the wind from the eastward, with a heavy head- 
 beat sea, and the ship under double-reefed topsails, 
 not making over three miles per hour, Miss Alice came 
 out upon deck, walked to the lee-side, near where Mr. 
 Shields was standing, very sea-sick indeed, and her father 
 had told her she would feel better upon deck. She began 
 vomiting over the side of the ship ; and the ship suddenly 
 gave what sailors call a heavy lurch and a deep roll at the 
 same time. Alice, losing her foothold, was in a moment 
 plunged head-foremost into the sea. Mr. Shields sent 
 an order from his iron lungs that was heard by all below 
 as well as all upon deck: "Throw the main and mizzen 
 topsails aback ! " And he seized the end of a long coil 
 of rope, and then leaped into the sea, and, seizing the 
 affrighted girl, said, "Do not fear: I will save you." 
 In a few moments the men pulled them both alongside ; 
 and in a few moments more both were safely landed upon 
 deck. The young lady was carried into the cabin ; 
 and dry clothes and an hour s rest fully restored her, and 
 cured her sea-sickness. She went to Mr. Shields, and 
 presented him with a large, beautiful gold locket, with
 
 THE SHIP " MARY ALICE." 25 
 
 the following accompanying note : " Mr. Shields, my dear 
 sir, please accept this, locket at the hand of the donor, 
 not as payment for saving my life, but as a token of my 
 esteem for such daring, unparalleled bravery. Perhaps, 
 if life is spared, a more satisfactory sacrifice may be made 
 at some future day. From your loving friend, with ever 
 grateful remembrance, Alice L." 
 
 Mr. Shields was much affected with the gift and the 
 note, and said, in reply, that he onl}" did his duty, while 
 he felt very grateful for the gift she had bestowed. He 
 put them both away together. At the time, he did not 
 even open the locket to see its contents. 
 
 Mr. L , her father, said to Mr. Shields, " You have 
 
 saved the life of ray only child ; and my gratitude I never 
 can express to } T OU in language, and shall not attempt it. 
 But rest assured, my dear sir, that you have bound obliga 
 tions upon me that this life will not be long enough to 
 discharge. You will ever be held by my daughter and 
 myself in grateful remembrance." Mr. Shields said in 
 
 reply, "Mr. L , please receive my sincere thanks for 
 
 3 our gratitude and good wishes ; but, sir, I should have 
 made the attempt to save your daughter Alice if I had 
 known my own life would be forfeited to save hers." 
 Almost every pleasant evening during their passage to 
 Liverpool was Mr. Shields seen walking the quarter 
 deck, with the trusting Alice hanging upon his strong 
 arm. This mutual, trusting confidence was witnessed by 
 
 her father with evident delight. He had told Capt. B 
 
 that he hoped that Alice would press her suit ; for it 
 would be the proudest moment of his life to give his Alice 
 into the keeping of such a man as Mr. Shields. Capt. 
 
 B said he had been with him, from a green hand right 
 
 from the country, up to this time, and a more noble speci 
 men of manhood he had never seen ; and, if he had a 
 marriageable daughter, he had never seen a man to whom 
 he would so soon confide her as to Mr. Shields for a hus 
 band. 
 
 They arrived safely in Liverpool ; and Alice and her 
 father, after an affectionate leave-taking, took the train 
 for London. They remained only one week in London, 
 and then left for Paris ; but, before leaving, Alice wrote
 
 26 THE SHIP "MAKY ALICE." 
 
 to Mr. Shields. As we did not see that letter, we shall 
 not attempt to describe its contents. 
 
 Before he sailed, Mr. Shields received a letter from his 
 sister Mary, announcing the death of his pastor s wife. 
 Mary said she took care of her while she was sick, and 
 that she died as she had lived, in triumphant faith and 
 love : her end was peace and joy. Mr. Merritt had re 
 quested her to remain, and keep his house, and take 
 care of his on!}- little son but two years of age, and she 
 had consented so to do ; and, instead of having to pay 
 her board, she could earn something for herself. 
 
 After discharging their cargo, and taking in another, 
 they sailed for New York, where they arrived safety in 
 September, 1851. Mr. Shields spent one week only with 
 his sister, and returned to New York, where he found a 
 
 letter awaiting him from Alice L . She and her father 
 
 were then in Rome. He immediately replied to her letter, 
 directing it to Naples, according to her direction. The 
 ship was soon laden with her cargo, bound to Rio Janeiro. 
 Mr. Shields felt somewhat disappointed. He had hoped 
 they would go to some part of Europe, that he might be 
 nearer to the idol of his affections. They sailed in No 
 vember, 1851, arriving safely there early in January, 1852. 
 Just before they sailed for New York, he received a letter 
 from Alice s father, saying that Alice s health was so 
 poor, he thought it best to return home, that she might 
 have more suitable medical advice, and said he hoped to 
 
 be in B by the first of April. They were so soon to 
 
 leave, that Mr. Shields could not reply to this letter, but 
 hoped all would be well. He sailed for New York the 
 first of Februaiy, 1852. All prospered well, and Mr. 
 Shields thought they should have a short passage home. 
 But in crossing the Gulf Stream, not far from Cape Hat- 
 teras, they suddenly encountered a terrible thunder- storm ; 
 and about midnight they experienced a tremendous crash 
 of thunder and lightning, which threw every man upon 
 deck. When the terrible crash subsided, they found 
 their mainmast and mizzenmast both gone, having been 
 carried away by the lightning (which struck them), and 
 shivered into a hundred pieces. No man, however, was 
 killed ; but all the watch upon deck had been so stunned
 
 THE SHIP "MAEY ALICE." 27 
 
 by the stroke, that several hours elapsed before they were 
 restored to consciousness. Mr. Shields was below at the 
 time the lightning struck the ship, but was upon deck 
 with Capt. B in a moment afterwards. 
 
 They could do but little towards clearing away the 
 wreck of broken spars and rigging, until daylight made 
 its appearance. They then fitted and rigged two jury- 
 masts out of the broken spars, and put all the sail upon 
 them they could, and stood in for the land. When in 
 sight of Cape Henry, they signalized a steamer, which 
 took them in tow, and towed them into New York, where 
 they arrived safely after a passage of seventy-four days. 
 
 Mr. Shields found a letter for him from Mr. L , 
 
 wishing him to come to B immediate!} on his arrival. 
 
 He showed his letter to Capt. B , who released him, 
 
 and bade him go at once. He immediately left for B , 
 
 where he arrived the next morning, and repaired at once 
 
 to Mr. L s house. The servant ushered him into the 
 
 parlor, and went to announce the name of the guest. 
 
 Mr. L gave Mr. Shields a very cordial greeting, and 
 
 said their physician had forbidden any person, except the 
 father and nurse, seeing Alice. Mr. Shields replied by 
 sa} ing, "This quarantine will be prett} r hard for me to 
 bear. I do not wish nor intend to break through } T our 
 physician s regulations ; but I think my presence will do 
 more for Alice s recovery than all the ph} r sicians in 
 B . I come to this conclusion by the last letter I re 
 ceived from her." 
 
 While they were talking, the doctor came in. Mr. 
 Shields was introduced, and he at once stated to him 
 his convictions ; and it was thought best, finally, that Mr. 
 Shields should be permitted to enter the sick-room. As 
 soon as he stood inside of her room, and she saw him, 
 she exclaimed, " My ever dear Johnny! You saved my 
 life once before, arid now you have come to save me a sec 
 ond time. She called him to her bedside, threw her arms 
 around his neck, and held him for some moments in her 
 embrace. She then said, "Dear father, do not let my 
 Johnny ever leave me again." Suffice it to sa} T , that Alice 
 began to grow stronger every day ; but she could not bear 
 that he should be out of her room hardly a moment, fear-
 
 28 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 
 
 ing he would again go to sea without her. Alice made 
 rapid strides in recovering from her sickness after Mr. 
 Shields s return ; and by the middle of Ma} 7 she had so far 
 recovered as to ride out with the dear sailor, as she some 
 times called him who had jeopardized his own life to save 
 hers. She said to him that she thought the beautiful 
 month of June, when mountain, hill, plain, and valley 
 were all clothed with their garniture of summer beauty 
 and flowers, was the most fitting time for their marriage. 
 Mr. Shields said he had no objections ; but he wished to 
 visit his sister, and bring her back with him to witness the 
 marriage-ceremony. Alice not only gave her consent, but 
 was very anxious to meet her who was so soon to be her 
 sister. She remarked to Mr. Shields, " If she is only 
 one-half as good as you, I think I shall love her almost as 
 much as I do you, for I never had a sister." 
 
 The next morning Mr. Shields left B for G ; 
 
 and the meeting of brother and sister was like that of 
 days and } ears gone by. Mr. Shields soon made known 
 the principal object of his visit ; and he noticed that Mary 
 seemed somewhat confused and embarrassed, and he 
 could not seem to understand the cause. But she soon 
 said, " My dear brother, as I have never kept any secrets 
 from } T OU, I will not now. Mr. Merritt, for whom I have 
 kept house since the death of his wife, has made proposals 
 to me to become his wife, and I have not } et assented ; 
 and I am so glad you have come, that I ma} have } our 
 counsel and advice in the matter." Her brother said he 
 knew of no reason why she should not accept his offer at 
 once. " If }-ou will accept his proposal, I should like to 
 have a hand in the arrangement." 
 
 Mary at once accepted the Rev. Mr. Merritt s proposal ; 
 and her brother then said to Mr. Merritt, "You need 
 some relaxation from } our labors ; and I now propose that 
 
 you and Mary go with me to B , and that we both be 
 
 married at the same time. I know it will be very gratify 
 ing to my dear Alice and to her father likewise." They 
 both cheerfully complied with their brother s wishes. Mr. 
 Shields then wrote to Alice, stating the whole matter to 
 her, which filled her soul, as it were, with ecstatic joy. 
 
 Two days after, Mr. Merritt, with Mary and the little
 
 THE SHIP "MAKY ALICE." 29 
 
 boy, who hud for some time been calling her mother, with 
 
 Mr. Shields, left for B . The object of the pastor s 
 
 absence was known, and approved by all the members of 
 his church that knew about it. 
 
 They all arrived safely in B , and were received 
 
 with that open, frank cordiality which ever characterizes 
 
 the wealthy merchants of B . Alice fell in love with 
 
 Maiy at first sight ; and Mar}* gave her such a warm, cordial, 
 sisterly embrace, that one would have thought they were 
 old friends, instead of meeting each other for the first 
 time. Mr. Merritt won the love of all hearts by his love, 
 and kind Christian spirit, which were so distinctly seen 
 by all present. As the hour for retiring drew near, Mr. 
 Merritt said to Mr. L , "I have for j-ears been ac 
 customed to maintain daily worship in my famil} at 
 home, and, when abroad among strangers, to ask their per 
 mission and ask them to join with me if they wish." Mr. 
 L at once said, " We all believe in the powerful effi 
 cacy of prayer, and shall most cordially unite with you, 
 not in form only, but, I trust, with all our hearts." They 
 all knelt together, after reading the Scriptures ; and Mr. 
 Merritt poured out of his trusting soul a petition to Jesus 
 for his wisdom to guide them all through the remnant of 
 their earthty pilgrimage. Then he asked God, with a 
 trembling voice, to bless and sanction his own marriage 
 to his beloved Mary, who had been such a faithful tower 
 of strength to him in his late bereavement ; and then he 
 fervently pra} ed that Mr. Shields, in his union to Alice, 
 might not forget the necessity of his more important union 
 to Jesus, that an indwelling Jesus alone could render 
 the conjugal relation a peaceful, prosperous, and happy one. 
 He closed by reminding him of his dying mother s coun 
 sel to him when a mere boy. When they arose from their 
 knees, all had been deeply affected, even to tears ; and 
 Mr. Shields was evidently much affected. He who could 
 brave old ocean s storms amid its intensest fury, he who 
 could plunge into the ocean to save another from drown 
 ing, did not, on this never-to-be-forgotten evening, forget 
 the words of his dying mother: " M\ y prayers will be 
 ansioered. God will save you, my dear boy." Never in 
 all his life did those words come home to his soul with 
 such mighty power.
 
 30 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 
 
 After the good-night had been given by each, the}* all 
 retired to seek repose, and fit them for the duties of the 
 expected morrow. Mr. Shields also retired to his room, 
 but not until he had sought his beloved Alice and his 
 sister Mary, and besought them to pray for him. Neither 
 Alice nor Mary took off their clothes until the clock had 
 struck the third hour of morning, when each felt and 
 believed their prayers had been answered, because all 
 their anxiety for the one they loved had been removed. 
 They then both went to bed, and slept in perfect peace 
 and quietude until the clock striking eight awakened 
 them from their slumbers ; and trusting Mary said to 
 Alice, "This will be the happiest morning for you and 
 me that we have ever known." Alice s faith was not 
 quite as strong as Mary s. But let us look into the 
 sacred enclosure of Mr. Shields s room. There we may 
 see him on his knees, with his open Bible in the chair 
 where he knelt. He evidently had been stud3 ing the 
 fifty-first psalm ; and he found his case to be like that of 
 David. There he read, meditated, and prayed, until 
 the light broke in upon his mind, and he felt a sweet 
 peace and joy he had never known before. He at first 
 hardly dared to sleep, fearing he should not feel as he did 
 before he lay down upon his bed ; but he soon fell asleep, 
 and dreamed that he saw his mother and father both 
 rejoicing over his salvation. He did not believe much in 
 dreams, and never spake of it till many j-ears afterwards. 
 
 In the morning, when he first awoke, he felt of all men 
 on earth he certainly was among the happiest, if not the 
 most happ} . Mary and Alice were so impatient, they 
 could hardly wait his appearance in the drawing-room 
 below. They soon heard him coming, and they both 
 bounded toward him with that trusting love which did 
 not wait for any expression from his lips ; for that sweet, 
 placid smile which so completely overspread his manly 
 face told the stoiy more positively than a thousand 
 tongues. He finally said, " I understand now that psalm 
 which sa} S, He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, 
 out of the miry cla}*, and set my feet upon a rock, and 
 established my goings ; and he hath put a new song in 
 my mouth, even praise unto our God. Many shall see it
 
 THE SHIP " MAEY ALICE." 31 
 
 and fear, and shall trust in the Lord. That, I trust, has 
 been my experience during the past night." Mr. 
 
 L , and his former pastor, Mr. Merritt, rejoiced 
 
 with him in his new-found Saviour s love. As soon as 
 the breakfast was past, a hymn was sung, accompanied 
 by the organ phiyed by Alice, and they knelt together. 
 Mr. Merritt led in a fervent pra} r er of thanksgiving to 
 their prayer-answering Saviour ; and, as soon as he had 
 added the amen to his petition, Mr. Shields broke out in 
 thanksgiving to Jesus, who had taken away the sins of 
 his life, and given him an assured evidence of his accept 
 ance through Jesus Christ. 
 
 The parlor was then cleared of every thing movable 
 but the large sofa and organ ; and the few invited guests 
 began to assemble in the drawing-room. The two sisters 
 assisted each other in dressing for the bridal altar. The 
 
 only invited guests were Mr. L s partner in business, 
 
 Capt. B , and Mr. L s sister and her husband. 
 
 Mr. Merritt, at eleven A.M., walked into the parlor with 
 Mary clinging to his arm ; and they took their places 
 according to their mutual arrangament as bride and 
 groom. Mr. Shields and Alice followed after them, fill 
 ing the place of bride s man and maid until they were 
 made 6ne by the officiating clergyman. Then they, in 
 turn, took the same places that had been filled by Mr. 
 Shields and Alice, who were soon made husband and 
 wife ; and the clergyman playfully remarked that Mrs. 
 Shields would never have any regret in confiding herself 
 to the love and care of a man who had jeopardized his 
 own life to save her from a watery grave. Mr. Shields 
 replied that he did not mean she ever should regret ; and 
 Alice said she apprehended no danger in that direction. 
 
 After the wedding-lrymn was sung, composed for the 
 occasion, and which will be found on the last page of this 
 book, they repaired to the dining-room, where a costly 
 meal awaited their craving appetites ; and, after supplying 
 all the necessities of the inner man, the guests all retired, 
 and Mr. Merritt invited Mr. Shields and his bride to re 
 turn with them to their country home in Vermont. Alice 
 seemed delighted with spending a few days with her dear 
 sister Mary. There were but three years difference in
 
 32 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 
 
 their ages ; Alice being three years 3 ounger than Mary, 
 and but one year younger than her husband. The next 
 
 morning they took the train for B . On their way 
 
 Mary told her sister she must not expect to find the 
 quantity and the quality of comforts that she found in her 
 father s home. Alice, in reply, said, "If I only have 
 your society, my only dear sister, it is enough. Re 
 member, I am used to travelling ; and, instead of com 
 plaining, I expect to receive some profitable lessons in 
 housekeeping, which I very much need. At noon, or soon 
 
 after, they arrived at B ; and Alice was delighted 
 
 with all the scenery, and especially the rushing stream of 
 
 the old Connecticut River. They all dined at B , and 
 
 hired a private conve} T ance to G , where they arrived 
 
 about four P.M. 
 
