‘thou shalt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee.’
the joyful day arrived at last when our friend john was rewarded for his industry and honesty. he was the owner and commander of the ‘sally.’ captain sam was so gratified that he gave a great[53] dinner on the occasion. but there was no one more pleased with john’s fair prospects than his friend antonio. he gave thanks aloud in the fulness of his heart, clasped john in his arms, hugged harry, and at last fairly cried for joy. the old sailor did not, however, long enjoy the pleasure of working under his young captain. being exposed to a heavy rain, he took a severe cold, which settled on his lungs; and when spring came, with its sweet breezes and warm sun, antonio was not able to enjoy them.
john brought him home, where his mother and sisters nursed him tenderly through his long illness, and he devoted to him all the time he could spare from his business; for it revived the sick man’s spirits to see john’s face.
many an hour through the summer did the young man pass by the bedside of the[54] suffering christian, reading to him the precious promises of god, and uniting with him in praise and prayer.
‘it was you,’ said antonio, ‘that showed me the way to jesus. oh! that reading of the bible—it was my salvation!’
when the leaves began to fall before the winds of autumn, the old sailor was called home to rest. in his last moments he clasped the hand of john, and employed his dying breath in blessing his ‘own boy,’ as he had always called his young friend.
john followed antonio to the grave with sincere grief. he erected a stone to his memory. it had only his name ‘antonio’ engraven on it, but that was sufficient for john’s heart; and there was no one else to care for the poor sailor who rested in that humble grave. but precious in the sight of the lord is the death of his saints. however humble may be[55] the christian’s lot on earth, or obscure his last resting-place, he has a happy home in heaven. a few moments in that blessed world will make us forget all the sorrows of a long life of trouble.
john, or captain john as he is now called, still sails in the ‘sally,’ and has as much work as he can do. he has bought a comfortable house in a pleasant suburb, where he has settled his mother and sisters. it is painted white, and the porch is shaded with sweet roses. it looks like a cottage of content, and it is so indeed. mrs leddam and john do not forget their dear henry, nor their old friend antonio, but they hope to meet them at last; and while they enjoy their quiet home, they often unite their hearts and voices in thanking that merciful god who had thus kindly guided and blessed the poor fatherless boy.
