BOY SETS WHOLE FLEET SINGING.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIX, Issue 9658, 15 July 1919, Page 5

BOY SETS WHOLE FLEET SINGING.

(By Sydney Watson, iv ,tho "'Christian Herald.")

One evening, near Coj-biij vrizh. the East India,fleet, when it soemed too sultry for anyone to care to raove, and aii were tired out, a little lad on the* vessel's forecast!© began- to sing, "1 IHiink When I Read That Bweot Story of Old." . , ' Clear and strong;: sweei end'pure'as ' the blackbird's note iv the spring, the boy's voice rang out, growing stronger and stronger as ho felt tho inspiration of old association-s with tie beautiful old hymn, and doubtless helped by the many voices which joined faia as . hesang. By tho time the eecon-cl verse was reached, all our ship 1 a company were singing in full voice and harmony. • Our officers crowded forward, while above the bulwarks of every ship the men showed up, all 1 evidently in a state of intense listening excite.ment. '

When the last note o.v the last line of the last verse had be^a Birag, there was a"brief silence; then the hillsides rolled back their wondrous echo:

'Shall crowd to His arrr.s and be blest." ' ■

Then ship after; ship, joined in singing the old familiar hyiim, fifteen to sixteen hundred voices,- until, every ship had had its turn esbapt the Admiral's. The sun was .-sinking fast, and"- we were wondering if the Admiral's ship would take' a, part, when suddenly a mighty burst of sas&y voices, evidently carefully .<smarted and led, "came from the flagship, and' the- still •. evening air fairly trembled-, ."with the opening line of the To TSeram Lan-. damus: "We Praise Thee, 0 God; We Acknowledge Thee to Be The Lord."

Could there be found & better ex- . ample of what, a boy may do-,for his Master? He did not sing expecting to set the of that wonderful service on the sea., but simply out of the fullness of his .heart. It v?au God- who sent his words home to the hearts '<*' ■ all. . " 7*