 Mary very soon donned her working-dress, and went to 
 work to prepare their evening meal. As soon as it was 
 found that their pastor had come, several of the sisters of 
 the church came to Mary s assistance. Mary introduced 
 them to her brother and sister, and Alice was delighted 
 with them. Supper was soon prepared by Mary and her 
 efficient helpers. That evening was their weekly prayer- 
 meeting night, and all attended the meeting ; and it was 
 one that will not soon be forgotten by that people. 
 After their pastor had opened the meeting, and made a 
 few brief remarks, Mr. Shields arose, and said, "This is 
 the first regular prayer-meeting I have attended for several 
 years. I have, in days gone by, been known to many 
 that I see here to-night ; but I arise to tell you I am but 
 two da} s old." And when he told them of his night s 
 struggle with his sins, and of the jo}*s of pardoned sin, 
 there were but few dry eyes in that assembly. As soon 
 as he sat down, Alice arose, and said, "You are all 
 strangers to me, but I trust not to my Saviour, who has 
 more than answered my prayers and my dear sister Mary s. 
 While he who is now my dear husband was absent on his 
 last voyage, my love could not seem to wait for his re 
 turn, and I fell into a state of despondency. I then felt, 
 if his life could only be spared, and I could see him once 
 more, for which I most earnestly prayed, that I should 
 be satisfied ; and God has not only answered my prayers
 
 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 33 
 
 in returning him to me, but answered our united prayers 
 for his salvation ; so that to-night I believe I am one of 
 the happiest women upon earth." Mary said she was 
 enjoying very much of Jesus love, and rejoiced with her 
 brother in his new relations both temporally and spirit 
 ually. Several others took part in the exercises of the 
 hour. The pastor then closed the meeting with the bene 
 diction ; and, after a general introduction and hand-shak 
 ing, they separated for their respective homes.
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 . SHIELDS and wife spent a week with Mary and 
 her husband. The following sabbath morn was in 
 deed beautiful : mountain, hill, and valley were dressed in 
 living green ; and the wild as well as the cultivated flowers 
 seemed to vie with the trusting, loving hearts which were 
 glowing with that ardent Christian love to God and man 
 which makes it in some measure resemble heaven. After 
 the morning devotions all sought their rooms to seek a 
 preparation of heart for enjoying the services of the sanc 
 tuary. Very soon the church-bell sent its gladdening 
 tones of music through the valle}*s, calling its worshippers 
 to God s temple for worship. There was an unusually 
 large congregation present ; for their loved pastor had 
 been absent, and each one longed to see his sweet face 
 again, and give him a cordial welcome to their hearts. 
 As the bell was striking its last tolling notes, Mr. Merritt 
 entered, with his newly-married wife upon his arm, whom 
 they all well knew and tenderly loved, followed by Mr. 
 Shields and his wife. The whole congregation arose, and 
 remained standing till the party were seated, as a token 
 of love and respect for their pastor. The choir, led by 
 the organ, then sung a hymn of welcome. Mr. Merritt 
 read the Scriptures, and offered an importunate prayer 
 for divine aid, and for God s blessing upon the service of 
 the hour. 
 
 After singing, Mr. Merritt arose, and in a mild but clear 
 voice announced his text in Prov. xi. 24 : " There is that 
 scattereth, and yet increaseth ; and there is that Avith- 
 holdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty." 
 He said the great principle found in the text was, that 
 every thing in heaven and earth and in the sea was only 
 increased by scattering. "God," he says, "acts upon 
 this principle : God scatters light, that it may increase.
 
 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 35 
 
 God scatters love, that love may increase. Every flower, 
 tree, vine, and shrab, all scatter their seed to increase 
 their species. And you as farmers know how hard you 
 have to labor to keep the pernicious weeds from scattering 
 their poisonous seed upon your farms. This morning 
 God sends us all to these varied things, to learn a rich 
 lesson," which he hoped to see reduced to daily practice. 
 \\ r e have neither time nor room for any thing more than 
 a brief synopsis of this truly excellent practical sermon. 
 He said God had, at an infinite expense, provided means 
 for breaking up and cleansing the garden of the human 
 heart, that it might produce a rich harvest of fruit to his 
 glory, and then scatter the seeds of holy living by a 
 consistent Christian example at all times and in all 
 places. He then spoke of the mighty power of our 
 influence over the minds of others. He then said the 
 husband and father have influence over their children ; 
 the mother and wife have that influence ; and woe betide 
 the mothers of this generation if they fail to scatter Jesus 
 love into the hearts of their children ! Again he said, 
 " My dear hearers, you will scatter seed, whether you 
 intend it or not." 
 
 We wish we could give our readers the whole of this 
 sermon ; but we cannot now. Just a few words of his 
 explanation of the latter part of his text : " And there is 
 that withholdeth more than is meet ; but it tendeth to pov 
 erty." " Is there a parent here to-day," he said, " that 
 will withhold a peaceful, useful life, and a glorious vic 
 tor s death, and an unfading crown of glory, from hus 
 band, wife, child, neighbor, or friend? * Do you not 
 know, that by withholding your prayers, your personal 
 conversation with them in regard to their salvation, 3-011 
 will impoverish that soul forever? Can any of you to-day 
 measure the depth of that poverty which will overwhelm 
 all those who are found upon the left hand of Jesus, 
 the Judge of quick and dead, when he shall come the 
 second time to save, acquit, and bless all those who love 
 him, and to punish his unbelieving enemies?" 
 
 He then closed by urging, with all the love and pathos 
 of his own burdened soul, the vast importance of using 
 all our time, talents, money, and influence in scattering
 
 36 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 
 
 the good seed which Jesus had purchased in the garden 
 of bloody sweat and agony, as well as at Calvary, where 
 he bore our sins in his own bod} r on the tree, that we, 
 being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness, by 
 whose stripes 3*6 were healed. " Dearly beloved, as you 
 go from this temple to-day, take with you for your encour 
 agement these most precious promises : In the morning 
 sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not tlry hand ; 
 for thou knowest not which will prosper, either this or 
 that, or whether the} shall be alike good. Blessed are 
 ye that sow beside all waters. Sow to yourselves in 
 righteousness, reap in mercy, break up your fallow 
 ground ; for it is time to seek the Lord till lie come and 
 rain righteousness upon you, for he that goeth forth and 
 weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless return 
 again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. 
 He then, in a few well-chosen words, urged the impeni 
 tent sinner that moment to sow to the Spirit, that he might 
 reap everlasting life ; and he then repeated the last warn 
 ing uttered by John Baptist: " He that believeth on the 
 Son hath everlasting life ; and he that believeth not the 
 Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on 
 him." The Doxology was sung by the whole congrega 
 tion standing, and the benediction given ; and all dis 
 persed to meditate upon the solemn, impressive truths to 
 which they had listened. 
 
 In the afternoon he gave them another excellent ser- 
 *nou. His subject was the power of the living Christian s 
 example. The word of his text was, "The path of the 
 just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more 
 until the perfect day." This, like his morning discourse, 
 was full of warning, instruction, entreaty, and comfort. 
 In the evening they had an excellent pi^er-meeting, in 
 which Mr. Shields said he had received some excellent 
 instruction, and that he meant to reduce it to daily prac 
 tice during the rest of his future life. "We shall see, 
 ere long, how. well he carried his consistent resolution into 
 practice. 
 
 Mr. Shields and his wife remained a few more days at 
 the parsonage with their brother and sister ; and little 
 Georgie cried sadly when dear aunt Alice and uncle
 
 THE SHIP "MAKY ALICE." 37 
 
 John came to leave for their home. They both were very 
 much pleased with their visit ; and on Tuesday one of the 
 
 brethren volunteered his services to carry them to B , 
 
 where they took the train for B . Mr. L was not 
 
 at home when his children came ; but he came home 
 shortly afterwards, and, after giving them a loving 
 father s joyous greeting, said it seemed to him as though 
 they had been gone a month, instead of only a single 
 week. After tea he said, "John, I have to-day con 
 tracted for the building of a new ship for you in Bath ; 
 and I wish you to go there, and superintend her while 
 building, and see that no green or improper timber is 
 put into her frame." He replied by saying he would 
 assume the responsibility with one single provision, and 
 that was, that his Alice must go with him. His father 
 said, " I expected that, of course ; and, when I gave you 
 my dear Alice, it was a life-lease that I gave you of her." 
 Alice said, " I love you, my dear father ; but I could not 
 live awa}^ from my idolized Johnny." Mr. Shields said, 
 " Do not say that, my dear Alice. Remember our dear 
 brother Merritt s advice, that all our love in this world 
 must be always subordinated to the claims of Jesus our 
 dear Saviour." "You are right, as you always are, my 
 dear Johnny ; and I will endeavor to speak more guarded 
 m the future." "That is right, Alice dear. A frank, 
 open confession of our faults will do us good ; and I only 
 hope I shall always be as ready to confess my own faults 
 as you have now been." 
 
 Mr. L said it would not be necessary for them to 
 
 go for some weeks yet ; for they had not yet begun to 
 haul the timber into the yard. He then said to his son, 
 
 " Capt. B sailed yesterday for Cronstadt, Russia; 
 
 and Sir. Bell, who was } our second mate, has gone as his 
 first officer." Mr. Shields said he was a good, practical 
 seaman, and in every respect a worthy man. 
 
 He then said to his father, " Did you know that Capt. 
 
 B is not a Christian man?" He said, "Yes. I 
 
 have had many conversations with him ; but he always 
 had so many excuses, that I could never make any per 
 manent impression upon his mind." Johnny said, " Oh, 
 if I could only have seen him before he sailed ! I think
 
 38 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 
 
 he would have been influenced by me when I told him how 
 I found Jesus, or, rather, how and where Jesus found 
 me." Alice playfully said, "Johnny dear, if you think 
 you can have such power over men, I shall begin to think 
 you had better leave your seafaring life, and study for the 
 ministry." " Well, dear Alice, do you think that none 
 but ministers can scatter the golden seed of gospel truth ? 
 I am sure I never shall forget the pointed, practical truths 
 embodied in that sermon which our dear brother Merritt 
 preached last sabbath." " Neither shall I, dear Johnny. 
 I think it one of the best sermons I ever heard. He has 
 talents and ability of a rare character. I confess I was 
 very much surprised." 
 
 The two happy children spent some four weeks at 
 home, making their dear father as happy as they were 
 themselves. And, when they had all packed ready for 
 going, their father said, " I shall expect to see 3*011 home 
 ever}- Saturday night to spend the sabbath with me." 
 They went immediately to Bath, and hired suitable rooms, 
 where they could be alone whenever they chose. When 
 Mr. Shields arrived, he gave his letter of introduction to 
 the master-builder, who, after reading his letter of instruc 
 tions, said, "Then you have come to show me how to 
 build a ship, have you?" Mr. Shields said that was not 
 his business ; but, as he was to command the ship when 
 she was completed, he was there to see that no shoddy 
 timber was put into her frame ; that he knew his business, 
 and proposed to attend to it in the interest of his owner, 
 whose agent he was. The master-builder, finding that 
 Capt. Shields was not to be easily moved from his pur 
 pose, ever after treated him with respect and esteem. 
 
 In September, the time of launching being near, a 
 name for the new ship was to be considered ; and Capt. 
 Shields wished to have her called Alice, after his wife. 
 But she preferred the name of Mary Alice ; and her 
 father and husband both gave way to Alice. She then 
 said, "Did Mar} 7 ever see a ship launched?" And 
 Johnny said, "The} neither build nor launch ships in 
 Vermont, where she has spent her life." Alice proposed 
 that she and her husband be invited to come and with her 
 launch in their new and future home. Accordingly an
 
 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 39 
 
 invitation was sent ; and, as neither of them had ever 
 been on board of a ship, they accepted the invitation. 
 
 On the third day after, they arrived in B . The next 
 
 day being the highest tide at twelve M., she was to be set 
 afloat to commence her life s history ; for ships, as well as 
 men and women, have a history. 
 
 Alice and Mary stood upon the topgallant forecastle ; 
 and, as the last shore was removed, she began to glide 
 down the ways, increasing her velocity till she rolled out 
 large volumes of smoke from her ways. As she touched 
 the water, Alice exclaimed as loud as she could, stand 
 ing beside her dear sister Mar} , " I now name this sea 
 going traveller The Mary Alice of B ." She glided 
 
 for the first time into what was to be her future element 
 with great rapidity and safety. 
 
 She was soon hauled in to the wharf to receive her 
 masts, rigging, and sails. After the masts were put into 
 
 their place, Mr. L thought best to have her towed by 
 
 a steamer to B to complete her outfit : so he might 
 
 have his children with him as much as it was possible 
 before they went to sea. Mr. Merritt and wife remained, 
 
 and came with them to B in the new ship. They 
 
 were both delighted ; neither of them having ever been on 
 board of a ship or upon the ocean before. They arrived 
 
 safely in B , being only one night upon the ocean. 
 
 Mr. Merritt said he had found timber enough in that short 
 voA age for a dozen sermons. 
 
 The next day they were obliged to leave for their moun 
 tain home, which they did, after making promises of writ 
 ing, &c. Capt. Shields then said, " My dear brother and 
 sister, you are about to leave us, and we may never meet 
 again until we meet with Jesus and his redeemed on the 
 other side of the river of death. Pray for The Mar} r 
 Alice, and pray for me, that I may carry into execu 
 tion my resolutions which were the outgrowth of your 
 sermon upon scattering ; for, God being my helper, I 
 mean to scatter his truth during the remnant of my daj-s, 
 wherever God in his providence may cast my lot in life ; 
 for I never can be forgetful or ungrateful towards that 
 Saviour who plucked me as a brand from the burning 
 when I had well-nigh consumed myself by my own guilty 
 sins."
 
 40 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 
 
 The good wishes and good-bys were spoken, and they 
 departed. In a few days the new ship "Mary Alice" 
 was advertised as ready for freight, and would take a few 
 cabin-passengers for San Francisco, commanded by Capt. 
 John Shields. Alice had engaged for a maid a good 
 Christian girl, by the name of Annie Baker. She had 
 been engaged as a sewing-girl. She came from Vermont ; 
 but more of her will be seen in the future. On the 1st 
 of November, 1854, the whole number on board was 
 thirty-six, consisting of the captain, his wife and maid, 
 three mates, cook, steward and stewardess, and carpenter, 
 and twenty-two men before the mast. They experienced 
 but little rough weather. The first night after sailing, 
 Capt. Shields ordered his first officer, Mr. Helm, to call 
 all hands aft upon the quarter-deck. He then said to 
 them, " I am a Christian man, and 1113* wife is a Christian 
 woman ; and at four bells (six P.M.) I expect all hands 
 except the officer of the deck, the man at the wheel, and 
 the man at the lookout to come aft into the house to 
 attend our daily prayer-meeting. We all have souls, and 
 but one short, uncertain life to secure their salvation in. 
 Men, obey your officers, do your duty faithfully, and }*ou 
 will find in me a constant friend that will do every thing 
 to contribute to your comfort. You may all now go for 
 ward to your duties." 
 
 Although the passengers were sick at first, the next 
 day, at four bells (six o clock), all came aft, but one 
 gentleman and his wife, who remained outside upon deck. 
 Alice began singing, "Guide me, O thou great Jeho 
 vah ! " The first officer had charge of the deck. The 
 second and third officers proved to be excellent singers ; 
 and some four or five of the men could sing nicely. 
 After singing, Capt. Shields read a portion of Scripture, 
 and then said, " I do not command 3-011 to kneel with me ; 
 but it would be very pleasing to me if you would all kneel 
 before the Lord our Maker." In a moment every one of 
 them was upon their knees : Capt. Shields then poured out 
 his full soul to God for his guidance and protection, and 
 praj-ed earnestly that he would convert and save all on 
 board. The amen was no sooner uttered than the gentle 
 man passenger, Mr. G , prayed most fervently; and,
 
 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 41 
 
 when he had done, an old tar by the name of Jack said, 
 " Capt. Shields, may I pray, sir?" The captain said, 
 " Yes, pray on." And Jack Carter offered such a prayer 
 that all hearts were melted, and Alice wept like a child. 
 The hour having expired, he said, "Men, you will all be 
 better fitted for this season of prayer." Jack Carter said 
 Jesus had been his Saviour for many years, and he was 
 glad to get on board of a ship where Jesus claims were 
 respected. 
 
 The gentleman apologized to Capt. Shields at the 
 breakfast-table next morning, saying that he and his wife 
 
 were both members of a Methodist church in L ; 
 
 but their religion at the present seemed to be nothing but 
 a mere form, and hoped he would remember them in their 
 prayers. This they all promised to do. Alice, having 
 received a splendid musical education, suggested she 
 should like very much to teach or give any lessons in 
 singing to any that wished to learn ; and both of the 
 gentlemen and their wives said they loved singing, but 
 they knew nothing about the notes, or rules of singing. 
 So ever}- pleasant day and they had man} T of them while 
 passing between the tropics Alice would gather her club 
 on deck when it was pleasant, at other times in the house, 
 or cabin. 
 
 With fair winds " The Mary Alice " was making rapid 
 progress. Mr. Helm, the first officer, said he never had 
 seen a ship before that could run off ten knots from the 
 reel on a bowline ; and this " The Mary Alice " had done 
 during the last twenty-four hours. Alice and the passen 
 gers all said they had never seen an}* thing in their lives 
 that equalled the magnificent beauty of the tropical sun 
 sets. Their beauty cannot be described : they must be 
 seen in order to be appreciated. 
 
 One day a large shoal of porpoises came pitching and 
 playing round the bows of their ship. The second mate 
 plunged a harpoon into one of them, and in a few mo 
 ments it was upon deck, bleeding from the wound made 
 by the harpoon. The blubber, which covers their entire 
 bodies, was soon stripped off; and the meat, which re 
 sembles venison, was hung up in long strips to dry it 
 upon the outside. By so doing it may be preserved for
 
 42 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 
 
 man}- days. But the meat of a single porpoise, al 
 though it weighed a hundred and twenty pounds, would 
 not furnish man}* meals for thirty people. 
 
