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THE HONESf CABIN BOY 
 
 
 Some years ago, a fisherman died, 
 and left a widow,and a son named 
 John. The widow had now lost 
 her support : and it was thought 
 that the boy should go to sea. 
 
ti THE HONEST <£ABIN BOY. 
 
 A little bundle of clothes was 
 made up, and John was soon on 
 his way to the sea-beach at Tar- 
 mouth. " Do you want a cabin- 
 b(T~?" asked John. "No, I have 
 boys enough," said one captain. 
 "You are too small," said another. 
 He found that nobody wT>uld 
 take him. As he could not bear 
 the thought of going back to his 
 mother, he lay down on the shore, 
 and wept himself to sleep. 
 
 After some hours the poor boy 
 awoke. There was not far off the 
 captain of a ship that traded to 
 St. Petersburg. John went up 
 to him, and asked if a boy was 
 wanted on board his vessel. " Yes, 
 I do want one ; but I never take 
 boy or man without a character." 
 John thought for a moment, and 
 
THE HONEST CABIN BOY. 3 
 
 looked about very sadly. He 
 knew not what to do, when put- 
 ting his hand into his jacket- 
 pocket, he pulled out his small 
 Bible. " I suppose this will not 
 do?" said he, as he held it out to 
 the captain. The captain opened 
 it, and saw written on the first 
 
 leaf, " John E , given as a 
 
 reward for diligence and good 
 conduct at his sabbath school." 
 "Yes, my boy," said the captain, 
 "this will do ; I would rather have 
 this character than anv other." 
 
 With his little bundle under 
 his arm, John was soon on the 
 ship. Eor some time the sky was 
 bright, and the wind was fair. 
 But when the vessel got a little 
 further a storm came on. They 
 tried hard to save the ship, but 
 
4 THE HONEST CABIN BOY. 
 
 the captain began to think that 
 the whole of the crew would be 
 lost. In the midst of their dis- 
 tress, John was seen to come on 
 deck with his school Bible in his 
 hand. He then knelt down and 
 read the 60th and 61st Psalms, 
 while the captain and men stood 
 around listening to him. 
 
 God had mercy on those in the 
 ship, for soon the storm ceased, 
 and in due time they got safely 
 to St. Petersburg., 
 
 One day while in the Russian 
 port, John went on shore : it 
 wa& the birthday ox one of the 
 royal family. The city was very 
 gay. and rich gentlemen and ladies 
 were seen in sledges, or fancy cars, 
 racing over the ice and snow. 
 John was filled with wonder at 
 
THE HONEST CABIN BOY. <> 
 
 the fine sight before him. While 
 looking at it, he saw a bracelet 
 fall from the arm of a lady. He 
 rushed forward to pick it up, and 
 called after the owner, but she 
 was quickly out of sight. 
 
 John ran to the ship to ask 
 what he ought to do, when the 
 captain said, "Why, Jack, your 
 fortune is made : these are all 
 diamonds on the bracelet ; I will 
 sell them for you when we get 
 home." "But they belong to 
 the lady/' said he. The captain 
 replied, " Oh, you picked it up, 
 and you cannot find the lady — it 
 belongs to you." " If we should 
 have a storm at sea, captain, as 
 we go back, what would become 
 of us ? " " Ah, John/' said the 
 captain, who perhaps was only 
 
6 THE HONEST CABIN BOY. 
 
 trying to see if he had got an 
 honest cabin-boy, "you are right. 
 I will go on shore, and try to 
 find the owner." After some 
 trouble she was found, and as a 
 reward she gave the boy a large 
 sum of money. By the captain's 
 advice it was laid out in hides 
 and furs, which when the ship 
 came to England were sold for 
 nearly double the price they cost. 
 As soon as John landed, he 
 set off for his mother's cottage. 
 But when he got to it, he found 
 it shut up, and the grass was 
 growing about the door. " Oh," 
 thought ne, "my poor mother 
 has died of want!" He looked 
 about him in the greatest grief, 
 when he heard some one call to 
 him. "John, is that you ?" It 
 
THE HOXEST CABIN BOY, 7 
 
 was a woman of the village who 
 spoke to him. She then told 
 him that his poor mother had 
 gone into the workhouse. 
 
 John was soon at the work- 
 house gate, ringing the bell. 
 "What do you want?" said the 
 porter. "I want my mother/' 
 said John. The porter said she 
 must not go out without au 
 order; but John went in, fell 
 on his mother's neck, then put- 
 ting her arm under his arm, he 
 marched out with her on the way 
 to the old cottage. There he saw 
 her placed in comfort, and leaving 
 her some money to keep her while 
 he was gone on another voyage, 
 he went again to his ship. It is 
 said that John was a pious son 
 to his mother from that day, and 
 
8 THE HONEST CABIN BOY. 
 
 that he afterwards became the 
 mate of the same vessel in which 
 he tirst left the shores of Yar- 
 mouth as an orphan cabin-boy. 
 
 We have now seen the good 
 the Bible does with God's bless- 
 ing. It was this book that 
 gave John courage in a storm ; it 
 taught him to resist temptation 
 and to be honest ; it made 
 him kind to his mother ; and 
 we hope, it led him to know our 
 Lord Jesus Christ as his Saviour. 
 Young reader : this holy book 
 speaks to you. It directs you 
 to repent, and to forsake all sin. 
 It points you to Jesus, the sin- 
 ner's Friend. If you pray to God 
 for his Holy Spirit, he will bless 
 the reading of it to your hearts. 
 
 Benjamin Pardon, Printer, Paternoster- row 
 
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 May a helpless child approach Thee, 
 And thy tender pity crave? 
 
 Lord, will it not be encroaching ? 
 Wilt thou such a sinner save ? 
 
 Yes ; for with compassion beaming 
 From thy kind and tender eye, 
 
 While with love thy words are teeming 
 I hear my blessed Saviour cry : — 
 
 Come and welcome, 'tis my pleasure 
 
 Little children to receive ; 
 Those who seek me find a treasure 
 
 Which thii world can never give." 
 
 Lord, T come, and would surrender 
 All I am and have to thee ; 
 
 While I cry, "What shall I render 
 To the Lord for calling me?" 
 
 
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