The church service for the cabin passengers was held in the saloon. A
velvet cushion upon one end of the long table constituted the pulpit,
before which the minister stood, holding fast to the rack on either
side, and bracing himself against the captain's chair in the rear. Even
then he made, involuntarily, more bows than any ritualist, and the
scripture, "What went ye out for to see? A reed shaken by the wind?"
would present itself. The sailors in their neat dress filed in and
ranged themselves in one corner. The stewards gathered about the door,
one, with face like an owl, most conspicuous. The passengers filled
their usual seats, and a delegation from the steerage crept shyly into
the unoccupied space--women with shawls over their heads and babies in
their arms, shock-headed men and toddling children, but all with an
evident attempt at appropriate dress and manner. Among them was one
sweet young English face beneath an old crape bonnet. A pair of shapely
hands, which the shabby black gloves could not disguise, held fast a
little child. Widowhood and want in the old world; what was waiting her
in the new? The captain read the service, and all the people responded.
The women's eyes grew wet at the sound of the familiar words. The little
English widow bent her face over the head of the child in her lap, and
something glistened in its hair. Our sympathies grew wide, and we joined
in the prayer for the queen, that she might have victory over her
enemies, and even murmured a response to the petition for Albert Edward
and the nobility, dimly conscious that they needed prayers. The good
captain added a petition for the president of the United States, to
which the Mowing Machine Man and I said, "Amen." Then the minister,
having poised himself carefully, read a discourse, sulphurous but
sincere; the Mowing Machine Man thrusting his elbow into my side in a
most startling manner at every particularly blue point. We were
evidently in sympathy; but I could have dispensed with the expression of
it. We closed with the doxology, standing upon our feet and swaying back
and forth as though it had been a Shaker chant, led by an improvised
choir and the Jersey Man.
At night we descended into the depths of the steamer to worship with the
steerage passengers. It was like one of Rembrandt's pictures--the
darkness, the wild, strangely-attired people, the weird light from the
lanterns piercing the gloom, and bringing out group after group with
fearful distinctness; the pale, earnest face of the preacher, made
almost unearthly by the glare of the yellow light--a face with its
thin-drawn lips, its eyes like coals of fire such as the flames of
martyrdom lit once, I imagine. Close beside him stood the Cattle Man,
towering like Saul above the people, and with an air that plainly said,
"Beware--I stand by the parson."
"There is a land of pure delight,"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account