ELIZABETH, when shown to her cabin, could not help exclaiming aloud, “This is beautiful. She had known what comforts and refinement mean, still in comparison to what she had left only a few moments before, all seemed truly delightful. She was given one of the largest cabins, with more berths than she required. She had been given an easy chair before starting, but this article had been of no use to her whatever, having no room in the steerage to put it. The steward soon fixed this article at the end of the saloon, and when Elizabeth reclined in it she thought she had indeed found a haven of rest. She soon gained strength. Each meal was served so nicely, and so many things to tempt the invalid, that her pale, wan look soon passed away. All were kind and considerate. The little fatherless girl soon gained friends. At each port passengers would go ashore, and return heavily laden with the produce of the place, and Emmie was never forgotten—bananas, oranges, grapes, sweets, &c., were amply supplied her. The mother and child could not go ashore. No funds, and want of strength kept Elizabeth in the vessel.
One day, in the tropics, with the sun immediately overhead, and all the portholes closed while the vessel was coaling, all the passengers went on shore, but Elizabeth and her child had to remain; but never did she value a sea breeze as she did that night, when the ship was out again on the ocean wave. The evenings were whiled away by the passengers, either by card-playing or singing. Elizabeth noticed that the card-players were often the most earnest in joining in the singing of the hymn, "For those in peril on the sea." Their card-playing, however much they tried, could never make them forget that they were on the mighty deep.
The first Sunday in the saloon, Elizabeth was asked to join in the singing, and she played the organ, too. And as she sat at the instrument she could not help contrasting that evening with the previous one, when, instead of being seated at the organ with an air of refinement surrounding her, she was seated on a wooden bench with no support, and the dim lantern making the apartment more sombre still. Such is life, full of changes, one day up, another the reverse. She was truly thankful for the change; but the ludicrous contrast of the situation gave her a feeling of amusement.
She was brought other comforts besides the ship's allowance, and was told that a friend of her husband, unknown to her, had come on board before she arrived, and given a carte blanche for all she needed for her comfort. Who this friend was Elizabeth had no idea; but it seemed that whichever way she turned her Father's care was manifested.
Those comforts had not been given her the first week, as she was only allowed as a favor to go on board a week before the ship started from the island, because she should be saved the trouble of changing from a coasting steamer in order to meet the vessel, so the regular order was not established at first. Such a change from that which was so hard to bear to luxury in comparison enchanted the little fatherless one. They had a splendid passage, such an one as the vessel had never experienced.
Elizabeth often watched the rippling waves by moonlight, so calm was the water; and when her darling child was sleeping the sweet sleep of childhood, the mother's thoughts would often fly back to the land of her adoption, of its being the land where her dear husband lay; but then again would come those comforting words, “He is not here, but risen;" and then her thoughts would fly upwards to that serener clime, where sorrow can never enter, where again we shall meet our loved ones; and then her thoughts would fly back to her little one, with heartfelt gratitude to our Father and God for prolonging her life to train the precious legacy for Him.
May He give her grace to do so, till her course has run, and she is welcomed by her Savior God far up the heights of glory, which will make amends for all the sorrow of many a weary pilgrim.
“In the Christian's home in glory
There remains a land of rest.”
After toil how sweet the rest that none but His loved ones know.
Every person was dreading the passage round Cape Horn; the previous one was terrific. However, one morning about 11 a.m. the vessel steered her course round this dangerous point, but all was so calm, a waveless sea, the waters as blue and as peaceful as the sky above. Before this point was reached, the ship steered through the icebergs; but the glorious moon shed her silver sheen on to these magnificent piles that afforded such a sight difficult to describe. One immense iceberg was like the ruins of a Grecian temple, such a sight with the spangled heavens above, looking down on the calm waves beneath, bearing up this temple of ice, lit up by the moon in all her glorious beauty.
To an observer all told of the mighty wonders of the deep, and lifted the heart in adoration to that mighty Creator, who once walked on the dark sea waves of Galilee, and in accents sweet said, "It is I, be not afraid." On the vessel sped, till after passing the barren coast of some parts of Western Africa, she sighted the grand peak of Teneriffe one lovely morning, when the clouds, just for one short five minutes exposed this mighty pile to the eager passengers. Soon after she steered into the lovely harbor of Santa Cruz. It was a glorious afternoon when that lovely spot was first seen by the passengers. Such an earthly Eden it seemed, perhaps more so than it really was (beautiful as it is) to the weary voyagers, who had been tossed on the mighty deep for five long weeks.
The vessel anchored in this harbor for some hours. All looked eagerly out to see if there were any fresh passengers. As little Emmie stood on the deck, a general of the army walked the whole length of the deck to give her fruit. His hoary head, and the hard lines of his face, told that he had fought many a battle, but underneath was a kindly heart that could come down to the little fatherless one to make her happy. This good man had not only fought this world's battles, but he was a soldier evidently in that army of which Jesus is the Captain. One Sunday evening, when passengers were crowded round the organ, he walked boldly forward and asked for that hymn to be sung, "As the hart panteth," &c. His whole expression showed how he felt the words. This hymn was often afterward sung, and called General S.'s hymn.
In a few hours the vessel again was out on the ocean wave, and as Elizabeth was reclining in her chair she saw a gentleman and a lady enter the saloon. Their whole bearing and appearance showed them to be so. All were eagerly trying to gain their patronage, which our Jewish passenger shunned. Jewish blood, try how she would to stifle her feelings, would mount up unforbidden, so she sat quietly in her chair and looked on. At last the lady went to the piano and played and sang with a sweet treble voice that simple melody, "I've sighted the golden gate." Elizabeth felt by the feeling with which she poured forth the strains of the simple melody that the golden city of God was the goal unto which she was hastening. Then she sang that beautiful hymn, "Forever with the Lord.”
Elizabeth could no longer forbear joining with her, and her alto accompaniment was very much valued by this stranger. But she was not such long. She thanked Elizabeth heartily for the part she had taken, and thus a friendship sprang up that very much sweetened the few last hours of the voyage. She showed great kindness to Emmie, played with her, and amused her in many ways. Her own little girl of six she was eagerly looking forward to meet, and the little fatherless one reminded her so of her. In course of conversation Elizabeth was led to tell her of her kind-hearted friend of the Pacific Isle, who had been the means of the comforts she was then enjoying, when to her surprise, this lady said, "His sister is married to my brother," and thus Elizabeth was shown kindness by two members of the same family when 11,000 miles apart from each other. Surely this was of God. Elizabeth gave her some of her writings to read, and when she bade farewell she said, "Will you write to me, I feel I know you so well by what you have written, which I have read with much interest.”
At last the Bay of Biscay came in sight, and on the vessel sped over its waves, so unexpectedly calm, and soon the dear old Cornish hills came in view. All the passengers were on deck, and gave a unanimous verdict, that go where one will, no land looked like England. The heart of the Englishman beats true to his country, and often is he heard to say:
“England, with all thy faults,
I love thee still.”
Emmie looked up innocently into her mother's face, and said, "Is this Grandma's land?" Elizabeth stayed her answer, for she did not know if ever she should see that loved parent on earth again. She did not know whether or not her feet were roaming the plains of Immanuel's land.