II.

He then made him sit down under it on the deck. All around him were the passengers and sailors of the watch, and in front of him stood the inexorable mate, with his chronometer in his hand, and the other officers of the ship by his side. It was the finest sight, said our informant[1], that he ever beheld—to see the pale, proud, sorrowful face of that noble boy, his head erect, his beautiful eyes bright through the tears that suffused them. When eight minutes had fled[2], the mate told him he had but two minutes to live, and advised him to speak the truth and save his life; but he replied with the utmost simplicity and sincerity by asking (S. 111, N. 6) the mate if he might pray. The mate said nothing, but nodded his head, turned as pale as a ghost[3], and shook _with trembling_ like a reed with[4] the wind. And there, all eyes turned on him, the brave and noble little fellow, this poor waif, whom society owned not, and whose own stepfather could not care for him—there he knelt, with clasped hands, and eyes turned up to heaven, while he repeated[5] audibly the Lord’s Prayer, and prayed the Lord Jesus to take him to heaven. There then occurred (S. 104, N. 19) a scene as at Pentecost. Sobs broke[6] from the strong hard hearts, as the mate sprang forward to the boy, and kissed and blessed him, and told him how sincerely he believed his story, and how glad he was that he had been willing enough to face death[7] and to sacrifice his life for the truth of his word.—REV. E. DAVIES.

[1] Place ‘said — informant (here +Gewährsmann+, m.)’ after ‘that — beheld’.

[2] = were over.

[3] as — ghost, +geisterbleich+.

[4] = in.

[5] = said; audibly = aloud.

[6] +Ein Schluchzen entrang sich+, followed by the Dat.

[7] to face death, +dem Tode ins Antlitz schauen+, or +dem Tode trotz´bieten+.

_Section 229._

AN ORATION ON THE POWER OF HABIT.