in eating splendid
"hunks" of bread and cheese, and drinking huge mugsful of hot tea.
Truly there are few quieters of the savage human breast equal to food!
Probably all the people there were hungry; many of them had been
starving, and were ravenous. There was scarcely any sound except of
moving jaws, when, accompanied by a few chords from a harmonium, a
sweet, mellow, female voice told of the love of Jesus Christ to poor,
perishing, guilty man.

Both the words and music of the hymn had a soothing influence on the
people. When the calm contentment resulting from satisfied hunger had
settled down on them, a gentleman rose, and, continuing the theme of the
hymn, told his hearers earnestly about the Saviour of sinners. His
address was very short, because, he said, a city missionary--a personal
friend--had come that night to speak to them. As he said this, he
turned to the lame man, who rose at once and stood forward.

There was something in the gaze of this man's piercing yet tender eyes
which forced the attention of even the most careless among them. His
handsome young face was very pale, and his lips were for a moment
compressed, as if he were trying to keep back the words which were ready
to rush out. When he spoke, the soft tones of a deep bass voice helped
to secure attention, so that you could have heard a pin drop.

At once the lame man launched into a most thrilling description of a
scene of peril and rescue. He told of a gallant ship battling with a
furious gale: of her striking on a shoal: of the masts going over the
side: of wreck and ruin all around, and the wild waves bursting over
passengers and crew, and gradually breaking up the ship--"No hope--no
hope--only cries for mercy--shrieks of despair!"

As the lame man spoke, his eyes seemed to flash. His cheeks were no
longer pale. The rough men before him frowned and gazed as if their
anxiety had been roused. The women leaned forward with eager looks of
sympathy. Even the children were spellbound. One hulking fellow, with
a broken nose and a black eye, sat clutching both knees with his
muscular hands, and gazed open-mouthed and motionless at the speaker,
who went on to say that when things were at their worst, and death
stared the perishing people in the face, a beautiful object seemed
suddenly to rise out of the raging sea; its colour was a mixture of pure
white and bright blue!

It was the lifeboat, which sheered alongside and took them on boa