Christie, the King's Servant: A Sequel to "Christie's Old Organ"Walton, O. F., Mrs.
Religion
Christie, the King's Servant: A Sequel to "Christie's Old Organ"
Walton, O. F., Mrs.
Christian life -- Juvenile fiction; Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction
'Was I frightened, sir, did you say? No, I think not; I felt more awed
like, if you understand, and in them few moments all sorts of thoughts
seemed to be running through my head, but through them all was the
thought of my poor lass, of Polly and little John. Yes, sir, of Polly
and little John, and I cried to Him as alone could help me, "O God," I
said, "save me, for Polly and little John want me so bad!" And He heard
my prayer, sir. I've often thought how them fishermen cried to Him in
the storm that day, "Master, save us, we perish!" they said; and He
heard their cry, didn't He, sir? And He heard mine. Yes, He heard mine,
for when the wave did come which carried us over, the Mary Ann was
driven right past where we were struggling in the water, and we caught
hold on her. We clung on for dear life, sir, but we couldn't have clung
there many minutes, for the sea was that cold and icy our hands was
well-nigh frozen. But God Almighty knew how to save us, and He sent a
steamer to pick us up, in less than ten minutes after we went overboard.
And they _were_ good to us, sir, for all they were foreign folk
aboard. They warmed us, and gave us hot coffee, and lent us dry clothes,
and they ran into the Hull docks in the afternoon and landed us there.
Well, sir, you may be sure I came home as quick as ever I could, for I
thought maybe I should never see my little lad again. Hasn't God been
good to us, now hasn't He, sir?' he concluded, as he gently patted his
little boy's hand.
The doctor gave a much better report of little John that day, although
he said he was not yet out of danger. But from that time he improved
slowly but steadily, and before very long he was able to lie once more
in his father's arms, and to stroke his face with his little thin hand.
It was very touching to see the love and the gratitude of both Duncan
and Polly; they could not say enough about the help and comfort I had
given them in their time of trouble, small though I felt these to have
been. If I had been a prince, I think they could not have made more of
me, and I believe I should have been altogether spoiled if I had stayed
in Runswick Bay much longer.
I had not touched my picture the whole of that week, for whilst our
anxiety lasted I had no heart or desire to paint. On Saturday I saw
Marjorie and little Jack giving out their pink papers, and I went to
meet them.
'One for you, big Mr. Jack,' said the merry little rogue, as he threw it
up in the air for me to catch.
The subject for the following day I saw was to be these two words--WE
KNOW. I thought, as I put the paper in my pocket, how much had passed
since last Sunday, and I thought also how differently I felt with regard
to the service on the shore, from what I had done when I received the
last pink paper. I had certainly no wish to run away to Kettleness, to
be out of the way when it took place.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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