 The sabbath broke in upon them with all its tropical 
 splendor ; and Capt. Shields gave orders for every man to 
 don his best suit, and all work to be suspended, and at 
 four bells (ten A.M.) all hands to come aft, upon the 
 quarter-deck, for their sabbath-morning worship. At the 
 appointed hour every man put in his appearance accord 
 ing to orders ; and all that could sing meeting together 
 under Alice s training, had become a very efficient choir. 
 Capt. Shields read that beautiful old hymn, " Thus far the 
 Lord hath led me on," &c. Ten of them could sing; 
 and Alice said, "We will sing Old Hundred. When 
 those ten voices unitedly pealed forth those precious 
 words, ever}* heart was so much affected as to moisten 
 the eyes of all present. After singing, Capt. Shields said, 
 " Let us unitedly ask God s blessing upon this morning 
 hour of worship ; and as he knelt even* other knee bent, 
 some of them, doubtless, out of respect to their com 
 mander, and others out of love and respect to Jesus, who 
 had saved them from their guilty sins. Capt. Shields 
 loved to pray ; and this morning he seemed to be exercised 
 with the crushing weight of responsibility which rested 
 upon him. While he confessed his own unworthiness and 
 weakness, yet in his prayer you could see childlike and 
 implicit trust in Jesus for all that he asked. He most 
 fervently prayed God to save all the sons of the ocean ; 
 but in an especial manner did he plead with his heavenly 
 Father to lead to Jesus, and save, every member of his 
 ship s company. After prayer he read and explained, 
 with all the ability God had given him, the parable of the 
 " prodigal son." He related his own personal experience 
 in connection with his remarks ; and when he told of his 
 midnight struggles with his own guilt}* sins, and of his 
 wife and sister spending almost a whole night in prayer 
 to God for his salvation, several of his sailors sobbed 
 aloud, and every heart was, for the time at least, melted 
 and subdued. Several others spoke of the love they had 
 for Jesus, with the reasons why they loved him. They 
 sang a few more hymns, and were dismissed.
 
 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 43 
 
 A few moments only had elapsed when the man on the 
 lookout exclaimed, " Sail ho ! " " Where away? " was 
 the inquiry of the officer on watch. " Two points oft 
 the lee-bow, sir." A report was made to Capt. Shields, 
 and he ordered his ship kept off two points to intercept 
 the strange ship. In less than an hour the stranger hauled 
 up his courses, and backed his maintopsail, waiting the ap 
 proach of " The Mary Alice." Capt. Shields ordered the 
 fore and main courses hauled up, topgallant-sails clewed 
 down, and, trumpet in hand, exclaimed, "What ship is 
 that, pray?" The stranger replied, " The Comet, from 
 
 Rio Janeiro, bound for New York ; J. W master." 
 
 The stranger then asked, " What ship is that ? " And the 
 
 captain replied, " The Mary Alice of B ; eighteen 
 
 days out ; bound to San Francisco ; commanded by John 
 Shields. I wish you to report all well on board on your 
 arrival." The trumpet of the stranger was waved only 
 in reply. All sail was again crowded upon "The Mary 
 Alice," and she was soon moving through the watery 
 element with majestic grandeur and rapidity. 
 
 That night in their meeting, one of the men, by the 
 name of Bill Swan, said, " I want to be a Christian man, 
 like Jack Carter and my captain ; and I wonder if any 
 body on board loves my poor soul enough to pray for me 
 as our captain s wife had praj-ed for him." Alice arose 
 amid her tears, and said, " One soul is just as precious in 
 Jesus sight as another." And she told him, if he would 
 pray for himself till Jesus forgave his sins, as his captain 
 had done, she would pra}* all night for his salvation. He 
 replied, saying he would ; for he felt that he was one 
 of the greatest sinners upon the ocean. Annie, Alice s 
 maid, said she would pray with her mistress for him too ; 
 and then the two lady-passengers said they would join 
 with them. 
 
 At one o clock A.M. Bill Swan came to the second 
 mate, who was officer of the watch, and said, " 1 wish you 
 would tell the captain s wife she need not pray any more 
 for me ; for about half an hour ago there was such a load 
 tumbled off of my soul, that I know something has been 
 done, and if it ain t religion, sir, I would just like to 
 know what you call it." " Well, Bill, my good fellow,
 
 44 THE SHIP "MABY ALICE." 
 
 I can t tell 3*011, for I know as little about religion as the 
 mainmast ; but I will tell the captain s wife s maid." In 
 a few moments Bill was called into the cabin, and Alice 
 said, "Bill, now tell me all about it." And Bill said, 
 " You know, ma am, that I did not go into the forecastle 
 at all, but I just crept in under the topgallant forecastle, 
 and there I just told Jesus what a big sinner I had been, 
 and told him I wanted him to take away that load. For 
 you know, ma am, gver since that first meeting I could 
 not sleep in my watch below ; and I said, says I, What 
 is the matter that I cannot sleep? And then every 
 thing I ever did in all my life came right up before me, 
 ma am ; and I said, says I to myself, ma am, 3*011 know, 
 for I did not s&y any thing to m3* shipmates about it, 
 What ails me? And then, ma am, don t 3*ou know 
 my old mother, that I run awa3 r from fifteen j-ears ago, 
 seemed to sa3*, Bill, 3*ou will be soriy for this. And 
 I tell 3*ou, ma am, I was sorry. And right while I was 
 pra3*ing, ma am, there fell off from me a load of something 
 like a man s falling from the maintop on deck. And I 
 asked the second mate what he thought it was, if it was 
 not religion ; and he said he did not know an3* more about 
 religion than the mainmast. And, ma am, I feel better, 
 now I have told 3*ou about it ; and I think, ma am, that 
 your prayers have been answered, for I never felt so as 
 I do now, ma am, in all my life." And the great briii3 T 
 tears rolled down his weather-beaten face during the 
 recital of what he had experienced. Alice told him she 
 thought he could sleep now ; and he went forward, sing 
 ing as he went, 
 
 " Jesus loves me, and I love him : 
 
 That will do, that will do. 
 He set me free from all my sin, 
 And bid me go to work for him : 
 
 That will do, that will do. 
 In my whole life, never before, 
 Neither at sea, nor while on shore, 
 Have I loved him whom I adore : 
 
 That will do, that will do." 
 
 His shipmates heard him singing ; and the3* said, 
 What s the matter, Bill ? Have 3*ou found a fortune ? 
 "Yes," sa3*s Bill, "I have got my pile now; and I
 
 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 45 
 
 mean to make this old forecastle ring with praise to 
 Jesus." 
 
 Joe Windlass said, " You won t keep a fellow awake 
 in his watch below ; will you, Bill? " 
 
 And Bill said, " Now, Joe, you know Bill Swan better. 
 I sha n t sing all the time ; for I expect it will take a heap 
 of praying to keep all my sails trimmed, and make the 
 port of heaven in safet}". But you know, Joe, that s 
 where Bill is bound ; and I intend to crowd all the 
 canvas upon this old bark that she can carry, just as 
 Capt. Shields crowds The Maiy Alice through the 
 brine. And now, Joe, we have been shipmates on two 
 vo^yages, and this is the third one ; and you know Bill 
 was always ready to divide the last cent with you, Joe. 
 But this Jesus that I ve got in here (striking his breast) 
 I can t divide ; but you can go to him, just as I did. 
 And I tell you, Joe, that he will take }*our load away, 
 just as he did mine ; and I guess your load is as big as 
 mine, if not bigger, for you are an older man than I am. 
 I think, when a fellow takes fort_y j T ears to load up, that 
 it takes him some little time to discharge that cargo ; and 
 I think, Joe, you had better begin to discharge, because, 
 you know, if 3^011 should get a shot into that old hull of 
 yours near the water-line, you might fill, founder, and sink 
 before you got into port. You know, Joe, Capt. Shields 
 told us last Sunday that no man was fit to die till he got 
 a passport from Jesus ; and I got that last night under 
 the topgallant forecastle ; and the captain s wife (God 
 bless her !) and those other lady-passengers prayed for 
 me till I told them to avast their praying, for my cargo 
 of sin was discharged. But I tell 3-011, Joe, it was not 
 like hoisting up one barrel of sin at a time, as we hoist 
 out cargo ; but it was more like knocking out the whole 
 bottom of the ship, and discharging the whole cargo at 
 once, without stopping to rig a purchase." 
 
 Eight bells struck the hour of midnight. The pumps 
 .were tried, the watch called and relieved; and Bill and 
 Joe, and the rest of the watch, went below for a four-hours 
 sleep. At four A.M., when the watch was called, Bill 
 said to Joe, " I have slept more this watch below than I 
 have for three days and nights before." And Joe said,
 
 46 THE SHIP " MARY ALICE." 
 
 " I believe I shall have to begin to discharge my cargo ; 
 for do } ou know, Bill, if I shut up my eyes, } - et I could 
 see just as plain as if they were open. I did not think a 
 fellow could see with his eyes shut, before. You remember 
 Bill, that night in New York, about two years ago, when 
 we all had been taking a good swig at the landlord s 
 bottle? Sam said he was the best sailor there; and I 
 told him he could not show me any thing about a ship, 
 from truck to keelson ; and he called me *a liar ; and I 
 knocked him over on to the stove, and gave him a big 
 gash on his face. Now, Bill, he was right there all my 
 watch below, and I saw him with his face all blood} ; 
 and I had my eyes shut all the time. Now, what do you 
 make of that, Bill?" "Well, Joe, it seems just as 
 though, when the Lord wants us to discharge our cargo 
 of sins, that he just makes us take a good look at them 
 first, so that we may see how hateful we have been ; and 
 when we begin to hate them, and feel that we cannot 
 remove them ourselves, and pray for him to do it, he 
 comes and discharges the whole cargo in a moment : that 
 is the way I found it. But look here, Joe, have you 
 begun to pray yet? " " No, Bill : I see no use of such 
 a wicked man as I am praying." 
 
 "But avast there, Joe! if you fell overboard, you 
 would sing out for some one to throw a rope s-end, I 
 guess, for you to lay hold of. Now, that is what I call 
 praying : it is just asking Jesus to do for us what we 
 can t do for ourselves." 
 
 "Well, Bill, I understand now what praying means." 
 
 " Now, Joe, when the watch is out, if you like, I will 
 go with }X>u under the topgallant forecastle, and just 
 ask Jesus to help you to unload. I shall never forget 
 that place." 
 
 When the watch was changed, they sought the spot 
 where Bill had found Jesus ; and Joe began to tell Jesus 
 what he had done. Bill cries, " Avast there, Joe ! Jesus 
 knows more about you than you can tell him ; and all you 
 have to do, Joe, is to ask him to take away your sins, 
 and then believe he will do it, and he will unload 3*ou at 
 once." Bill prayed in his simple but fervent spirit for 
 his shipmate, that his sins might be forgiven. Then Joe
 
 THE SHIP "MABY ALICE." 47 
 
 began to pray again, begging Jesus to have mercy upon 
 his guilty soul. In his prayer he said, "I know you 
 pan save sinners, because you have saved Bill and Jack 
 Carter ; and I am a bigger sinner than both of them 
 together ; and Capt. Shields said last night that Jesus 
 came to seek and to save the lost. Lord, I am lost now. 
 Seek and save me, and I will serve thee all my life." 
 
 The} then went below. At seven bells the watch was 
 called, and their breakfast sent them. While they were 
 eating breakfast, Joe said, "Bill, I feel something I never 
 felt before." 
 
 "What is it, Joe?" 
 
 " Well, somehow I feel kinder thankful for this break 
 fast, and I am sure I never felt so before." Eight bells 
 soon struck, and it was Joe s trick at the wheel. Per 
 haps an hour after, Capt. Shields came on deck, with 
 his wife clinging to his arm, for a promenade. After 
 walking back and forth a few minutes, he discovered that 
 something had happened to Joe, and wanted to ask him. 
 As he had forbidden any conversation with the man 
 at the wheel, and he would not violate his own order, 
 Capt. Shields said, "Joe, strike the relief bell." Imme 
 diately Sam came, and relieved him ; and the captain 
 said, " Joe, my man, what is the matter with you? " 
 
 Well, you see, sir, I don t exactly know ; but I know 
 one thing, that, while Bill and me was praying under the 
 topgallant forecastle, I got rid of a big load in about 
 one minute, and I have felt pretty well ever since. I 
 want to tell you, Capt. Shields, I have shipped and signed 
 papers for the whole voyage of life, and I will never quit 
 the ship till I get my discharge from Jesus my Saviour." 
 
 "Well, Joe, I have been expecting this, and I expect 
 to see all my men brought to Christ before our return to 
 B ." 
 
 That evening at four bells, when all were assembled, 
 they sung the hymn, " Rock of ages, cleft for me," &c., 
 in which many of the men joined, and none sung sweeter 
 than Bill and Joe. After singing, Capt. Shields read a 
 portion of Scripture, where the duty of prayer was urged, 
 with its results. This, he said, had been fully proven 
 during the last twenty-four hours, in the conversion of two
 
 48 THE SHIP "MAKY ALICE." 
 
 of his men. After a few more remarks, he said, "We 
 are about to bow in prayer : if any of my officers or men 
 desire an especial remembrance in our petitions, I would 
 like to have them speak out, without shame or fear." 
 
 The second officer, Mr. Boom, arose, and said he wished 
 an interest in nil their prayers. And Sam, who heard the 
 conversation between Joe and the captain, said he wished 
 he was as good as his captain : it was all he would ask. He 
 would like for them to pray for him, if they thought they 
 could make him a better man. Capt. Shields then told him 
 that no person could make him better, but that Jesus 
 could cleanse the vilest of sinners. He can save even to 
 the uttermost, all that come unto God by him. 
 
 Bill said, " You all know Capt. Shields won t discharge 
 this ship s cai-go ; but he will get somebody to do it for 
 him. When you are sick, and I believe there are more 
 sick ones here than Mr. Boom and Sam, you send for the 
 doctor to cure you, don t you? Well, now send for Jesus : 
 he is the doctor, and he don t bring a long bill against 
 you, either. He don t ask any pay. He cured me and Joe 
 for nothing. Now, when you pray, that is just sending 
 for him ; and now let us all pray. The} r all knelt in 
 prayer, and Bill prayed first ; then Capt. Shields ; then 
 Joe prayed ; then the captain s wife and her maid closed 
 up that solemn season. Mr. Boom, the second officer, 
 felt deeply his need of salvation through the night. He 
 wanted to talk with Bill, who was in his watch ; but he 
 was too proud to speak to one of the crew, fearing that 
 insubordination might grow out of it, and so he refrained. 
 About two days after, light broke in upon his mind, and 
 he and Sam both seemed to be very happy. 
 
 Here had been four conversions, all in the starboard 
 watch ; while there was but one Christian in the larboard 
 watch, and that was Jack Carter. But such an increased 
 number of praying souls were soon to shake both watches, 
 till there would be but a few left to oppose the onward 
 wave of religion through the ship. 
 
 A few days after, they spoke an English ship, from 
 Madras for London, and requested to be reported. Every 
 evening at six P.M., and every sabbath morn at ten A.M., 
 that ship s company met for worship. Capt. Shields now
 
 THE SHIP "MAKY ALICE." 49 
 
 ordered all three topgallant yards sent down, as they were 
 drawing near the Cape. Here they experienced the first 
 gale of wind, which was very heavy, from the south-west. 
 While laying to, they caught several albatrosses, manj of 
 which measure, from one wing s end to the other, ten 
 and twelve feet. They caught several Cape pigeons and 
 Molly-mokes. After twelve hours the gale subsided, and 
 they had a strong gale from the eastward, which they im 
 proved to the best advantage, pressing " The Mary Alice" 
 with all the canvas she could bear. Two days after they 
 passed Cape Horn, about ten miles distant, having been 
 
 fifty-four daj s from B . 
 
 In a few days after passing the Cape, the weather again 
 began to assume a milder aspect, and topgallant and royal 
 yards were sent aloft, and their additional canvas spread 
 to the favoring breeze. Passed several vessels of different 
 size and rig soon after they had passed the much-dreaded 
 Cape Horn.
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 OINCE our last report of the meetings on board, five 
 ^ more of the crew had shipped on board the good ship 
 Zion, now making eight that had been led to Christ since 
 
 they left B . Alice had so kept up her singing-club, 
 
 that they had a strong and very efficient choir. Singing 
 upon the ocean is as much sweeter, and more subduing 
 in its influence upon our hearts, as a good choir would 
 surpass in sweetness the chatter of an ordinary parrot. 
 
 A very few days elapsed before they were again within 
 the tropics, where another porpoise was caught, and sev 
 eral dolphins ; and thousands of skipjacks were following 
 the ship from day to day. One of the men aloft espied a 
 large shark in the ship s wake, following, to pick up what 
 ever was thrown overboard by the cook. Mr. Helm, the 
 firs officer, said he would give Mr. Shark an invitation to 
 come on board, if he would accept. He accordingly put a 
 large piece of pork on the shark-hook ; and, with a strong 
 line bent to the hook, he threw it over the stern. It was 
 quite moderate then, the ship going only about four miles 
 per hour. Almost as soon as the hook had passed clear 
 of the ship, the shark seized it in his voracious jaws ; but 
 when he found the hook was through his lower jaw, and 
 he could not rid himself of the trouble, he thrashed, and 
 made the water fly merrily for a while. But Mr. Shark 
 was brought alongside, and a tackle upon the mainyard 
 soon gave him a new element to try to live in ; but he 
 soon died after he was taken in upon deck. He measured 
 nine feet and a half in length, and had six rows of teeth 
 in each jaw. The passengers had heard much said about 
 sharks, but never saw one before. 
 
 Two da}*s after catching the shark, it had become so 
 calm that the ship did not move ; and a man who was 
 aloft said there was something upon the surface of the
 
 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 51 
 
 water, and he could not make out what it was. Capt. 
 Shields gave permission to Mr. Helm to lower one of the 
 boats, and go and see what it was. Mr. Helm took a 
 pair of grains and a harpoon with him, knowing there 
 would be a plenty of nice fish around it, to feed on the 
 clams that grow on any floating substance that has been 
 long in the ocean. They soon came to it ; and Mr. Helm 
 had some rare sport, and did not stop till he had caught 
 twenty or more very fine fish with his grains, which he 
 would dart into the fish, and instantly pull him on board. 
 
