clergyman say
that he thought it was a device of the devil to turn sacred things into
ridicule, but I cannot agree with that. It seems to me that men are
often too ready to saddle Satan with evil devices which they ought to
fix on their own stupid shoulders. Captain Bream simply _talks_ when he
preaches; just as if he were talking on any business matter of great
importance, and he does it so nicely, too, and so earnestly, like a
father talking to his children. Many of the rough-looking fishermen
were quite melted, and after the meeting a good many of them remained
behind to talk with him privately. Jessie and I are convinced that he
is doing a great and good work here. But he is a most eccentric man,
and seems a good deal perplexed by his theological studies. The other
day Jessie ventured to question him about these, and he became quite
energetic as he said:--

"`I tell 'ee what it is, ladies, when I go cruisin' out and in among
these theological volumes until I lose my reckoning altogether an' git
among shoals an' quicksands that I never so much as heard of before, I
just lay hold o' the cable that's made fast to my sheet-anchor, and I
haul in on that. Here is the sheet-anchor, he said, pulling his little
Bible from his pocket, the Word of God. That's it. When I feel how
ignorant an' stoopid an' unlearned I am, I just keep haulin' on the
cable till I come to some such word as this, "Not by might, nor by
power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord," an' so I'm comforted, an' my
mind's made easy, for, after all we may think and say and read, it
_must_ come to this--"Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind."
Every man must work out his own theology for himself, accordin' to that
Word, and I've worked it out so far by God's blessin', that Jesus
Christ--the God--man--is my foundation, the Holy Spirit is my guide, and
salvation from sin is my aim and end--not only for myself but for my
fellow-sinners.

"`But I must not go on quoting the Captain's sayings and eccentric
doings, else I shall never stop.

"`When are you and your mother coming down? I cannot tell how much we
long to have you with us to share in our enjoyment of this charming
place. And the fisher-people are so interesting too. I don't wonder
you took such a fancy to them. Of course we have not had time to make
acquaintance with many of them yet. And Jessie has become so engrossed
with the Captain's theological books that I can't tear her awa