ould you come to my cabin every night
and ask me questions?" inquired the latter.

At this point, a shade of anxiety crossed Littlestone's features; he
turned and looked at the missionary--the missionary looked at
Fritz--Fritz stared at his brother--Jack gazed at Willis--and Willis,
with a puzzled air, regarded everybody in turn.

"At last," continued Jack, "after experiencing a variety of both good
and bad fortune, sometimes vanquished and sometimes the victors, first
wounded, then cured, we arrived here in Havre, where, for a time, we
were plunged into the deepest poverty; we were blacksmiths and
carpenters by turns, and thought ourselves fortunate when we had a
chair to mend or a horse to shoe."

"The workings of Providence," said the missionary, "are very
mysterious, and, perhaps, you will allow me to illustrate this fact by
drawing a comparison. A ship is at the mercy of the waves; it sways,
like a drunken man, sometimes one way and sometimes another. All on
board are in commotion, some are hurrying down the hatchways, and
others are hurrying up. The sailors are twisting the sails about in
every possible direction. Some of the men are closing up the
port-holes, others are working at the pumps. The officers are issuing
a multiplicity of orders at once, the boatswain is constantly sounding
his whistle. There is no appearance of order, confusion seems to reign
triumphant, and there is every reason to believe that the commands are
issued at random."

"I have often wondered," said Jack, "how so many directions issued on
ship board in a gale at one and the same moment could possibly be
obeyed."

"Let us descend, however, to the captain's cabin," continued the
missionary. "He is alone, collected, thoughtful, and tranquil, his eye
fixed upon a chart. Now he observes the position of the sun, and marks
the meridian; then he examines the compass, and notes the polary
deviation. On all sides are sextants, quadrants, and chronometers. He
quietly issues an order, which is echoed and repeated above, and thus
augments the babel on deck."

"A single order," remarked Willis, "often gives rise to changes in
twenty different directions."

"On deck," continued the missionary, "the crew appear completely
disorganized. In the captain's cabin, you find that all this apparent
confusion is the result of calculation, and is essential to the safety
of the ship."

"Still," said Jack, "it is difficult to see how this result is
effec