 They made a rope fast to the cask, for such it proved 
 to be, and towed it alongside the ship. A tackle was in 
 readiness as soon as they came. The}" slung the cask 
 with ropes, and soon hoisted it on board, and the boat 
 was hoisted up and secured. Men were set at work to 
 scrape off the clams from the cask ; and it was thought it 
 would hold one hundred and twenty gallons, and perhaps 
 more. After finding the bung, it was soon knocked out, 
 and the cask was found to contain the most beautiful cor 
 dial that any person on board had ever seen. The cap 
 tain ordered the cask bunged again, and put into the 
 ship s storeroom. 
 
 A few hours after, they took the south-east trades, that 
 bore them rapidly on their way. The meetings, in the 
 mean while, had never flagged. Almost every evening 
 some unusual anxiety would be manifested by some who 
 had never shown any interest before. Five more of the 
 crew and the third officer were made to rejoice in the Lord 
 by the effectual working-power of the Holy Spirit, making, 
 in all, fourteen that had forsaken the ways of sin, and had 
 been made to rejoice in Jesus their Saviour since their 
 sailing from B . 
 
 A very painful accident or providence occurred one 
 day. Bill was at work in the maintop, and by some 
 means fell. He caught hold of one of the main bunt- 
 lines while coming down ; but his hold was broken, and 
 he fell upon deck. He had a cut in his forehead, and 
 had broken his left arm, and received some other bruises. 
 Alice said, "Dear husband, we have plenty of spare rooms 
 in the house ; and I want Bill brought in here, so that I 
 can take care of him."
 
 52 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 
 
 " It shall be as you wish, my darling. Oh, what 
 should I do and what should I be, if I had a proud, self 
 ish, and unfeeling wife ! Alice dear, do you not know I 
 could not live with such a woman twent}--four hours?" 
 After Bill was brought into the house, Capt. Shields said, 
 " How I wish I was a good surgeon, that I might put this 
 broken arm together as it ought to be ! " 
 
 Dr. A then said to Capt. Shields, " I am a regu 
 larly trained surgeon and physician of the old school, but 
 thought I would not make known my official business 
 unless there was an opportunity for me to use m}* skill 
 and experience." 
 
 Capt. Shields said in reply, "I shall be very glad to 
 
 turn m3 T dear shipmate over to 3*011, Dr. A , with this 
 
 proviso, that I be allowed to learn all I can ; so that, 
 if an occasion should ever occur in my future experience, 
 I might be benefited myself, and be the better able to 
 benefit some fellow-sufferer." 
 
 Dr. A said, " My dear captain, it will not only 
 
 be a pleasure to have 3 T our presence, but I may need 3 T our 
 assistance ; and I can give 3 T ou some practical lessons in 
 
 surgery if 3 r ou desire them." Dr. A and Capt. 
 
 Shields went into Bill s room, where the poor fellow lay 
 
 groaning ; and Dr. A ver3 soon set the broken arm, 
 
 sewed up the wound on his face, and applied some lini 
 ment to his other wounds and bruises. He then gave 
 him a mild opiate, and said he hoped he would sleep 
 quietly for some hours, that his natural^* strong plvysical 
 structure might gather strength by quiet rest to grapple 
 with the shock it had received. 
 
 Capt. Shields said, "Dr. A , I feel extremely 
 
 thankful for what I have been permitted to see and hear, 
 and shall treasure it up, as we sailors sa3 T , in my locker, 
 to be called out, if ever needed." 
 
 Bill, under Dr. A s judicious treatment and Alice s 
 
 gentle nursing, began to recover rapidty. When he first 
 awoke from his eight-hours sleep, and opened his C3 es, 
 he seemed somewhat astonished. Alice saw he was con 
 fused, and said to him, "Bill, 3 T ou must lie perfectly 
 quiet ; for 3 ou have had a terrible fall, broke 3 our arm, 
 cut your face, and bruised 3 ourself all over, and I had
 
 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 53 
 
 you brought into this room, that I might take care of you 
 
 till 3 r ou get well ; and I want you to do just as Dr. A 
 
 and I tell 3 ou, and all will be well." 
 
 " My God ! " said Bill, " what have I done, to be used 
 in this way? I am nothing but an old, broken-down 
 hulk, anyhow ; and, if that buntline had only been fast on 
 deck, I would not have been here now. But, ma am, I 
 have no business here, anywaj-. And then to think of 
 having my dear captain s wife to care for my old, half- 
 wrecked hull is more than I can bear, ma am." And Bill 
 burst out a-crying like a grieved child. 
 
 Alice said, "Bill, we must be Christians something 
 more than in name only. Remember, Jesus says, All 
 things, therefore, that ye would that others should do to 
 you, do ye even so to them ; and I know, Bill, if you 
 saw me in danger, you would come to my relief." 
 
 "Why, God bless you, ma am ! If I should see you fall 
 overboard, I would leap into the sea in a moment to save 
 3 ou, even if got drowned : but, ma am, there is no danger 
 of that, for I can swim like a fish. I was once three days 
 on a broken mainyard in the sea, and two of my ship 
 mates with me, ma am ; and they was both drowned, and 
 I was the only one that was saved. But you won t fall 
 overboard. God always will take care of his angels, and 
 I am sure you are one of them, ma am." 
 
 Alice, smiling at Bill s story, said, "You must not 
 think or call me an angel, for I am not ; and the Bible 
 teaches us that all the angels that have ever been seen 
 upon earth were men. There is no account in the Bible 
 of such a being as a female angel." 
 
 " But," says Bill, " I know I have seen many pictures 
 of angels, and I never see any that was not women." 
 
 " That is all true, Bill. But those pictures have been 
 gotten up to create S3 T mpathy ; and, by appealing to 
 people s S3 mpath3 T , they hope to make money by their 
 pictures." 
 
 " I see," said Bill : " it is something like my painting 
 (if I could) a cotton-factory, with all the cog-wheel fix 
 ings, which I had never seen." 
 
 Alice laughed heartily at Bill s funny comparison, and 
 said, " Yes, Bill, it would be something like it."
 
 54 THE SHIP " MAEY ALICE." 
 
 When Alice met her husband in their room alone, she 
 said, "Johnny, that man Bill is a gem under a very 
 rough exterior." 
 
 Capt. Shields said, "He is only a perfect type of the 
 great mass of our seamen." 
 
 Alice replied, saying, "I know it is true of my dear 
 Johnii3 T , and I believe it is true of Bill ; for he said, if 
 I should fall overboard, he would jump after me in a 
 moment." 
 
 "Yes," says her husband; "and there are not two 
 sailors on board this ship to-day, but would do the same 
 thing if they thought there was any possibility, or even 
 probabilit} , of saving your life, my dear Alice. You 
 have many things to learn jet of the intrinsic excellences 
 of a thorough sailor s character." 
 
 "She replied, saying, "I am in school now, nrv dear 
 Johnny, and shall avail myself of all my surroundings 
 from day to day to become fitted more perfectly to be 
 a practical sailor s wife. But, Johnny clear, there is one 
 thing that I wish very much to learn ; and that is the 
 theory of navigation, so that, if any thing should happen 
 to you, I might be able to navigate the ship mj self." 
 
 " Just like your own self, my ever-precious Alice. You 
 shall receive your first lesson to-day." 
 
 " Well, Johnny dear, when 3-011 get reach/for me, please 
 send Annie for me. I must go now, and relieve Annie 
 for a while, and look after my patient." As soon as she 
 made her appearance in Bill s room, he began to weep ; 
 and she asked him why he wept. " Well, you see, ma am, 
 I have not got a single shot in my old locker. I have 
 alwa3*s spent it for whiskey ; and all rny wages won t half 
 pay you for what you have done to keep this old hull of 
 mine from foundering, and going to the bottom to make 
 grub for sharks. Anj how, ma am, 3*011 shall have all my 
 wages ; and I don t see as how I can do any better, if I 
 give 3 T ou all I ve got. Well, 3*ou see, I can t do any 
 more. That s fair now, ain t it, ma am? " 
 
 By the time Bill had got through with expressing his 
 intentions, Alice was in tears ; and Bill, not apprehend 
 ing the cause, said, "Ma am, don t en* ; for, if I can t 
 pay^ the whole amount, it ma3* be Jesus will give 3*011 the
 
 THE SHIP " MARY ALICE." 55 
 
 balance from his locker, for he has been pretty busy in 
 handing out the best coin I ever saw. There is Joe and 
 Sam and Harvey and Jack and the second mate, and old 
 Bill ; and I tell you, ma am, I am just as happy here as I 
 can be." 
 
 Alice told him she got her pay from Jesus every day, 
 and he would never have a cent to pay. "Now, Bill, I 
 hope you will never think of this again. But I want to 
 ask you one question, Bill ; and that is, when we arrive 
 at San Francisco, and you go on shore with your ship 
 mates, whether you will drink any more whiskey, as you 
 have done in your past life." 
 
 "Why, God bless you, ma am! didn t I tell Jesus, if 
 he would just forgive me, and discharge the wicked cargo 
 I had been taking in every day of my life, that I never 
 would take any more such cargo into this old hull of mine ? 
 And don t ye know, ma am, he discharged my whole cargo 
 in a minute, and he didn t stop to rig a tackle ; and now, 
 ma am, do you think I will ever go back on Jesus, who 
 has done all this for me? I tell you, ma am, Bill don t 
 ever treat his shipmates in that kind of a way ; and I am 
 sure I love Jesus too well to do that thing. And, if the 
 land-sharks bait their hooks for a bite, I know of one fish 
 they will never catch ; and that s old Bill. Why, God 
 bless ye, ma am ! I know all them old land-sharks. Have 
 they not caught me by the gills in Boston, New York, 
 Charleston, New Orleans, and in London and Liverpool 
 and Calcutta, and I don t know how man}" other places, 
 for I have forgot some of them? I want to tell you, 
 ma am, the} have caught old Bill for the last time. Why, 
 ma am, I don t never forget what I remember, and I don t 
 suppose anybody does ; but the captain read at the last 
 meeting I went to before I was thrown on my beam-ends, 
 that they that trust in the Lord shall be as Mount Zion, 
 that cannot be removed, but abideth forever. Thinks I 
 to myself, thinks I, That means you, Bill. Now, if I 
 trust in Jesus, I cannot be removed. It s a kind of 
 bargain, ain t it, ma am? If I trust, he will keep me. 
 Ain t it so, ma am? That is the way it seems to me. 
 Now, ma am, am I right, or wrong? You know all about 
 it ; and I want you should tell me, for I want to be just
 
 56 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 
 
 right, and, if I arn wrong, I want to know that, so as to 
 do better." 
 
 Alice then told Bill she thought he was all right, and 
 that he was tired, and needed rest, and thought he had 
 better not talk any more till some other time ; and he, 
 like an obedient child, soon fell asleep. 
 
 During all this time "The Mar} Alice " was making 
 rapid strides towards her destined port. Two more of 
 the men, and Mr. Helm the first officer, had found Jesus 
 precious to their souls as their Saviour. Bill had not yet 
 returned to duty, but was well enough to mingle with his 
 shipmates in the forecastle. Alice had become so well 
 versed in the theor} T of navigation, that she could make 
 up the ship s da} T s work, as we sailors term it, quicker 
 than her husband, and fully as accurate. That da}* they 
 spoke the ship " Hector," from San Francisco, bound to 
 the Sandwich Islands, only four days out, and requested 
 her to report. 
 
 All hands were now busy in scouring and cleaning ship, 
 so as to make as good an impression as it was possible to 
 make. At ten A.M., two da3*s after speaking "The 
 Hector," land was discovered ahead; and "The Mary 
 Alice," crowded by a press of canvas, soon came in near 
 the land, and set signal for a pilot, the ship laying with 
 her maintopsail aback, waiting. Very soon one was 
 discovered standing towai ds the ship, and very soon the 
 pilot was on board, and sail made ; and in threee hours 
 after, " The Mary Alice " was anchored abreast of the 
 city, sails all neath furled, yards all squared b}* lifts and 
 braces. Capt. Shields then asked the pilot if the ship 
 " C," from New York, had arrived, and was told she had 
 not. He then remarked, " She ought to be here, for she 
 sailed ten days before me. He hoped nothing had hap 
 pened to her. Capt. Shields went on shore, reported the 
 arrival of the ship " Mary Alice," one hundred, and two 
 
 days from B -, commanded by John Shields. He then 
 
 went to the custom-house, and, after finishing his business 
 there, returned to his ship. He ordered Mr. Helm to call 
 all hands aft. Capt. Shields said to them, "You have all 
 done your duties faithfully, and to my satisfaction, and 
 to the satisfaction of my officers. And now, as many of
 
 THE SHIP "MABY ALICE." 57 
 
 you as wish to remain by the ship, to go with me again, 
 please to place yourselves on the starbord side of the 
 deck:" all but two went over. He then said to the 
 two men, "You are now discharged from further duty ; 
 but, if 3*ou wish to remain by the ship for a week, I shall 
 not charge } T OU for your board. I will pay you off to 
 morrow. You can now go forward." 
 
 Dr. A asked Capt. Shields if he knew where he 
 
 should go from there. He told him that at present he did 
 not know ; but his ship was new, and would command the 
 highest freights, and he should be on the alert to accept 
 the first profitable offer made him. . 
 
 The next day The Mary Alice was hauled in to the 
 wharf. No sooner was she made fast than the sailor-land 
 lords, in numbers, rushed on board, expecting a rich har 
 vest from so large a ship as "The Mary Alice." Bill 
 went aft, and asked permission of Capt. Shields to give 
 those sailor-landlords a bit of a talk. The captain seemed 
 to wait; but Alice said, " Give him permission. I want 
 to hear him." 
 
 Capt. Shields said, "Bill, I have no objection, if you 
 don t insult them: that will not benefit either you or 
 them." 
 
 Bill went forward ; and one of them said, " Are you 
 a-going to remain by the ship ? You can get twenty dol 
 lars per month to go anywhere to almost any port." Bill 
 then mounted the topgallant forecastle, and said, so every 
 one on board and many on shore could hear, Now, 
 shipmates and sailor-landlords, I have found a floating 
 heaven on board this good ship Mary Alice ; and I don t 
 propose to leave her, unless my dear captain turns me 
 adrift." And all the crew cried out, " Amen! you have 
 spoken our minds." And Joe exclaimed, " The most of 
 us have learned to let well enough alone." 
 
 One landlord after another left the ship ; and, as they 
 were going over the ship s side, Bill struck up the hymn he 
 had sung, as if by inspiration, when he was converted: 
 
 " Jesus loves me, and I love him : 
 
 That will do, that will do. 
 
 He set me free from all my sin, 
 
 And bids me go to work for him : 
 
 That will do, that will do.
 
 58 THE SHIP "MAKY ALICE." 
 
 In my whole life, never before, 
 Neither at sea, nor while on shore, 
 Have I loved him I now adore : 
 That will do, that will do." 
 
 The landlords left, cursing all the psalm-singing sailors 
 on board, and all other Christians generally . After Capt. 
 Shields and his wife had entered the cabin, Alice said, 
 " I told }*ou dear old Bill would do the thing just right." 
 
 " But, Alice dear, I cannot conceive where that old tar 
 got his poetical ingenuity from ; for that was a splendid 
 composition. I have never heard any thing about it be 
 fore." 
 
 Alice said she had never heard it sung before. But Mr. 
 Boom said, " He sung it the night he was converted, and 
 told me about it at that time. I believe he must have 
 been inspired by the Spirit of God at that moment ; for I 
 can see that his education has been very limited indeed." 
 Her husband said he did not believe he ever went to school 
 a day in his life. 
 
 Mr. Shields and his wife went on shore as soon as the 
 
 ship was hauled in to the wharf. Dr. A called Capt. 
 
 Shields into his room ; and, when they were alone, he 
 said, " I am on a voyage of pleasure, and relaxation from 
 my professional duties ; and, with your consent, I propose 
 to make your ship my home or headquarters till I find 
 where you go when 3 T ou leave this place." 
 
 Capt. Shields replied by saying it would be very pleas 
 ing to him, as well as to his wife. He then added, "I 
 suppose you know the peculiar condition of my wife. 
 That has made me hesitate somewhat in accepting a 
 freight which has been offered me to-day, and I only have 
 two more days to accept or reject that freight. They offer 
 me a very fair freight to Australia, with a cargo of 
 wheat." 
 
 Dr. A said, if he should conclude to accept their 
 
 proposition, he should wish to remain and go with him. 
 
 Capt. Shields then said to Dr. A , 
 
 " If I accept that freight, will you go as a passenger 
 with me ? Dr. A gave him an affirmative reply. 
 
 "I will see what Alice says about the arrangement, 
 and let you know." Alice was perfectly delighted ; for
 
 THE SHIP " MARY ALICE." 59 
 
 she had become very warm!} attached to Dr. A ever 
 
 since she saw his skill and judicious treatment with Bill. 
 That matter permanentl}- settled, Alice was more cheerful 
 than she had been for several days. 
 
