Elsie on the Hudson Part 26

"So I think," said the captain; and Violet at once took her place at the instrument.

"Mamma," said Grace, "let us have 'Master, the Tempest is Raging.' We can all sing it, and it is so sweet."

"Yes," said Violet.

The others gathered around her, and together they sang:

"'Master, the tempest is raging!

The billows are tossing high!

The sky is o'ershadowed with blackness!

No shelter or help is nigh!

Carest thou not that we perish?

How canst thou lie asleep, When each moment so madly is threatening A grave in the angry deep?

_Chorus:_ "'The winds and the waves shall obey thy will, Peace, be still!

Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea.

Or demons, or man, or whatever it be, No waters can swallow the ship where lies The Master of ocean, and earth, and skies; They all so sweetly obey thy will, Peace, be still! Peace, be still!

They all so sweetly obey thy will, Peace, peace, be still!

"'Master, with anguish of spirit I bow in my grief to-day; The depths of my sad heart are troubled; Oh, waken and save, I pray!

Torrents of sin and of anguish Sweep o'er my sinking soul; And I perish! I perish, dear Master, Oh, hasten and take control!

_Chorus:_ "'The winds and the waves shall obey thy will, etc.

"'Master, the terror is over, The elements sweetly rest; Earth's sun in the calm lake is mirrored, And heaven's within my breast; Linger, O blessed Redeemer!

Leave me alone no more; And with joy I shall make the blest harbor, And rest on the blissful sh.o.r.e.

_Chorus:_ "'The winds and the waves shall obey thy will,'" etc.

CHAPTER XV.

The _Dolphin's_ pa.s.sengers retired early to their staterooms on that stormy Sunday night; that is, all of them except the captain and Lucilia. He was on the deck, and she sat in the saloon, reading and waiting for a little chat with her father before seeking her berth for the night. Presently she heard his approaching footsteps, and, closing her book, looked up at him with a glad smile.

"Ah, daughter, so you are here waiting for me as usual," he said in his kind, fatherly tones; and, taking a large easy-chair close at hand, he drew her to a seat upon his knee. "You haven't sat here for quite a while," he said, pa.s.sing his arm about her and pressing his lips to her cheek.

"No, sir; and I am very glad to be allowed to do it again, big and old as I am," she returned, with a smile that was full of love and pleasure. "Oh, I am so glad--so glad every day that G.o.d gave me to you instead of to somebody else. I thank him for it very often."

"As I do," he said; "for I consider my dear eldest daughter one of G.o.d's good gifts to me."

"Whenever I hear you say that, father, I feel ashamed of all my faults and follies and want--oh, so much--to grow wiser and better."

"I too need to grow better and wiser," he said; "and we must both ask daily and hourly to be washed from our sins in the precious blood of Christ--that fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness.

"'There is a fountain filled with blood, Drawn from Immanuel's veins; And sinners, plunged beneath that flood, Lose all their guilty stains.'"

"Papa, I love that hymn, and am thankful to Cowper for writing it,"

she said.

"And so am I," he returned. "Oh, what grat.i.tude we owe for the opening of that fountain! for the love of Christ that led him to die that painful and shameful death of the cross--that we might live. 'The love of Christ which pa.s.seth knowledge.'"

They were silent for a little; then he said, "It is growing late, daughter; it is quite time time that this one of my birdlings was in her nest. Give me my good-night kiss and go."

"Can I go to you on the deck in the morning, papa?" she asked as she prepared to obey.

"That depends upon the weather," he answered. "If it is neither raining nor blowing hard, you may; otherwise, you may not."

"Yes, sir; I'll be careful to obey," she said: with a loving smile up into his face.

All seemed quiet within and without when she awoke in the morning, and dressing speedily she stole out through the cabin, and up the stairway, till she could look out upon the deck. Her father was there, caught sight of her at once, and drew quickly near.

"Good-morning, daughter," he said; "you may come out here, for it is not raining just now, and the wind has fallen."

"Is the storm over, father, do you think?" she asked, hastening to his side.

"The worst of it certainly is, and I think it will probably clear before night."

"So that we can start on our homeward journey?"

"Yes," he answered; "but it will not be well to leave this safe harbor until we are quite certain of at least tolerably good weather."

"No, none of us would want to run any risk of shipwreck," she said; "and there isn't really anything to hurry us greatly about getting back to our homes."

"Nothing except the desire to see them and our dear ones there," he said; "and to delay that will be wiser than running any risk to bring it about sooner."

As he spoke he drew her hand within his arm, and they paced the deck to and fro for some time; then it began to rain again, and he bade her go below.

"Still raining, I believe," remarked Mr. Lilburn as they sat at the breakfast table.

"Yes," replied the captain; "but I think it will probably clear by noon."

"And then we will start on our return journey, I suppose?" said Walter.

"Yes," said the captain, "that seems best, and I believe is according to the desire of all my pa.s.sengers. It is your wish, mother, is it not?" turning to Grandma Elsie.

"I should like to get home soon now," she replied; "but shall not fret if we are still providentially detained."

The rain had ceased by the time they left the table, so that they were able to go on deck, take some exercise, and get a view of their surroundings.

By noon the indications were such that the captain considered it entirely safe to continue their journey. So steam was gotten up, and they were presently out of the harbor and making their way across the lake in the direction of the Welland Ca.n.a.l. Before sunset all the clouds had cleared away; the evening was beautiful, and so were the days that followed while they pa.s.sed down the St. Lawrence River and out through the Gulf, then along the Atlantic coast, stopping only once, to let Walter leave them for Princeton.

It was quite a long voyage, and a very pleasant one; but everyone was glad when at length they reached the harbor of the city near their homes. They were expected, and found friends and carriages awaiting their coming.

Mr. Hugh Lilburn had come for his father and Annis, Edward Travilla for his mother and Evelyn, and the Woodburn carriage was there to take the captain and his family to their home.