The Christmas Ship

Taranaki Daily News, 17 December 1926, Page 7 (Supplement)

The Christmas Ship

ißells from the Deep.

It was Christmas Eve, and the good ship Hope was far from land, but the spirit of Christmas was aboard all the same. Lights gleamed from every deck, music floated out over the rolling sea, and from the ballroom came the sound of laughter and merry song. The children were having a party. Joy and her brother, Christopher, were dancing together when the captain came in, and held up his hand as a sign that he had something to say. “A happy Christmas to all the young people!” he cried. “And if the Christmas ship passes in the night I should not be surprised if she left something behind her! But she’s a queer old hulk —one never knows where she’s sailing. Still, she’s got to get rid of her cargo somehow, and we’ve as good a chance of meeting her as any ship on the seven seas. So fill your glasses and we’ll drink a health to absent friends, and may the Christmas ship pass by.” A quiver of excitement ran through every boy and girl. They looked at one another with little quick, questioning glances; then most of them looked at Christopher. Some day Christopher would be a sailor, so perhaps he knew what the captain meant. Then the iced lemonade with cherries in it was handed round, and healths were drunk with hearty cheers. The captain was moving towards the deck when Christopher took his courage in both hands and spoke. “Excuse me, sir,” he said, “but what is the Christmas ship?” The captain looked round in amazement. “You don’t mean to say that you have never heard of the Christmas ship?” he asked.

They all shook their heads, and stood quite still, hardly daring to breathe. Indeed, there was not a sound to be heard save the gentle wash of the waves against the mighty sides of the good ship Hope. “Listen!” said the captain. “Many, many years ago a ship set sail for a distant land, heavily laden. with rich and rare treasure. All went well until Christmas Eve, when the sailors made merry and forgot to watch. Under cover of night an enemy came sweeping through the sea like a shark gliding towards his prey, and a pirate ship crept alongside the treasure ship, threw out hawsers, and grappled her before she could resist. On board swarmed the pirates, up rushed the sailors from their feasting, and a terrible fight ensued. . “Then, so the story says, an amazing thing occurred. Bells from under the sea rang out long and merrily, and both sailors and pirates stopped fighting to listen. Never before had they heard such bells. They were pealing forth, songs of joy, and the waves were dancing in response. It was C!hri>tmas Day. “The sailors of the treasure ship felt ashamed because they had forgotten to watch, and the pirates were ashamed of their misdeeds, but alas! the treasure ship was sinking, and the pirate ship had drifted away alone. But still the bells under the sea rang merrily, as if all the old sunken boats were rejoicing, and the captain, of the treasure ship gave orders to throw out the cargo to lighten the vessel. Pirates and sailors worked hard together, down went the treasure, and the ship was saved.

| ’'-out some ea.-.mm spe.i Lad been cast upon that ship. Never again could she touch land; she was for ever doomed to roam the sea. They say that the sailors and pirates live happily together on board, and, to occupy their days, they drag the seas for treasure, which they are obliged to throw out on Christina# Day to prevent the ship from sinking. Now we call her the Christmas ship, and if we meet her we shall be lucky.” “Oh, have you ever seen her!” breathed Joy. “No,” replied the captain. “Once I heard her bells ringing in the distance, but by the time I was on deck she had vanished. But some old sailors have seen her. They tell me she is silver, like the moon, on her back floating on the horizon. Good-night, children. A jhappy Christmas!” j When Joy went down to her cabin that night she peeped out of her porthole, and, to her surprise, she saw a great many more heads peeping out of portholes. Even Christopher was looking, but he did not see Joy, because be was gazing through a pair of field glasses. “We’re looking at the stars” cried a i voice. j “I'm looking at the moon!" laughed goy. Then she got into bed, but she could not sleep. The grown-ups were having e dance now, and she could hear th< music. After a while she heard Chris topher snoring in the adjoining cabin so she determined to sleep as well, and ! soon her eves closed.

Suddenly she was awakened! Bells were ringing! Trembling, Joy sprang up and looked out of the porthole. From all over the sea came peals of bolls; the water was luminous, as if it were lighted from underneath; she saw great fish and other creatures of the deep leaping with joy; she saw old sunken ships sailing below the waves, witli flags flying bravely. “Throw out the cargo! ’Tis Christmas Day!” Not knowing where the order came from, Joy looked up. Bearing down upon the good ship Hope she saw a great silver galleon, polished till it shone like the moon. On her decks were men with happy, smiling faces; some wore red handkerchiefs round their heads, others had pigtails and three-cornered hats. The galleon came so close, that Joy could have touched its silver sides, and she saw priceless pearls, and ingots of gold go sliding down into the water. Then a young sailor, with merry blue eyes, heaved a great package across to the good ship Hope. With a thud the package fell upon the deck, and Joy rushed out of the cabin. “The Christmas ship!” she cried. All the children raced on deck, but there was no silver galleon to be seen. Of course, they said that Joy had dreamt it, but she was quite sure that she had seen the Christinas ship and heard the bells ringing. “And why not?” cried the captain. “Anyway, there’s a big package on the deck, and, as it’s already Christinas Day, we’ll open it now. Come! I'll distribute the cargo of the Christmas ship!” —Mabel L. Tvircll.