 By the 1st of March they began to take in their cargo 
 for Australia ; and on the 20th of March they sailed, but 
 not till Capt. Shields had discharged his carpenter, and 
 promoted Bill to the office of carpenter and boatswain. 
 Bill was overwhelmed with gratitude to his captain for 
 his promotion, and said he would try to do his duty. 
 "The Mary Alice" sailed with a fair wind, and with 
 grateful hearts to God for all his blessings upon them ; 
 and in their first evening meeting it was evident to all 
 that God s Spirit was with them of a truth. One after 
 another of the men spoke of Jesus love to them. Joe 
 said he was ashore one day, and a man asked him to go 
 into a saloon. He went in, and the man went to the 
 counter, and called for a drink ; and he took it, and then 
 handed it to Joe, saying, "Now drink that to my good 
 health." Joe replied, "I am done drinking poison to 
 other people s good health for the sake of destro3*ing my 
 own." Capt. Shields said, " You gave him a reply which 
 I hope he will ever remember. Ever remember, my men, 
 that, if } ou resist temptations, Jesus will help you. His 
 word says he will not suffer us to be tempted above that 
 we are able to bear, but with the temptation will pro 
 vide a way of escape, that we may be able to bear it. 
 Now, I wish, that, during our long passage, every man 
 will study his Bible every day, so that you may become 
 strong Christians, and intelligent, active, working Chris 
 tians. You all know how long it took you to become 
 what we call an able seaman, so as to know what to do 
 with a ship at all times and under all circumstances. 
 Now, on this passage, I have to get the sun at noon, and 
 make up my day s work, and then mark our place on the 
 chart every day, so that I may know where I am. Just 
 so everj- Christian man and woman ought to stud}* the 
 Bible, for it is both chart and compass to the Christian ; 
 and by daily study you can find out where you are, and 
 what your prospects are for reaching the port of heaven 
 in safety."
 
 60 THE SHIP "MAKY ALICE." 
 
 Time rolled on, and the good ship was making her way 
 rapidly on her passage. The sabbath services and daily 
 prayer-meetings were alwa} r s full of interest, and the 
 singing never flagged. Bill s hymn was sung by all as 
 their favorite. But Bill, having received a handle to his 
 name by his promotion, must be called Bill no longer, but 
 Mr. Mainstay ; and by that name he will be known and 
 called in the future.
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 ON the first day of April, Alice made a present to her 
 husband of a beautiful daughter, with which he seemed 
 
 delighted, particularly when Dr. A assured him that 
 
 his wife was very comfortable, and doing nicely. Annie 
 was with her mistress, whom she loved as tenderly as her 
 own sister. When the babe was about two weeks old, 
 Mrs. Shields one day said, "I think you told me that 
 you came from Vermont. Annie said she did, and said, 
 " That makes me think of something. Ma} I leave you 
 long enough to go to my trunk? I will be back in a 
 moment." Mrs. Shields said, " Certainly." 
 
 In a few moments she returned with a sealed package 
 with this inscription on the envelope : " This package not 
 to be opened till after my death. Signed, Annie Baker, 
 Vermont, January, 1852." Now, my dear mistress, what 
 ever this package may contain, it will certainly be right 
 to open it now." Annie tore open the envelope, and in 
 it was a most beautiful picture. As soon as Alice saw 
 it, she at once exclaimed, "O me! " Annie asked her 
 what she saw in it that so surprised her ; and Alice said, 
 "It is the image of my only dear sister Mary, only I see 
 now that it looks older than she is. Now, Annie dear, 
 read me the contents of that package, if you have no ob 
 jections to m} knowing its secrets." Annie said, "I 
 desire to have no secrets from you, my dear mistress." 
 
 " This paper, my dear child, will give you a perfect 
 knowledge of your right name, and the names of both 
 of your parents, now in heaven I have no doubt. Your 
 father s name was Alfred Bird. He was a carpenter by 
 trade, and married Miss Annie Bliss, the only sister of 
 
 Mary Bliss, who was married to some person in G , 
 
 but I have forgotten his name. Mrs. Shields then said 
 to Annie, "Call Capt. Shields in." She immediately
 
 62 THE SHIP "MAKY ALICE." 
 
 called him ; and, when he came in, Alice asked him his 
 mother s maiden name, and he told her it was Mar} 7 Bliss. 
 My dear Johnny, permit me to introduce to you your 
 own cousin, Annie Bird. Why, Johnny dear, how good 
 the blessed Jesus is to us poor sinners ! " " Well, my 
 dear Alice, that makes me think of that beautiful hymn of 
 Watts s, God moves in amj sterious way, his wonders to 
 perform, " &c. " Well, now read on, my own sweet cousin 
 Annie," said the happy Alice. " In about a year after 
 their marriage, they moved into my neighborhood, and 
 Mr. Bird bought a little farm ; but in six months after 
 Mr. Bird died very suddenly with a lung-fever. Three 
 months after, a daughter was born ; and the mother said, 
 " If I should not live, name this child Annie Bliss Bird." 
 I was called to nurse Mrs. Bird. She only lived about 
 twelve hours after her child was born ; and the selectmen 
 said they would put the child in the almshouse, and sell 
 the farm for her support. I told them they never should 
 send that child to the almshouse. Although I was a pool- 
 widow, I would share the last crumb with that child. I 
 then said to the selectmen, " I wish }*ou would sell the 
 
 farm, and put the proceeds in the savings bank at B 
 
 in the name of Annie B. Bird." In a month after, the 
 farm was sold for the sum of five hundred dollars ; and 
 not a cent of principal or interest has ever been drawn, as 
 you will see by the date of your bank-book, which I en 
 close in this package. I did not think best in my lifetime 
 to break up the motherly feelings which I have ever en 
 tertained towards you. You well remember, that, when 
 3 T ou were fifteen years of age, } ou said, " Mother, I am 
 old enough to get my own living, and not be such a tax 
 upon you. And I finally consented, and you went to Bos 
 ton, and went a s an apprentice to learn a vest-maker s 
 trade. The next year I found my health was failing me. 
 I made my will, and have put it in trust for }-ou, into the 
 
 hands of Rev. Mr. B , whom you well know. 
 
 Annie lifted up her hands with astonishment, sa}-ing, 
 " I never heard of my mother s death." Alice said, "But 
 she was not your mother." "I know it now. But she 
 was all the mother I ever knew ; and I loved her then, and 
 ever shall love her, more now, a thousand times more,
 
 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 63 
 
 than I ever did before. Oh, how few poor widows would 
 have made the sacrifice she made to keep me out of the 
 almshouse, and then to educate me besides ! for ray mother 
 was a well-educated woman. I have been to school but 
 very little ; but my mother gave me lessons every day, 
 and it always seemed so easy to learn from her ! she 
 always made eveiy thing so plain and easy for me ! My 
 mother s name was Annie Baker. The word Bliss I 
 never remember hearing my mother mention ; and the 
 letter B was unknown to me in connection with my name. 
 I have never known any other name but Annie Baker. 
 But oh, my dear, patient, suffering mother ! And I knew 
 nothing about it." 
 
 Alice then asked Annie how long it had been since she 
 had received a letter from her ; and Annie said she could 
 not tell till she went to her trunk, and found her last 
 letter. She went, and soon returned with a letter, with a 
 postmark on the envelope " Brattleborough, May, 1853." 
 " My mother put this package into the bottom of my trunk, 
 and I never saw it till about two months ago." 
 
 "That is but a little more than a year before I was 
 married," said Alice. "We were married in June, 1854. 
 But I am anxious to hear that letter, my dear cousin 
 Annie Bliss Bird. What a beautiful name ! And you 
 have ever been a blissful bird to me, dear Annie ; and 
 now, when we find such good authority proving that } ou 
 are my own dear cousin, I think it blissful indeed. But 
 let us have that letter now : I can wait no longer." 
 
 DUMMERSTON, May, 1853. 
 
 My dear daughter, I have waited for some time, hoping to hear 
 from you; but, as I have not heard from you for more than a month, 
 I thought I would write, and let you know how anxious I am to 
 hear from you. I send this by Mr. B , to be mailed at Brattle- 
 borough to you; and I wish you to let me hear from you on receipt 
 of this. I am enjoying as good health as usual; but I have nothing 
 of importance to write more, more than that my dear Annie may 
 ever remember my counsel to go out but little evenings in that 
 wicked city, where so many alluring nets are set to entrap the 
 young and unsuspecting; for, in giving you such advice, I only have 
 your future good at heart. Reply as soon as you receive this. 
 From your ever dear mother to her beloved daughter Annie. 
 
 ANNIE BAKER. 
 
 " Well, my dear Annie," said Alice, " I do not wonder
 
 64 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 
 
 that you love such a mother ; for that is a letter of excel 
 lent counsel, Annie clear. And now one more question : 
 When did you reply to this excellent letter ? 
 
 " I can soon tell you, cousin Alice," said Annie ; " for, 
 ever since my dear mother instructed me, I have kept a 
 receipt-book, in which I have entered every letter received, 
 and all I have written, and I have often found it conven 
 ient for reference." 
 
 Alice replied, saying she thought her mother must be 
 a very methodical woman ; and Annie said she ought to 
 be, for she was a Methodist in every sense of that word. 
 
 Annie brought her receipt-book, and found that she had 
 replied to that letter June 30, 1853. Alice then asked if 
 that was the last letter she had received or written ; and 
 Annie said that was the last entry on her receipt-book. 
 " Stop a moment. I really believe I remember of another 
 letter." And she went and found it in her dress-pocket. 
 
 It was dated in D , April, 1854, and contained similar 
 
 advice to the other. 
 
 Annie said, " I know I must have answered it, although, 
 for some reason, I failed to record either of them ; and I 
 am certain this was my mother s last letter." 
 
 Alice then said, " Your dear mother may be living to 
 day, for aught you know, dear Annie." 
 
 ; That is true," said Annie ; " and I have broken open 
 this package without knowing whether she was dead or 
 alive." And Annie wept like a child, saying, "I would 
 do nothing to displease my precious dear mother. Alice 
 endeavored to comfort her, saying it was a sin of igno 
 rance, if it could be called a sin. 
 
 Annie said, "That is what pains me: I had no right 
 to open the package till I knew my mother was dead." 
 
 " Well, Annie dear, the deed is done ; and I know by 
 those tears, that you are heartily sorry ; and I know Jesus 
 will forgive you ; and I think your dear mother would 
 also forgive you, if she knew all the circumstances : so 
 cheer up, my dear cousin, and let us believe all will be 
 well." 
 
 We must leave the two cousins for the present, to see 
 how Capt. Shields quelled a plot which was intended to 
 result in a rnutiu} . Our readers will remember that
 
 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 65 
 
 Capt. Shields discharged two men in San Francisco, and 
 shipped two men to fill their places. The name of one 
 was Bob, and the other Fred. After sailing, neither of 
 these two men ever attended the evening praj-er-meeting. 
 This was noticed by Capt. Shields and by all the men ; 
 and they very reluctantly attended the sabbath-morning 
 services. The first and third mates were both in the 
 larboard watch together, Mr. Helm, the first mate, having 
 sole charge of the deck. And here I wish to remark that 
 Mr. Helm was a splendid seaman and navigator, and was 
 very highly esteemed by Capt. Shields and by all the 
 crew except Bob and Fred. 
 
 After being at sea a few days, Mr. Helm noticed that 
 the third officer, Mr. Head, was forward with the men the 
 most of his watch upon deck in the night. He thought 
 it best to say nothing to him, but strictl} r and quietly 
 watch results. One very calm though dark night, he no 
 ticed that Mr. Head went forward very soon after he 
 came upon deck ; and Mr. Helm felt, for some reason he 
 could not explain, a degree of uneasiness which he never 
 felt before. These two men, Fred and Bob, were both in 
 his watch, and he went forward to see that every thing 
 was right. Jack Carter came to him, and said in a low 
 voice, " Bob and Fred are trying to kick up a row, and I 
 thought it best to let you know it, sir ; and I think Mr. 
 Head is in for a share somewhere." 
 
 "Thank t you, Jack ! Keep dark, and watch them, and, 
 if you learn any thing more, report to me at once." 
 "Ay, ay, sir!" said Jack. Mr. Helm went aft again; 
 but he was restless. In a few minutes after he went for 
 ward again, and overheard Mr. Head say, " I will pro 
 vide 3"ou with pistols from the arm-chest, and lock it, so 
 that they can get no weapons to help themselves with, and 
 we will have them in a tight fix." Bob said, "We can 
 fasten them all below, and then we can just put one of 
 them in soak at a time, that will not submit to our articles 
 of faith and practice." Fred said, " We shall find both 
 hands full when we come to deal with Jack Carter and 
 old Joe, who are both in our watch : they are as strong as 
 a couple of horses, and the} 7 don t fear the devil, neither of 
 them."
 
 66 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 
 
 Mr. Helm quietly retired. He then very pleasantly 
 called Mr. Head aft, saying, " Take charge of the deck 
 for a few minutes, sir ; " and he went into the house, and 
 made Capt. Shields acquainted with the whole pro 
 gramme. Capt. Shields then said, " "Without the rest of 
 the watch knowing it, send me Joe and Jack Carter." It 
 was done in a few moments. He then said, " Send that 
 man Bob to me at once." Mr. Helm said, " He may be 
 armed." " Send him at once, sir ! He will soon find he 
 has no coward to deal with." 
 
 Mr. Helm called Bob to him, and said, "The captain 
 wants to see you in the cabin." Bob thought he was 
 going to give him a talk, because he had not attended 
 meetings : so into the cabin he went, without the least sus 
 picion of the reception he would receive. As soon as he 
 entered, Joe closed the door, and stood against it. Capt. 
 Shields then said, "Bob, I have a pair of handcuffs 
 here that will fit you, I think. Reach out your hands, 
 and try them on." Bob said, "What does this mean?" 
 Capt. Shields, in a voice like thunder, said, "I do not 
 parle}" with mutineers! Jack, put on these irons!" 
 Jack said, "Now, Bob, if you want to keep the breath 
 in you, it will be better for you to submit at once." 
 Bob, looking the situation in the face, held out his hands, 
 and Jack put his wrist-ruffles on at once. 
 
 Capt. Shields then ordered him to sit down. He then 
 said to Joe, " Go upon deck, and tell Mr. Helm to send 
 Fred into the cabin." In a few moments he came ; and, 
 when he saw Bob there already in irons, he knew it was 
 all up with him, and he submitted to be put in irons 
 without saying a word. The captain then sent for Mr. 
 Head ; and when he came in, and saw the two men with 
 whom he had planned a wholesale drowning or butchery, 
 he was overwhelmed with astonishment, and wished to 
 make some explanation. But Capt. Shields, in a voice 
 of thunder, exclaimed, "Silence, sir! not a word from 
 you, sir ! Jack Carter, go upon deck, and take charge of 
 the deck, and send Mr. Helm to me, sir." Mr. Helm 
 was in the cabin in a few moments ; and Capt. Shields 
 said to him, " Have these three men put between decks, 
 with Joe to watch them, until eight bells in the morning."
 
 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 67 
 
 Now, this whole matter was so quietly conducted, that 
 none except the watch upon deck knew any thing about 
 it. At eight bells in the morning, Capt. Shields ordered 
 Mr. Helm to call all hands aft ; and this strange, un 
 usual call brought Dr. A and wife, and Alice and 
 
 Annie, out upon the quarter-deck. After all his men 
 had come aft, he then said, " Mr. Helm, you will please 
 bring the prisoners upon deck." When they saw Mr. 
 Head, Bob, and Fred led on deck by Joe, in irons, they 
 were all astonished. Capt. Shields then said, "These 
 three men had already plotted a mutin} T , in which any 
 persons on board not submitting to their authorit}* and 
 dictation, were, to use their own language, to be put in 
 soak, or, in other words, were to be thrown overboard 
 and drowned. Providentially the plot was discovered 
 before the}" had time to execute their hellish design. 
 Neither of these men, under any circumstances, will be 
 returned to dut} T again. I now promote Jack Carter 
 as my third officer ; and I know my men well enough 
 to believe that every man on board of this ship will obey 
 his orders as- the third officer of this ship in the future. 
 Mr. Carter, you will please accept the office, and I will 
 pa} you the same wages as I paid the mutinous villain 
 who once filled that office." 
 
 The prisoners were then ordered between decks, with 
 Joe for their watchman. The captain then told Mr. 
 Helm he had better take Dick and Sam out of the star 
 board watch, to better equalize the strength of the men in 
 the two watches. Capt. Shields then said, " Men, you 
 have all ever been well treated by mj-self and nry officers, 
 and ever will be, so long as you continue to be respectful 
 and obedient to my officers, and do your duty. But insub 
 ordination or disobedience cannot exist one moment on 
 board of this ship ; and any man who attempts it will find 
 in me a hard master. You may now go to your duties." 
 
 At the dinner-table Capt. Shields told Dr. A and 
 
 his wife how the plot was discovered, and what Mr. Helm 
 
 had heard. Dr. A remarked that he never liked Mr. 
 
 Head : he saw things on their passage to San Francisco 
 that led him to dislike the man. " One night, while Mr. 
 Mainstay was sick, I went out upon deck, and heard him
 
 68 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 
 
 tell some of the men he did not believe, if he had fell 
 from aloft, instead of that psalm-singing Bill, that the 
 captain s wife would have nursed him as she had done 
 him (old Bill, as he called him)." Alice replied by say 
 ing that she would have done the same thing for any man 
 on board : she somehow looked upon them as all being 
 members of their ship s family ; and in that respect she 
 had no partiality for one more than another. " That is 
 spoken just like yourself, my dear Alice," said Capt. 
 
 Shields. Turning to Dr. A , he said, "Our sweet 
 
 little daughter has not been named yet, though she is 
 
 more than two months old." Dr. A said, "If she 
 
 were my daughter, I should have called her Mary Alice as 
 soon as she was born, in honor of this noble floating pal 
 ace where she first came into existence." Alice said she 
 did not see how she could have any other name, without 
 casting some reflections upon her aunt, mother, and their 
 beautiful floating home. Capt. Shields said that name 
 was the sweetest name to him in the world ; and he wanted 
 it perpetuated. 
 
