Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 December 1895 — Told by Talmage. [ARTICLE]

Told by Talmage.

I never like a Christmas season to pass without telling a thrilling incident which happened at my house just eleven years ago this coming Christmas, writes Dr. Talmage. We had just distributed the family presents Christmas morning when I heard a great cry of distress in the hallway. A child from a neighbor’s house came in to say her father was dead. It was only three doors off, and, I think, in two minutes we were there. There lay the old Christian sea captain, his face upturned toward the window as though he had suddenly seen the headlands, and with an illuminated countenance as though he were just going into harbor. The fact was he had already got through the “Narrows.” In the adjoining room were the Christmas presents waiting for his distribution. Long ago, one night when he had narrowly escaped with his ship from being run down by a great ocean steamer, he had made his peace with God, and a kiuder neighbor than Capt. Pendleton you would not find this side of heaven. He had often talked to me of the goodness of God, and especially of a time when he was about to go into New York harbor with his ship from Liverpool, and he was suddenly impressed that he ought to put back to sea. Under the protest of

the crew and under their very threat he put back to sea, learning at the same time he was losing his mind, for it did seem so unreasonable that when they could get into harbor that night they should put back to sea. But they put back to sea, and Capt. Pendleton said to his mate: “You call me at 10 o’clock at night.” At 12 o’clock at night the Captain was aroused and said: “What does this mean? I thought I told you to call me at 10 o’clock, and here it is 12.” “Why,” said the mate, “I did call you at 10 o’clock, and you got up, looked around and told me to keep right on this same course for two hours, and then to call you at 12 o’clock.” Said the Captain: “Is it possible? I have no remembrance of that.” At 12 o’clock the captain went on deck, and through the rift of the cloud the moonlight fell upon the sea and showed him a shipwreck with one hundred struggling passengers. He helped them off. Had he beep any earlier or any iater at that point- oi the sea he would have beeatof no service to those drowning people. On board the captain’s vessel, they began to band together as to what they should pay for the rescue, and whirr they should pay for the provisions. “Ah',” says the captain, “my lads, you can’t pay me anything; all I have on board is yours; I feel to® greatly honored of God in having saved you to take any pay.” Just like him. Oh, that the old sea captain’s God. might be my God and yours. Amid the stormy seas of this life may we have always some one as tenderly to take care of us as the captain took care of the drowning crew and the passengers. And may we come into the harbor with as little physical pain and with as bright a hope as he had; and if it should happen to be a Christmas morning, when the presents are being distributed and we are celebrating the birth of Him who came to save our shipwrecked world, all the better, for what grander, brighter Christmas present could we have than heaven ? Now comes the glad New Year; Though fate may do her worst, She cannot blot that legend clear: “All bills due on the first!” —Atlanta Constitution. “You haven’t got $5 about you, Jones?” “No, I haven’t. Wife borrowed the last to buy my Christmas present”—Atlanta Constitution.