a short time after the death of henry, as john was walking along the wharf, he saw a ragged boy, apparently twelve years of age, leaning idly on a pile of boards. he was thin, and looked sad. john remembered his own feelings when he was left a fatherless boy, and he felt his heart drawn to him. going to him, he asked if he had no work to do.
‘no,’ replied the lad, ‘i wish i had; i would do anything.’
‘what does your father do for a living?’ john asked.
‘i have no father nor mother,’ said the lad; ‘i just stay wherever people will let me.’
‘would you like to work for me on board the schooner yonder?’
[38]his face glowed with pleasure, and he exclaimed, ‘wouldn’t i!’
‘what is your name?’
‘harry, sir.’
this settled the matter in john’s mind. ‘i will take him,’ he thought, ‘in dear henry’s place; and, if he be worthy, will be a brother to him, and mother will teach him to love god.’
the bargain was soon made, for the poor orphan had no one to care where he went; so, carrying his little bundle on his arm, he followed his new friend to the schooner, with a heart as light as a feather. he was a smart boy, and soon became useful. john took much pains to teach him to read and to instruct him in religion; for harry did not know any more of god, or the blessed saviour, than do the poor heathen who have never heard his name. mrs leddam[39] made him clothes, and treated him with the affection of a mother. all this kindness was so new and precious to harry, who had been only used to hard words and cross looks, that his young heart opened to receive it with gratitude and joy, just as you may have seen a flower, almost withered by the drought, revive beneath a gentle shower, and send out fresh sweetness again. in the course of a few months no one would have known the happy looking harry to be the ragged and sickly boy that john had met on the wharf. harry had an irish heart, and he repaid john’s kindness with warm affection. he was afraid of antonio’s black eyes at first, but he soon learned to love the kind spaniard. thus they were a happy little party on board the ‘sally,’ because they all loved god and each other.
it was a fine day in june that john[40] went with antonio and harry to visit his brother’s grave. his mother wished to go with them, but john persuaded her not to do so, fearing that it would renew her sorrow. they found the place without difficulty. the oak trees were green and beautiful, and the mound of earth where henry lay was already covered with rich verdure, and adorned with wild violets, white and blue, lifting their modest heads among the tall grass. the water rippled softly near the churchyard, and all looked so calm and lovely, that john could scarcely believe that this was the very spot where he had struggled so hard for life, and where, amid the roaring of the waters, poor henry had sunk in death.
he could not help shedding tears as he stood by the grave; but when he remembered what the bible says, he was comforted, and said, ‘henry will rise again.’
[41]‘will he?’ said harry, who was standing by his side.
‘yes, the word of god says that we shall all rise from our graves at the last day;’ then, taking from his pocket his bible, they seated themselves beneath a tree, while john read 1 cor. xv. 52: ‘for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.’ then he turned to the first epistle to the thessalonians: ‘for the lord himself shall descend from heaven, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of god; and the dead in christ shall rise first.’
harry listened with attention till john ceased reading, then he asked him, ‘did that little boy love god?’
‘yes, he prayed to god every day, and was so mild and humble, that we all thought him a child of jesus. oh! what[42] a comfort it is when we look at his grave, to think that he will rise from it a glorious body, like our saviour’s; for the bible tells us that “he shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body.”’
kneeling by the grave, they prayed that they might be faithful servants of christ, and rest in peace at last. then, unmooring their little vessel, they unfurled the sails, the breeze wafting them swiftly to the town.
when they knelt in family worship that night, john and his mother wept as they thought of the dear one who was sleeping in the lonely churchyard; but they did not weep as those who had no hope. as for harry, he prayed earnestly that god would give him a new heart, that he might be his child; and he thanked his heavenly father for placing him with kind and good people.