 During their passage thus far, Dick and Jim had both 
 found their Saviour, and were rejoicing in his forgiving 
 love. All hands were now bus}* in painting their ship 
 inside, for they were drawing near to their intended port. 
 A few days after, land was discovered ; and that morning 
 they had caught another porpoise, for which they were 
 very thankful ; for ever} thing fresh in the shape of pigs 
 and chickens had been gone for more than a week, and 
 the porpoise came very acceptable indeed. In the after 
 noon they took a pilot, and about sunset they anchored 
 in the harbor of Melbourne, after a passage of eighty-four 
 days from San Francisco. Arriving June 12, 1855, the 
 next day the prisoners were carried on shore, to be sent 
 
 to B for their trial, with all the testimony of their 
 
 guilt, taken under oath, to be sent with them. In little 
 more than a week the ship was discharged, and began to 
 take in a freight for London. 
 
 While they were there, an epidemic broke out ; and 
 Capt. Shields forbade his men going on shore, fearing it 
 might be brought on board his ship ; and Dr. A sec 
 onded this judicious caution. He talked with his men,
 
 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 69 
 
 and told them that he was obliged to be on shore to 
 attend to the business of his ship ; and Sam said there 
 was not a man on board " The Mary Alice " that would 
 do any thing to displease their dear captain. Capt. 
 Shields shipped three new men in the places of the muti 
 neers. A few days before sailing, a gentleman came on 
 board, and asked if he could take passage with him, with 
 his wife and his brother. Capt. Shields informed him 
 that he could accommodate them ; and they soon came on 
 board, and were introduced to Dr. A - and wife, and 
 to his own wife and cousin, and to his officers. They 
 sailed July 6, only remaining there twenty-four da}"s. 
 Capt. Shields said his despatch was wholly owing to the 
 epidemic, which he feared might be contagious. The 
 new passengers were surprised to hear the captain ask 
 God to bless their food before they ate. At four bells 
 thej* were still more surprised to see the whole crew, and 
 the three new men with them, come aft to attend their 
 daily meeting. It was a new and a novel sight to them ; 
 but, when the}* heard these old tars of Neptune sing and 
 pray as they did that night, they were awestruck and 
 attentive. On Sunday they had a very interesting ser 
 vice ; for Mr. Albert Shields, the elder brother of the two 
 new passengers, said, "I believe God has sent this ship 
 to Melbourne to save nry soul. I experienced religion in 
 Limerick, where I was born, more than thirty years ago ; 
 and I well remember my uncle John s advice. He said, 
 Albert, don t leave your father. I have no father to 
 leave, and shall go to America. But in a few years 
 afterwards I left my home, and came to Melbourne ; and 
 I have made an earthly fortune ; but oh, how dark and 
 drear are my prospects for heaven, which once were so 
 bright and promising ! I hope every praying soul on 
 board this ship will daily pfa} r that God ma}* forgive my 
 sins, and let his love again shine in upon my benighted 
 soul." 
 
 The younger brother said he had only been a little more 
 than a }*ear with his brother, and that he was enjo}*ing 
 much of Jesus love, and was much pleased that he was 
 going home in a praying ship. After the meeting was 
 dismissed, the ever-inquisitive Alice said to Mr. Albert
 
 70 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 
 
 Shields, "I think you said, sir, that jour uncle, who 
 came to America, was named John Shields?" He re 
 plied, saj ing, "Yes. And my father said he guessed 
 John would do well ; for he had learned a blacksmith s 
 trade, and had plenty of work." 
 
 "Annie dear, please call my husband." When he 
 came in, she said, " My dear Johnny, permit me to intro 
 duce to you two more of your own cousins ; and the two 
 men clasped hands; and the captain said, " Alice dear, 
 what does this all mean?" And Alice said, " Your dear 
 
 father came from Limerick to B , and went and 
 
 learned a blacksmith s trade, and so wrote to his brother 
 there, informing him of the fact. One question I wish to 
 ask, which will settle the whole matter at once. What 
 was your grandmother Shields s given name?" He re 
 plied, "It was Eunice." "Then we are cousins, sure 
 enough. I have often heard my father say his mother was 
 Aunt Eunice to almost everybody." " Well, Alice dear, 
 do you think you will be fortunate enough to find any 
 more new cousins for your husband ? " " Well, Johnny, 
 I can tell you better after we leave London, and see if 
 you will be kind enough to furnish me with the neces 
 sary material. You know I cannot make brick without 
 straw."
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 "TTTHILE the new cousin-making was progressing, 
 VV " The Mary Alice" was progressing with rapidity 
 towards the Cape of Good Hope ; and Alice perceived that 
 young Ernest Shields and Annie had become very intimate 
 with each other, and playfully remarked to Annie one 
 day, that she thought ere long she would become a double 
 cousin to her. Annie blushed, saying, "Dear Alice, you 
 had better wait till you see the marriage-ceremony per 
 formed before you count on that relationship." Alice 
 merely remarked, "We shall see: time ultimately dis 
 closes events." 
 
 Mary Alice, jun., had become the plaything of all on 
 board. When the child was on deck in pleasant weather, 
 every tar in the ship would catch the dear child up in 
 his arms, and give her a kiss, just as though she belonged 
 to all hands on board. Mr. Carter seemed to be the 
 child s favorite. He would sometimes enclose her in his 
 brawny arms, and carry her for an hour at a time when he 
 was idle. But an event occurred some fifteen days after 
 they sailed, that filled every soul on board that ship with 
 painful anxietjr. Capt. Shields was suddenly severely 
 seized with a high fever and with terrible cramp-spasms. 
 
 Dr. A was soon at his side, and told his wife not to 
 
 fear. He thought, if he could throw all care and respon 
 sibility aside, he could soon relieve him. Alice said, 
 " Now, Johnny dear, I will keep your reckoning up every 
 day, and report our position to you every day ; and you 
 know, Johnny, that you can trust your Alice to navigate 
 the ship without infringing upon any of the rights of Mr. 
 Helm, your first officer." 
 
 At evening Mr. Helm conducted the meeting ; and it 
 was a prayer-meeting indeed, and such a one as never 
 was known before on board "The Mary Alice." Never
 
 72 THE SHIP "MAKY ALICE." 
 
 before did Alice realize the deep, tender, and ardent 
 affection those men all had for her dear husband. She 
 told her husband, some time after that, she should love 
 sailors as long as she lived. " Why, after Sam, and Joe, 
 and Dick, and Mr. Boom, and Mr. Carter, and Mr. Main 
 stay, and our dear Mr. Helm, had prayed, I felt that I 
 understood that passage of Scripture which says, The 
 kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent 
 take it by force. Why, Johnny, I never heard or saw 
 such pleading importunity in my life. It was like good 
 old Jacob wrestling with the angel, with an unshaking 
 confidence that could not be turned away ; and somehow 
 that passage of Scripture came into my mind, All things 
 are possible to him that believeth ; only believe and he 
 shall live. And, Johnny dear, from that praying-hour I 
 felt sure of } T our restoration to health." 
 
 It was true he rapidly began to amend. They had 
 just got soundings on the bank of the Cape, and the next 
 day they had safely passed it, and were pressing their 
 way towards St. Helen s, or what is called St. Helena, 
 where they arrived after a passage of fift}"-two days 
 from Melbourne. They arrived Aug. 26, 1855. In eight 
 hours they made all sail for home. Capt. Shields had so 
 far recovered as to take the charge of their meetings 
 again. The three men that came on board at Mel 
 bourne, in seeing the answers of prayer in regard to 
 their captain, were deeply impressed ; and in a few days, 
 through the instruction of Joe, Sam, and Dick, they were 
 led to trust in Jesus, and to rejoice in his pardoning love. 
 
 It very soon became evident to all in the cabin that 
 Mr. Ernest Shields was earnestly pressing his suit with 
 Miss Annie Bird; and Alice said one day, "I expect, 
 when we arrive in London, that my now blissful Bird 
 will take wings, and fly into a bosom of Shields for pro 
 tection." "Well, my dear cousin Alice, do you not 
 think I should find ample pz otection in such a Shield?" 
 
 "Well, Annie dear, I have unbounded confidence in my 
 Shields ; and, if your Shields is as good as mine, I think 
 he is rightly called Ernest." "Now, cousin Alice, be 
 sober ; for I want your advice. Mr. Shields has made 
 proposals to me ; and I did not feel at liberty to give
 
 THE SHIP "MAEY ALICE." 73 
 
 him a final reply until I had first laid the whole matter 
 before you and your husband." " Johnny is at liberty 
 now: please tell him I wish to see him in my room." 
 She went and called him, and in a few minutes they were 
 closeted alone. 
 
 Alice told him of Ernest s proposal. He then said he 
 had been having a conversation with Albert relative to 
 this same matter, and he made a very rigid inquiry in 
 regard to her character, accomplishments, &c. ; and, 
 after giving his consent to me, he said he would see his 
 brother, and consent to their union, adding, " I have 
 promised to give him ten thousand dollars to begin the 
 world with if he married a woman that I could approve 
 of." "Well, then," said Alice, "as soon as we get 
 in London I will draw upon my father, and give her a 
 splendid outfit." 
 
 They were now approaching their destined haven very 
 rapidly, daily passing ships and steamers ; and they 
 exchanged signals with one of our steam packet-ships 
 bound to London, and gave the name of their ship. As 
 the wind was ahead, the steamer was soon out of sight. 
 The next morning the} took a pilot, and he very soon 
 brought the ship to anchor at Gravesend. They had 
 not anchored more than an hour, before a steam-tug was 
 seen approaching them. She soon hailed the ship, and 
 asked if they wanted steam. Capt. Shields said, "Yes: 
 come alongside." She was no sooner securely fastened 
 
 to " The Mary Alice " than Mr. L walked on board. 
 
 Alice ran to him, and threw her arms around his neck, 
 exclaiming, "My dear father!" She was so much over 
 come by the unexpected joyous surprise, that she fainted 
 in his arms. But Dr. A , who was an old acquaint 
 ance of Mr. L , came to the rescue ; and Alice was 
 
 soon restored again. 
 
 Mr. L then handed Capt. Shields two letters. 
 
 One was from his dear sister Mar} : the other was 
 directed to Miss Annie B. Bird, to the care of Capt. John 
 Shields, commander of the ship "Mary Alice," at 
 London. 
 
 We will give our readers a brief synopsis of Annie s 
 letter from the Kev. Mr. B , whom her mother had
 
 74 THE SHIP "MAET ALICE." 
 
 appointed executor of her will. His letter ran thus : 
 "Miss Bird, jour mother, when she made her will, ap 
 pointed me her executor. Your dear mother died very 
 suddenly the 1st of last April, and she has left to you 
 all her property. Her husband died on his passage to 
 England, where he was then going to receive a large 
 estate which had fallen to him by the death of a very 
 rich uncle ; and his death had prevented his widow from 
 receiving any thing from that vast property until only a 
 month before her death. She called upon me for counsel, 
 and she did reserve and give several hundred dollars for 
 benevolent objects, and, had she lived, would have given 
 more. She died very suddenly ; and her last words 
 were, Dear friend, protect and save nr^ dear Annie. 
 I now hold in my hand the keys of those treasures, which 
 are all yours ; and I await your orders for their invest 
 ment or disposal, till I can turn them over to you their 
 rightful owner," 
 
 This announcement called all the Shieldses and Mr. 
 
 L together, to advise Annie what reply she should 
 
 make to the Rev. Mr. B s letter. Mr. Albert Shields 
 
 and Mr. L were both thorough-going practical busi 
 ness-men and good financiers. One proposed, that after 
 their marriage, which was now soon to be celebrated, they 
 
 take the first steamer for B . To this Annie said she 
 
 could never consent : she could not leave her dear cousin 
 
 Alice and Johnny ; and Mr. L said, " I think it would 
 
 be well for Annie to telegraph hirn to keep all the mone} r s 
 not invested in the banks until her return." The despatch 
 was sent, and in a few days a satisfactory answer received. 
 
 Two da}*s after, " The Mary Alice " was covered with 
 bunting from the truck to the deck ; and on the afternoon 
 of Nov. 1 Mr. Ernest Shields was married to Miss Annie 
 Bliss Bird. After the ceremony had been performed, Alice 
 threw her arms around Annie s neck, and, giving her 
 a telling kiss, exclaimed, "My dear blissful bird, I re 
 joice in believing you will be ever shielded in the future." 
 Annie expressed her thanks for good wishes ; and one 
 after another came to steal a kiss from her rosy lips. 
 Finally Mr. Albert Shields came, and threw his strong 
 arms around the neck of the beautiful bird, exclaiming,
 
 THE SHIP " MAEY ALICE." 75 
 
 " My dear j r oung sister, the first and all the sister I have, 
 accept a brother s love, a brother s confidence, and his life 
 long sympathy for you, which, under God, have been the 
 means of my restoration to the forgiving love of that 
 Saviour from whom I had so far wandered away." Capt. 
 Shields embraced Annie, and said, " My own dear double 
 cousin, I cannot find words to express the joy which this 
 hour affords me ; and my gratitude toward the Bestower 
 of all these joys cannot be told by any human tongue. 
 After partaking of a princely collation, provided by Mr. 
 
 L , owner of "The Mary Alice," the wedding-party 
 
 retired. 
 
 In a few more days their cargo was all discharged. 
 
 Mr. L said to Capt. Shields, "Freights from London 
 
 to B are very low indeed ; and it would be of great 
 
 value, in preserving the frame and timbers of The Mary 
 Alice, to go to St. Ubes, and load her with salt, "which 
 
 is in very fair demand in B ." Capt. Shields said it 
 
 would be an excellent plan. He then remarked, "She is, 
 I believe, the best ship now afloat upon the ocean. I 
 hope I shall not worship her ; but she seems more to me 
 like a living thing than any ship I ever saw, and she is 
 almost idolized by all my men." 
 
 Before sailing, Alice wrote her sister Mary, acquainting 
 her with her new-found cousins, and of Annie s marriage 
 to Mr. Ernest Shields, her own cousin, and giving her a 
 bird s-eye view of their voyage generally. Mr. Albert 
 Shields fulfilled his promise to his brother Ernest, giving 
 him ten thousand dollars to begin with. The final leave- 
 taking between Albert Shields and his wife, and his 
 brother Ernest and his dear Annie, was very touching and 
 tender. 
 
 Every thing being ready, "The Mary Alice" sailed 
 from London for St. Ubes in November ; and, after a 
 passage of ten days, they arrived there in safety. Mr. 
 
 L one day, promenading with his daughter, said to 
 
 her, " Alice, your husband embodies more truly excellent 
 traits of character than I think I ever saw before in any 
 one human composition. Mr. Albert Shields spoke of 
 the quiet and yet decided manner in which he stopped that 
 mutiny without any one s knowing it, in the night, too,
 
 76 THE SHIP "MAEY ALICE." 
 
 and said he was astonished at his far-seeing sagacity, 
 his ever-read}* inventive ingenuity, and his decision, and, 
 above all, his daily, living, active, practical piety. I do 
 not blame 3*011 for being proud of him." 
 
 " Well, my dear father, in order to know how to appreci 
 ate Johnny s value, you must live with him. No living 
 woman can be more loving, tender, kind, sympathetic, 
 and forbearing than he is ; and, when an emergency 
 occurs, he rises at once, and towers above every difficulty 
 that is connected with it." Her father remarked he did 
 not know but he loved Johnny more than he did her. 
 " That is right, my dear father. Go on. The more you 
 love my Johnny, the more of it I shall get ; for you never 
 saw a couple more unselfishly one than Johnny and myself. 
 He but seldom attempts to do any thing without consulting 
 me, unless he has a mutiny to quell in the night." Dr. 
 A and his wife soon joined them upon the quarter 
 deck ; and the doctor said to Mr. L , "I wish to 
 
 congratulate you, my life-long friend, in your noble ship, 
 The Mary Alice, and in her still more noble com 
 mander. I have been with him the whole voyage round, 
 sir, and have seen him under all the varied and some 
 times trying circumstances which have environed him, 
 and have never seen him, at an}* period during this long 
 voyage of more than a year, at loss for a moment what to 
 do, and how to do it. His prudent and thoughtful sa 
 gacity in Melbourne, while there, when that terrible epi 
 demic was raging, is one instance. He would not allow 
 an}* person to leave the ship but himself ; neither would 
 he allow any person to come on board from the shore ; and, 
 by so doing, he saved all but himself from that fearful 
 scourge." 
 
 " The Mary Alice " sailed from St. Ubes for B Dec. 
 
 6, 1855 ; and Capt. Shields thought it best to take what 
 is called the middle passage, so as not to have his men 
 exposed to the more severe weather of a more northern 
 passage in mid-winter. After passing the Azores one 
 morning, with a fresh gale blowing from the south-west, 
 the ship being under double-reefed topsails, and a heavy, 
 deep-rolling sea from the westward, which is most always 
 found in the Atlantic Ocean, a man aloft sang out, " Sail
 
 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 77 
 
 ho ! about two points of the lee-bow, sir." A report was 
 instantly made to Capt. Shields, who ordered the ship 
 kept off two points. Capt. Shields took his glass, and, 
 after looking a moment, said to his officer, "Have the 
 larbord quarter-boat ready for lowering, sir: she may 
 need assistance." "Her main and mizzen masts are 
 both gone, sir." " Send Mr. Carter to me at once, sir." 
 Mr. Carter came aft ; and Capt. Shields said to Mr. Car 
 ter, " I want you to call Joe, Sam, Dick, and Jim, the 
 most experienced men on board ; go to that wrecked 
 stranger, and afford all the assistance they ma} 7 need ; 
 keep two men in the boat to take care of her ; go on 
 board, and then act according to your own judgment." 
 
