A GENTLEMAN who journeyed on the English barge “Heathfield” passing through a fearful storm relates:
“We left Shanghai on Sept. 1. About noon on the fourth day there were indications of an approaching storm. He who is familiar with that part of the world knows of the dreadful storms they are having there every fall called typhoon, in one of which the German warship “Iltis” had been sunk. Toward evening the sky became like copper, leaving the sailors no longer in doubt what conflict with the elements was awaiting them. “Scarce had the ship been gotten ready for the storm when it broke in upon them, tossing the ship from side to side, stripping it of all its boats and everything which was loose. Through the violent tossing the ballast got loose in the hold, grinding up the inside of the ship. The crew, which was immediately called down, found it was a hopeless undertaking to bring order into the chaos, and had to abandon their task. All hope was now gone of saving the ship.
The captain, Mr. Mackenzie, who had one of his children with him on board ship, was an old experienced mariner, who had braved many a storm; but as he looked at this storm, saw the ship tossed, and looked into the waters churned into a foam, he thought: “Soon will you, with your daughter in your arms, be swallowed up in this awful flood, and no one will know anything of us.”
The child seemed to know her father’s thoughts and said: “Wait, papa, till I pray.”
How poor and helpless one feels to be on this raging sea; how great and mighty is the loving Saviour who commanded the storm on the sea of Galilee “Peace be still,” and who saved Paul, with all on board, from a watery grave.
The child kneeled down before us all and prayed so simply and yet so full of confidence, that we were all convinced this prayer went up through all this storm before the throne of God, by Him to be heard and by Him to be answered.
Through God’s mercy the storm abated, and we were brought into the desired haven. But we all believed that God heard and answered the prayer of Jessie. the little daughter of the captain.
ML 03/07/1909