CHRISTMAS REMINISCENCES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 305, 24 December 1891, Page 4 (Supplement)

CHRISTMAS REMINISCENCES.

(Br T. De W t itt Talmage,)

A Story of Christmas Day,

J. never like a Christmas season to pass without telling to some one a thrilling inc ident which happened ao my house jusb eight years ago this coining Christmas. Perhaps I have told it to you, but I think not. We had just distributed the family presents Christinas morning when I heard a great cry of distress in the hallway. A child from a neighbour's house came in to say her father was dead. It was only three doors off, and, I think, in two minutes we were there. There lay the old Christian sea captain, his face upturned toward the window, as though he had suddenly seen the headlands, and with an illuminated countenance as though he were just going into harbour. The fact was he had already got through the 'Narrows. 5 In the adjoining room were the Christmas presents waiting for his distribution. Long ago, one night when he had narrowly escaped with his ship from being run down by a great ocean steamer, he had made hi 3 peace with God, and a kinder neighbour than Captain Pendleton you would not find this side of heaven. This Faith op a Christian Sailor. .He had often talked to me of the good' ness of God, and especially of a time when he was about to go into l>l ew York harbour with his ship from Liverpool, and he was suddenly impressed that he ought to put back to sea. Under the protest of the crew and under their very threat he put back to eea, fearing at the same time he was losing his mind, for it did seem so unreasonable that when they could got into harbour that night they should put back to sea. ■ But they put back to sea, and Captain Pendleton said to his mate, ' You call me at ten o'clock at night.' At twelve o'clock at night the captain was aroused and said : 'What does this mean ? I thought I told you to call me at ten o'clock, and here it is twelve.' ' Why,' said the mate, ' I did call you at ten o'clock, and you got up, looked around and told me to keep risjht on this same course for two hours, and then call you at twelve o'clock.' Said the captain, 'Is it possible ? I have no remembrance of that.' Ab twelve o'clock the captain went on deck, and through the rift of the cloud the moonlight fell upon the sea and showed him a shipwreck with one hundred struggling passengers. He helped them off. Had he been any earlier or any later at that point of the sea,he would have been of no service to those drowning people. On board the captain' 3 vessel, they began to band together as to what they should pay for the rescue, and what they should pay for the provisions. ' Ah," says the captain, ' my lads, you can't pay me anything ; all T have on board is yours ; I feel too greatly honoured of God in having saved you to take any pay. . Just like him. What Grander Christmas Gift ? Oh, that the old sea captain's God might be my God and yours. Amid the stormy seas of this life may we have always some one as tenderly to take care of us as the captain took care of the drowning crew and the passengers. And may welcome into tho harbour with as littlo- physical pain and with as bright a hope as.he had : and if it should happen to be a Christmas morn in w, when the presents are being distributed and we are celebrating the birth of Him who came to save our shipwrecked world, all the better, fur what grander, brighter Christmas-present could we have than Heaven ?