 "The Mary Alice " was hove to a quarter of a mile 
 from the wrecked ship. The boat was lowered, and they 
 came under her lee. Mr. Carter found she rolled so 
 deep, that he could not board her on the side, without 
 swamping his boat. He ordered his men to pull up under 
 her stern ; and the brave Mr. Jack Carter, determining 
 to accomplish his mission, laid hold of a rope hanging 
 over the stern of the wreck, and in a moment was on 
 board. He said, "Now, bo} s, keep clear of the ship till 
 I see whether there is any living soul here to tell their 
 sad tale of woe." Having given his men their orders, he 
 started to go forward, and saw a man slipping down from 
 the foretop on a spar rope ; and, when within ten feet 
 of the deck, he fell. Mr. Carter was at his side in a mo 
 ment ; but the man was so much reduced and exhausted, 
 that he could not speak. Mr. Carter took him in his 
 brawn} arms as though he had been an infant, carried him 
 to the stern, and ordered the boat to come as near as it 
 was safe for them. He then took his knife, and cut off 
 as much rope as he needed, and threw one end into the 
 boat; and Joe caught it. He then said, "I will lower 
 this man down, and bend the other end of this rope to 
 him, and 3-011 can haul him into the boat. Now, do just 
 as I order, and we will save this poor sufferer." Mr. 
 Carter lowered him down, and Joe in a moment had him 
 in his arms. Mr. Carter said, "Shove off now, boj-s : 
 don t mind me." Joe said, "You are not going to stop 
 there, sir, are you, Mr. Carter?" "No. Shove off
 
 78 THE SHIP " MAKY ALICE." 
 
 that boat." They obeyed orders ; and Mr. Carter leaped 
 into the sea, swam to the boat, and in a moment was on 
 board. "Out oars, boys, and pull for the ship." 
 
 In a few moments they pulled to the leeward of their 
 ship, hooked on their boat, which was hoisted up, with all 
 the men in her. The man was taken out upon deck, and 
 Dr. A again came to the rescue. The man was un 
 conscious. Dr. A gave him something, and in a few 
 
 moments he discovered that life was not extinct. In the 
 mean time "The Mary Alice" was close-hauled b}" the 
 wind, leaving the wreck far astern. Ver}- soon it was 
 seen that the rescued man was making every effort he 
 
 could to speak ; and finally Dr. A understood him to 
 
 say there were two men in the foretop. This intelligence 
 was reported to Capt. Shields, who at once ordered Mr. 
 Helm to get ready for tacking ship, remarking, "They 
 shall be saved if it is possible. Mr. Helm, are you. 
 read} , sir? " " All read}", sir." He ordered the man at 
 the wheel to put his helm hard to port, and exclaimed, 
 "Hard a lee, sir!" "The Mar} r Alice," always obedi 
 ent to her helm, came immediately up. When head to 
 the wind, the captain exclaimed, "Topsails haul!" In 
 a moment the main and mizzen topsails were braced en 
 tirely opposite to what they were before. The captain 
 then cried out, "Let go and haul, sir! Brace those 
 head-yards sharp up, sir, and trim every thing snug by 
 the wind ! " 
 
 The wreck was then some three miles awa} . The cap 
 tain then ordered the same boat, with the same crew, 
 ready to try, if it were possible, to save those other two 
 men. The man had so far recovered, that Alice wanted 
 him brought into the cabin, where she. could take care of 
 
 him. He had already told Dr. A that the two men 
 
 were alive when he left the foretop, but were so weak 
 they could not help themselves. " The Mary Alice " was 
 again hove to about a quarter of a mile to windward of 
 the wreck. The boat was lowered in safety, although the 
 sea was running very high indeed. Mr. Carter requested 
 one more man ; for it would take two men to take care of 
 the boat. He then ordered Mr. Mainstay to go with 
 them.
 
 THE SHIP "MAKY ALICE." 79 
 
 After coming under the stern of the wreck, Mr. Carter 
 said, " I want Mr. Mainsta}" and Joe to go on board with 
 me ; and you, Dick and Sam, take care of the boat." 
 These three fearless men in a few minutes were on 
 board of the wreck, and went forward together. Mr. 
 Carter said, "Mr. Mainstay, I wish you and Joe to go 
 into that fore top, and bend a rope to them, and lower 
 them down carefully to me, and I will receive them." 
 In a few minutes one was received by Mr. Carter, and 
 was laid in as safe a place as he could find, for the sea 
 was making a complete breach over the wrecked ship. 
 In a few moments more the other man was in Mr. Car 
 ter s arms ; and the two men hastened down from the 
 top. They carried the two men to the stern, as before ; 
 and Joe and Mr. Mainstay got into the boat to receive 
 the men. Mr. Carter lowered first one, and then the 
 other, into the boat, and got in himself. They then 
 pulled for the ship, and were all very soon on board 
 " The Mary Alice," and she again was put on her way 
 
 towards her destined haven. Dr. A took charge of 
 
 the two men, and gave them something that soon pro 
 duced signs of life ; and Alice soon made room for them 
 in the cabin. She said, "These poor fellows have suf 
 fered enough : I will give them my own bed, and I can 
 lie on one of the sofas. They shall have my time, my 
 care, and my praj-ers ; for I expect they have a narrative 
 to disclose when they get able to do it, if the} r live. I 
 believe our dear old tars who have perilled their lives to 
 save these men will to-night add their faith in prayer to 
 their self-sacrificing labors ; and the two united God will 
 not turn away." 
 
 Mr. L was perfectly delighted in seeing the prac 
 tical piety of his two only dear children. He said he had 
 not taken so much comfort, and so enjoyed himself spirit 
 ually, as he had done since they left London, for many 
 years ; and he added, " My dear Johnnj , I think I shall 
 go with you on your next vo3 r age." "Nothing would 
 please me better, my dear father." "After we arrive 
 
 in B , I intend to give }"ou a full bill of sale of The 
 
 Mary Alice, as your wedding-present." "I thank you, 
 my ever dear father, and hope the confidence you repose
 
 80 THE SHIP " MAKY ALICE." 
 
 in me may never be regretted. Ever since Jesus par 
 doned my sins on that never-to-be-forgotten night, it has 
 been my daily desire to do something for Him who has 
 done so much for me ; and during this long voyage I 
 have tried, as far as possible, to carry out the principle 
 of love to God and man to all within the circle of my 
 Chip s family." 
 
 Mary Alice, jun., occupied many of the leisure hours 
 
 of her loving grandfather L . One day they saw a 
 
 schooner, with her ensign hoisted union down ; and Capt. 
 Shields said she wanted help of some kind he had no 
 doubt. "The Mary Alice" soon came up with her, and 
 hailed, " What schooner is that? and do you want aid? " 
 The reply was, "It is the schooner Rapid, from Bar- 
 
 badoes, bound to B ; and we are in want of water." 
 
 Capt. Shields ordered a cask filled, slung, and thrown 
 overboard. A boat was then lowered, and the cask 
 towed to the schooner, for which they seemed very grate 
 ful ; and the boat returned, and was hoisted up, and all 
 sail was made upon " The Mary Alice," pressing her 
 through the brin}" deep with grandeur and rapidity. 
 
 Their evening meetings were very interesting ; and Mr. 
 L - enjoyed them as much as any person on board. 
 
 He said to Dr. A , " I shall never forget the pra}"er- 
 
 meeting they had the evening after meeting that wrecked 
 ship. When I heard those hard}" sons of the ocean plead 
 as they did with God to restore to life and health those 
 the}" had that da} T saved from starvation and death, and 
 saw those great brin} tears trickling down their weather- 
 beaten faces, I felt like hiding nry face in shame at my 
 own want of that deep sj mpathy which I saw manifested 
 b}" Capt. Shields and his men, whom he so much loves. 
 I never knew before that sailors had such deep and 
 
 ardent feelings for suffering humanity." Dr. A 
 
 replied, saying, "I have learned more of the loveliness 
 and self-sacrificing traits of their character than I ever 
 knew before. The} have a frank open-heartedness, 
 associated with a woman s tenderness. They are bold, 
 daring, and brave ; and yet their tears will flow in a 
 moment at seeing human sufferings. I know of no class 
 of people who possess so many excellent traits of charac-
 
 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 81 
 
 ter as our seamen ; and yet how much they are abused, 
 neglected, and despised by many of our people!" 
 
 "Alas! it is too true, Dr. A . But I confess to 
 
 you frankly, my dear sir, that I was not aware, till on 
 this passage, that they possessed so many very excellent 
 traits of character." "Neither was I; but this long 
 and very pleasant voyage has banished all doubts in that 
 direction, and fully converted me to the espousal of the 
 sailor s cause all the rest of m} T life." " Well, how are 
 
 those three men getting along? " Dr. A said, " They 
 
 are getting along nicely, and will soon be well ; and I 
 think they will have a sad tale of woe to tell as soon as 
 they are able." 
 
 The sabbath that next dawned upon them was indeed 
 a lovely day. At ten A.M. the bell had no sooner struck 
 four than all hands gathered aft. After singing, prayer, 
 and reading the Scriptures by Capt. Shields, he then re 
 marked that the three rescued men would meet with 
 
 them, and, by the permission of Dr. A , would tell 
 
 the whole narrative of their vo}*age. 
 
 One of them arose, and said, "The ship Rambler 
 sailed from St. John, N.B., Dec. 6, commanded by Capt. 
 
 H . We had two mates, cook, steward, and ten 
 
 men. She was laden with timber and plank, bound for 
 Liverpool. After passing Cape Sable in the Gulf, we 
 experienced some heavy north-east gales, which caused 
 unusual heavy labor for our ship ; and we found she had 
 sprung a leak. We afterwards 1 had strong westerly gales 
 and a heavy sea ; and we found that the water in the 
 ship s hold was gaining upon us, with both pumps going 
 
 night and day. Capt. H ordered the mainmast to 
 
 be cut away, hoping to relieve the ship in some measure. 
 The mainmast fell with an awful crash upon the mizzen- 
 mast, and broke it off about fifteen feet from the deck ; 
 and we cut away the rigging and spars, that we might 
 clear them from the ship. We kept the ship before the 
 wind under a close-reefed foretopsail and reefed fore 
 sail ; and, water-logged as we were, we could only make 
 about three miles per hour. Being lumber-laden, we 
 knew she could not sink ; and we hoped we might possibly 
 get across the Atlantic, if she did not come to pieces.
 
 82 THE SHIP "MAKY ALICE." 
 
 As near as I can remember, about ten days after, the 
 wind changed to the north-east, and blew a furious gale. 
 Before "we could furl our foresail and foretopsail, the 
 wind, which became very violent, blew every thread of 
 canvas from the yards, and the ship lay in the trough of 
 the sea, which very soon washed overboard all our officers 
 and most of our men ; while the huge weight of water in 
 the ship s hold was bursting off one deck-plank after 
 another until the whole deck was torn up, and only we 
 three were left. We repaired to the foretop to get out of 
 the way of the sea, that had swallowed in its open throat 
 all our shipmates ; and I had just strength enough that 
 morning to stand up, and take what I expected my last 
 look, when I spied }-ou steering very near for us. I told 
 my shipmates. Only one spoke ; and his words were, 
 It is too late. But when you hove to the windward of 
 us, and lowered your boat, I was so afraid that you 
 would not come up into the foretop, that I was deter 
 mined you should see us, and I laid hold of a rope, making 
 it fast round the masthead, and started to slip down that 
 rope, to tell the brave fellows that there were two more 
 in the top. My strength and all failed me, and I fell, 
 and knew nothing more till I found myself here ; and, 
 when I did know any thing, I told this dear good doctor 
 there were two more in the top. I think, if I remember 
 aright, that we divided and ate our last biscuit five days 
 ago. I believe I have told you all, and you know the 
 rest. And now I want you to pray for me, that God 
 may have mercy on my soul ; for I told him in that 
 water-logged ship s foretop, if he would save my life, that 
 I would give him the rest of my days, either few or 
 many. I have heard you pray every night ; and I have 
 just longed to tell you all, I have been a great sinner. 
 I know Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners ; 
 but I fear I have passed the rubicon of his mercy." 
 
 Mr. Mainstay said, " Capt. Shields, I just want to say a 
 word or two to my dear shipmate. I believe you said you 
 feared you had passed something. I suppose you meant 
 you was afraid you was too late, like your shipmates in the 
 top." "That s it, shipmate: you have it." "Well, 
 now, if you have any fears, it is pretty sure the Lord has
 
 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 83 
 
 not given you up, shipmate ; for, if he had given you up, 
 you would not have any fears about the matter. If 
 you want to discharge that cargo of sin that you have 
 been a lifetime loading up, you had better not try to 
 hoist out a barrel at a time, but just go to Jesus, and tell 
 him how sorry you are (if you be sorry) , and ask him to 
 unload 3"our soul, and then believe he will do it. I tell 
 you, shipmate, he will discharge your whole cargo in less 
 than a minute. That is the way he unloaded this old 
 hull, and a wickeder man never lived than I have been." 
 
 After Mr. Mainstay had done speaking, Capt. Shields 
 said, "If there is any other man here that wishes to be 
 remembered in our prayers, if he will speak out we will 
 carry him in our arms of faith to Jesus." The other 
 two men who had been rescued said no men needed pray 
 ers more than they did, and none deserved them less ; 
 for they had been great sinners all their lives. They 
 never had got on board of a praj ing ship before. They 
 said they did not know much about heaven, but thought 
 this ship must be something like it, for they had heard 
 no swearing by either officers or men. 
 
 Capt. Shields then said, "Let us all kneel before the 
 Lord our Maker." He offered a fervent prayer, and was 
 followed by the first and second officers, and Joe and Sam 
 and Dick, Mr. Carter having charge of the deck. When 
 Mr. Mainstay prayed, all were bathed in tears. His 
 horneby yet fervent pleading inportunity laid fast hold of 
 the promise, saying, 
 
 " Lord, we cannot let thee go 
 Till salvation thou bestow : 
 Lord, let it come like a shower 
 On my shipmates this very hour; 
 And we will praise thee every day, 
 While we in this world shall stay." 
 
 " And, blessed Jesus, thou shalt have all the glory, for 
 ever. Amen." They then sang Mr. Mainstay s favorite 
 hymn, found in another part of this narrative ; and Capt. 
 Shields dismissed the meeting, saying he expected gra 
 cious results from this praying-hour. 
 
 Mr. L , after they had retired, said, " My dear son, 
 
 never have I experienced such a profitable hour." Alice
 
 84 THE SHIP " MAKY ALICE." 
 
 said, " "We have had many such." Annie said, " I have 
 learned more how to trust from these praying sailors than 
 I ever knew before ; but did you ever see any thing equal 
 to Mr. Mainstay s prayer and his poetry?" Alice said, 
 "I hope he will never leave this ship." Capt. Shields 
 said he did not mean he ever should, nor Joe nor Sam 
 nor Dick, nor Mr. Carter.
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 T ITTLE Mary Alice was now over eight months old, 
 -*-^and could stand up by taking hold of things, and was 
 the pet of all hands on board. Three days after, the 
 man aloft sung out, " Land ho ! right ahead, sir ! " 
 
 With the wind fair and a good breeze, " The Mary 
 Alice " in a few hours passed by the Highland Lighthouse, 
 and shaped her course west-north-west for B Light 
 house. Three hours after, they took a pilot, and at four 
 P.M. came to anchor in the stream, just abreast of Granite 
 Wharf, arriving Jan. 7, 1856, after a passage of twenty- 
 eight days from St. Ubes, having been gone one year and 
 two months, and having circumnavigated the globe since 
 they left B . 
 
 All the crew and passengers remained on board ; it 
 
 being so late, none wished to leave the ship. Dr. A 
 
 said the next morning, he regretted that all the pleasures 
 of that never-to-be-forgotten voyage were now terminated. 
 That night, laying within three hundred yards of the 
 wharf, not one soul wished to leave the ship ; and that 
 evening there were more, tears shed than ever before. 
 Each one felt that on the morrow there would be a separa 
 tion which would be painful to bear. The captain, his 
 officers, and men, had lived together like a great Christian 
 family, as they were. About eight bells all hands retired 
 
 for rest. In the morning Capt. Shields and Mr. L 
 
 went on shore together. After transacting his business 
 at the custom-house, he found the ship " Swiftsure " had 
 
 arrived, and Capt. B had declined going again. Mr. 
 
 L offered the command of "The Swiftsure" to Mr. 
 
 Helm ; which he gladly accepted, and proposed, if there 
 was no objection, to taking Mr. Carter for his first officer ; 
 which was agreed to by all parties. Two days afterwards 
 the ship " Swiftsure " sailed for Bremen.
 
 86 THE SHIP "MAEY ALICE." 
 
 The second day after the arrival of " The Mary Alice," 
 she was hauled in to the wharf; and } et Capt. Shields had 
 said nothing about discharging any of his men. He said 
 to Mr. Boom, "I wish you, sir, to fill the office of first 
 officer in the place of Mr. Helm, now master of the ship 
 Swiftsure. Mr. Mainstay, you will fill the office va 
 cated by Mr. Boom." He then called Joe aft, and said, 
 " Well, Joe, my good fellow, I want you to fill my third 
 officer s place, made vacant by the promotion of Mr. 
 Carter." He called for Sam, and said,. "I wish you to 
 accept the office of boatswain ; which he gladly ac 
 cepted. He then Called his men aft, and said he would 
 not discharge a single man that wished to remain by the 
 ship. Only two men wished to be discharged ; and their 
 places were readily filled by the three men they had taken 
 from the wrecked ship. He then told Mr. Boom he 
 wanted all the sails unbent, and such as needed repairing 
 to be taken between decks, and set the best of the men 
 at work under Mr. Mainstay. Mr. Windlass (who had 
 been Joe) and Sam (now Mr. Forestay) were to see to 
 refitting the ship s rigging, with such men as they needed. 
 The balance were employed in trimming the salt into the 
 hatchwa} r s, ready for discharging b}- the stevedore. Capt. 
 Shields gave orders to Mr. Boom in regard to ballast 
 when it was needed, and, after giving all necessary orders 
 said, " I shall be absent perhaps for ten days, and leave 
 you in sole charge, sir. Take good care of The Mary 
 Alice till my return." He then bade all his men good- 
 by, and went home to his father s. 
 
