Had they been called up but one week since, where
would have been those who have now been, as it were, intrusted to my
weak help? The father, the mother, the children, the infant at the
breast, and I, the gray-headed old man, - all buried fathoms deep,
awaiting our summons; but they were restrained by his will, and by his
will we were saved. Will those timbers which bore us here so
miraculously hold together till morning? I should think not. What are
the iron bolts and fastenings of weak man, compared with the force of
God's elements: they will snap as yarns; and by to-morrow's dawn, the
fragments of the stout ship will be washing and tossing on the wild
surf. Well, it will be a kindness to us, for the waters will perform
the labour which we could not; they will break up the timbers for our
use, and throw on shore from the hold those articles which we could not
reach with our little strength."
A sharp flash of lightning struck upon the old man's eyes, and
obstructed his vision for the moment. "The storm will soon be at its
height," thought he; "I will watch the tents, and see how they stand up
against its force." Then the rain came pattering down, and the wind
howled louder than before.
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