 Mr. L said, " I had wanted to invite all those 
 
 noble men to my house, and give them as sumptuous a 
 feast as I could." "Better time to do that, my dear 
 father, when we return." Alice wanted a maid. Capt. 
 Shields said, " You had better get a good country-girl." 
 "I guess 3 r ou are right, my dear Johnny." 
 
 The next morning Johnny and Alice and her babe, and 
 
 Mr. Ernest Shields and his dear Annie, and Mr. L , 
 
 took the train for B , where they arrived at noon. 
 
 After partaking of an excellent dinner, Mr. L said 
 
 he wished the landlord to provide a large, comfortable 
 carriage, with four good horses, to carry their whole party
 
 THE SHIP "MAEY ALICE." 87 
 
 to G ; and then said he should want them to bring 
 
 them to B , and he would write when to send for 
 
 them. They were soon under way towards G , arriv 
 ing there at four P.M., and there was a very warm greet 
 ing between them all. Then Alice said, "I now have 
 the unspeakable pleasure of introducing to Mr. Merritt 
 and his wife their own dear and double cousins, Mr. 
 Ernest Shields and his wife, my ever blissful Annie." 
 
 After a very warm greeting, Mrs. Merritt, familiarly 
 known as Mar} , Capt. Shields s only sister, said, " I 
 think this introduction to these new double cousins, as 
 sister Alice calls them, needs some little explanation ; 
 for I am sure my husband and myself are in the dark 
 about this matter." " Now, sister Mary, I want you to 
 stop and think before you answer the question I am about 
 to ask." " Ask on, dear Alice : I am all attention." 
 " Do you, or do you not, remember of hearing your dear 
 mother say any thing to you about your aunt Annie ? 
 Mary instantly said yes, said she was five years older 
 than she, was living somewhere in the northern part of 
 the State; "but, if she ever told me the name of the 
 town, I have forgotten it." "Now, this is her only 
 child and daughter. Her husband is your own father s 
 brother s son ; and their being married as they were in 
 London makes them your double cousins." "Yes ; but, 
 Alice dear, how does my cousin Annie get to London ? 
 
 " Why, she has been the whole voyage round with us." 
 
 " Well, that I can understand." And the very inquisi 
 tive Mary must be told the whole story before she could 
 be satisfied. 
 
 Mr. Merritt said, "Ladies and gentlemen, you must 
 excuse me. It is the evening for our regular prayer-meet 
 ing, and I am expecting to hear the bell every moment." 
 Alice said, " My dear brother, I shall not excuse you, 
 for I am going to that meeting myself, if I can find any 
 among these good sister-helpers of yours, my dear sister, 
 that will take care of Mary Alice." One young lady said 
 she would stop, and take care of her child ; but, if she 
 should awake, she might be afraid of a stranger. Alice 
 said, " She is a regular bred sailor, and fears no one : if 
 she can only find some one to play with her, she will be
 
 88 THE SHIP "MAKY ALICE." 
 
 satisfied." "Then," said the young lady, "I will 
 cheerfully volunteer my services." 
 
 The tolling bell soon called them all to the house of 
 prayer. After Mr. Merritt had offered a brief prayer, 
 thej- began singing " Rock of Ages ; " and when Alice 
 and Annie and Mr. Ernest Shields blended their voices 
 with them, they made the place ring as it had not for 
 some time before. After singing, Mr. Merritt read the 
 account of Jesus healing the sick of palsy. Capt. Shields 
 said, since he met with them some eighteen months since, 
 he had seen man}- sin-palsied souls forever cured of the 
 
 palsy of sin in its worst forms. Mr. L then arose, 
 
 and said he could bear testimony to the truth of Capt. 
 Shields s remarks ; for he had been an eye-witness to 
 such displays of Jesus love as he had never seen before. 
 Then Mr. Ernest Shields said he had never seen such 
 wonderful displaj s of Jesus power to save sinners as he 
 had seen on board the ship "Mary Alice." Annie then 
 said, " The Mary Alice I shall never forget : it was 
 from those rough tars, whom I shall ever love, that I 
 learned my first lesson of simple childlike love and trust 
 in Jesus." Alice then rose and said, "Dear brethren 
 and sisters, I little thought, when we were last here, that 
 in my whole life I should ever be permitted to see what I 
 have seen, and hear what I have heard, and feel and 
 enjoy what I have felt and enjo} ed ; and, if it were not 
 for prolonging your meeting beyond its ordinary limits, 
 I should like to tell you of some of the wonders of God s 
 power upon the ocean." She was about to sit down, when 
 a dozen voices all at once exclaimed, " Go on, dear sister : 
 we will stay till morning to hear you." She then said, 
 " I will briefly tell } r ou of one case." And she went on 
 to describe the ignorance of the man, and then his wick 
 edness, according to his own statement ; how she and 
 her sister Shields had agreed to pray all night for him 
 if he would pray, and of his sending them word at mid 
 night that the work was done. And then Annie and 
 Alice struck up and sung the song he had composed and 
 sung that night he was converted. When she had fin 
 ished, many of them were bathed in tears : they wished 
 to obtain a copy of that sweet song. They then all rose, 
 and sung the Doxology, and were dismissed.
 
 THE SHIP " MARY ALICE." 89 
 
 After they had got home, Mary said, "Dear Alice, 
 why did you stop ? You acted all the time as though you 
 must hurry, and abbreviate .your narrative. Now, those 
 men and women meant what they said, when they said 
 they would stay till morning ; and I am sure I could. 
 Oh ! it was so interesting, and so well calculated to en 
 courage and strengthen the faith of all of God s people ! 
 But I will try to be grateful for what I did get, and shall 
 expect more from you next time." "Well, my own 
 sweet sister Mary," said Alice, " the next opportunit}* I 
 have, I will try to make you twice glad." After having 
 their evening devotions, they all retired for the night. 
 The next morning after breakfast, they first visited the 
 cemetery, and stood beside the graves of their parents. 
 Capt. Shields, leaning over the stone at his mother s 
 grave, said, " I must give utterance to my overloaded 
 heart." And he spake amid his tears, " My prayers will 
 be answered: God will save you, my dear boy. These 
 were the dying-words of my now sainted mother. They 
 have been answered in my own salvation. But look, and 
 measure the effects of those prayers upon other hearts, 
 and their influence again over the minds of others ; and 
 that influence will never cease until the last sinner is 
 saved:" He then knelt between the two graves, and 
 poured out his full soul for God to guide, to teach, to 
 lead, and control him in all his future history. 
 
 The} then visited together their old home where they 
 were born, the room where his mother died, the black 
 smith s shop where his dear father once toiled to earn 
 bread for his family. As he, with his wife on his arm, 
 looked at all these things, he said, " Every thing of my 
 past history is a living present to-day. All my boyish 
 freaks with my precious sister even the sounding of 
 the horn from that attic-window you see yonder, the fatal 
 pitchfork, and my cowardly running away and leaving 
 that loving sister alone and unprotected, if I could, in 
 my selfishness save myself meet me here to-day." 
 "Why, Johnny, I think you never told me the reasons 
 why j T ou left the country for a sea-life." " Neither did 
 I think it necessary, my dear Alice, to tell you all the 
 evil things which I have done : it would be a much larger
 
 90 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE. 
 
 volume of my history than I should care to have you read 
 just now, Alice dear." 
 
 The next day was the holy sabbath, which was both 
 clear and cold ; and Mr. Merritt said, after their morning 
 devotions, "I have always made it my practice to en 
 deavor to present truth in the quality and quantity which 
 I thought best calculated to promote my people s spiritu 
 ality. You all saw the deep interest with which they 
 listened to our dear sister Alice and cousin Annie at our 
 last prayer-meeting. I propose, therefore, with your 
 consent, that you agree among yourselves the part each 
 shall take in telling us, in your own way, the most inter 
 esting portion of your late voyage. I shall preach this 
 morning, and, with your consent, will tell my people of 
 the afternoon programme." 
 
 They all agreed to brother Merritt s proposal ; and Alice 
 then said, " I would give a hundred dollars if Mr. Main 
 stay was here this morning." Her father said, " I would 
 give five hundred ; for I believe he would do more good 
 than all of us put together." " The bell is ringing, and 
 we must soon be on our way to meeting," said Mr. Mer 
 ritt, "for I like to be prompt as to time." Mr. L 
 
 said that little could be accomplished in this world with 
 out system ; and they left the parsonage for the house of 
 worship. As this group of visitors entered the church, 
 led by their pastor, the whole congregation arose, and re 
 mained standing till all had been seated. The choir then 
 sung a hymn of welcome, and all was silent. Mr. Merritt 
 offered an invocation, returning thanks for past blessings, 
 and earnestly imploring present aid. After singing, Mr. 
 Merritt read the fifth chapter of second Corinthians, and 
 then poured out his full soul in such a trusting and yet 
 importuning prayer, that all were melted and subdued. 
 After singing again, he announced the first verse of the 
 chapter he had read as his text : " For we know, if this 
 earthly house of our tabernacle were dissolved, we have a 
 building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal 
 in the heavens." He first described the beauty, strength, 
 and utility of our bodies ; but, as they were material, they 
 would be dissolved by death; secondly, he _ showed the 
 vast importance of securing the knowledge in the text.
 
 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 91 
 
 He then said God had made the provision so ample, that 
 none need to die without an assurance of that knowledge, 
 and urged all to seek it then and there. Dela}-s were 
 dangerous, time short, and life uncertain ; and what was 
 done to secure a preparation must be done quickly. 
 
 Mr. Merritt then said, "We have several old, tried 
 friends with us to-day, who this afternoon will give us some 
 reminiscences of their late voyage around the globe." In 
 the afternoon the house was well filled ; and Alice handed 
 Mr. Merritt quite a package, saying, "Please hand it to 
 the chorister." She had, on the voyage, adapted the music 
 to the words of Bill s hymn ; and she and Annie had sung 
 it at the prayer-meeting, and she had prepared these copies 
 agreeably to their request. The meeting opened with a 
 voluntary on the part of the choir ; and a fervent prayer 
 
 was then offered by Mr. L . Mr. Merritt then read 
 
 the hundred and seventh psalm, or that portion relating 
 to seamen, found from the twent}--third to thirty-second 
 verses. 
 
 Capt. Shields then arose, and in a brief manner related 
 
 the most interesting events which occurred from B to 
 
 San Francisco. Then Annie arose, and related with 
 great precision the events from San Francisco to Mel 
 bourne, involving Alice s, confinement, and the mutiny 
 and how it was quelled, and the number of souls con 
 verted ; and, before she completed her recital, all wept 
 like children. After singing a hymn, Alice arose, and 
 said, " From Melbourne to London, nothing unusual oc 
 curred, except the conversion of several of our men. In 
 London our dear cousin who last spoke to you was mar 
 ried ; and in a few days we sailed for St. Ubes, and from 
 
 that place to B . On our passage to B , one day 
 
 we espied a vessel ; and, as we drew nearer, we saw she 
 was a wreck. Two of her masts were gone ; and we sent 
 our boat to her, although there was a heavy sea running. 
 And three men, by our dear, daring, and self-sacrificing 
 men, were taken from the foretop of that floating wreck, 
 brought on board of our ship, restored to consciousness 
 
 and health ; and, better than all, before we reached B 
 
 all three of those men were regenerated by the Spirit s 
 power, and made to rejoice in a Savior s forgiving love."
 
 92 THE SHIP "MAKY ALICE." 
 
 After Alice had sat down, an aged man arose, and said, 
 "Dear brethren, how this daring bravery of risking 
 their own lives to seek and save others is like the love of 
 Jesus dying for us ! and how it puts to blush our in 
 difference in behalf of our wives, children, and friends ! 
 I feel to-day, from what I have heard, like hiding my face 
 in the dust before God, to implore him to forgive my sins, 
 and constrain me to do my duty better in the future." 
 Several others spoke ; and then Bill s favorite hymn was 
 sung, which, with the aid of the organ, moved every heart. 
 That evening the} 7 had a very interesting meeting. 
 
 The next morning, having exchanged several letters 
 
 with the Rev. Mr. B of D , Mr. Shields said it 
 
 was really necessaiy for him and his wife to leave them, 
 to attend to his wife s business. The leave-taking was 
 tender and tearful. It was very hard for Alice to part 
 with Annie. She seemed to her as an own sister. They 
 had loved each other with all the warmth of sisterly 
 affection. 
 
 After Annie and her husband had left, Capt. Shields 
 
 said they would have to return to B on the morrow ; 
 
 that his business was such, that it could not be longer 
 neglected. Alice had employed as her maid Miss Susan 
 Hall, the young lady that took care of her child the even 
 ing she attended the prayer-meeting. Alice s sister Mary 
 had a little daughter, which she had named Alice Bliss 
 Merritt ; and there was only one week s difference in the 
 ages of Alice s and Mary s children. The next morning, 
 after breakfast, at their morning devotions fervent prayers 
 were laid upon God s altar for his blessing upon each one 
 present, and for Annie and her husband ; and the leave- 
 taking was not only solemn, but it was touching and 
 tender. Capt. Shields, embracing his dear sister, said, 
 " Dear Mary, there will be a last time that we shall meet. 
 As we do not know when it will come, and as this may 
 be the last time we may ever see each other, I now pre 
 sent to you, my only dear sister, this memento of your 
 only brother John and sister Alice." The memento was 
 a large, beautiful gold locket, with a perfect likeness of 
 himself and wife. He then gave her another, with the 
 picture of his father Mr. L , and their darling Mary
 
 THE SHIP "MARY ALICE." 93 
 
 Alice. Mary said she had no words to express her grati 
 tude for the two lockets, and hoped she should be able 
 some day to repay them for these tokens of esteem and 
 affection. The carriage had arrived ; and Capt. Shields 
 
 and wife, and Mr. L , and Susan with Mary Alice, 
 
 entered the carriage. The final good-by was spoken ; 
 
 and they started on their way to B , where they took 
 
 the train for their city home, where they arrived about 
 noon. Capt. Shields immediately repaired to his ship ; 
 and Mr. Boom gave him a warm reception, as did all his 
 men. Mr. Boom reported all he had done, the cargo 
 had been discharged, every sail put in first-rate repair, be 
 sides making one new topsail, and the ship s rigging was 
 read}" for another year s wear. Capt. Shields expressed 
 his entire satisfaction with all that had been done during 
 his absence. A few days after, Capt. Shields had a 
 freight offered him to the Isle of France, or Mauritius, 
 
 and from there to Manilla, and back to B . In a 
 
 few days he had accepted their proposals, and filled the 
 ship s lower hold with all kinds of lumber and timber for 
 building-purposes ; and between decks was filled with all 
 kinds of ship s spars of different sizes. In a few more 
 days " The Mary Alice " was ready for sea. Three new 
 men were shipped to fill up the complement. Capt. 
 Shields and his wife, with Susan and Mary Alice, jun., 
 
 with Mr. L , came on board ; and Dr. A said it 
 
 would cost no more for him to board on the ship than in 
 
 the city. Capt. Shields said, " Dr. A , if you will go 
 
 with me on this voyage, it shall not cost you a cent. My 
 
 father, I know, will assent to this proposal." Mr. L 
 
 said, "I shall certainly consent to any thing the captain 
 proposes to do." 
 
 Dr. A and his wife, with their baggage, were soon 
 
 on board; and the noble "Mary Alice" glided out of 
 the harbor, bound for Mauritius. We now leave her, 
 
 with our best wishes for her safe return to B after 
 
 she has visited her ports of destination. She sailed 
 March 1, 1856. 
 
 It is the author s earnest wish, that all who read this 
 narrative ma}* be impressed with the power and influence 
 which the principles illustrated in this narrative are so
 
 94 THE SHIP "MAEY ALICE." 
 
 well calculated to produce. In the captain of " The Mary 
 Alice " we see a bold, daring bravery ; a man of wisdom 
 and decision, equal to the emergency, and all tempered 
 and controlled by a never-flagging love to God and men, 
 that is rarely found, and seldom equalled, and yet is 
 attainable by all. And my only desire is, that every 
 reader of this brief narrative may, through its influence, 
 kindle its soul-saving fire of divine love upon their hearts 
 in such a degree as shall make them all as fruitful as the 
 subjects of this brief work. Consistent, active, daily, 
 practical, self-denying Christians, like the captain of 
 " The Mary Alice," make the world better because they 
 have lived in it. 
 
 I now record, in conclusion, the hymn composed and 
 
 sung at their wedding in B , in June, 1854, which I 
 
 noted at the time of their marriage : 
 
 At the bridal altar now 
 We together pledge our vow; 
 Record our united love 
 In thy register above. 
 
 Here we pledge our hearts and hands, 
 To be joined in life-long bands ; 
 And we here accept to-day 
 Bonds that bind eternally. 
 
 I sought her ; she is my bride ; 
 In her love I now confide : 
 Now she is forever mine, 
 I to her my heart resign. 
 
 His proposal I receive : 
 I am his, I now believe. 
 He is mine, I ask no more, 
 Mine now and forevermore. 
 
 May their lives unspotted be, 
 Jesus having set them free ! 
 Their example ever shine, 
 Show religion is divine. 
 
 Lord, now ratify their vow 
 Which they make before thee now : 
 Save from sin and every snare, 
 Let them both thy glory share ! 
 
 T. ATWOOD.
 
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