seemed to break on me. God's love! God's love!--oh, how little
do we understand that! It is only a knowledge of that which can enable
us in any way to comprehend his dealings with man.

"You see, Macco," continued Oliver, "that God is just as well as loving.
He punishes those who continue to refuse his offers of mercy. With
many he tries loving-kindness first. Sometimes his love makes him
afflict people for the sake of bringing them to him, making them feel
their own helplessness. The great thing of all, however, is to know for
a certainty that he loves us, and that whatever he does is for the best.
When a man is sure of this, he trusts to God, whatever happens. I have
a loving mother, who taught me this. I am very sure it is the most
valuable knowledge she could have given me. Though we know that we are
sinners, and deserve punishment, yet we also know that when God's Son
became man and died on the cross, being sacrificed for our sins, he took
away the sins of all those who trust to him; and so, instead of being
sinners in God's sight, when we thus trust to him we are made pure and
holy, and fit to go to heaven--nay, sure of going to heaven when we die.
If you believe this, Macco, you will not be afraid even though the
people round us should suddenly jump up and kill us all, and throw us
overboard."

Macco was silent for some time. At length he looked up, and
said,--"Bless you, Oliver; you tell me great truth. I no fear to die
now."

I felt indeed grateful to my young companion. His words had given me a
courage I could scarcely have expected to possess; and though I did not
feel indifferent as to our fate, yet I was prepared, at all events, far
better than I should otherwise have been for whatever might happen.

The native seamen sat round in the bow of the vessel, eating from a huge
dish of rice, with some dried fish of some sort, seasoned with red
pepper. After they had eaten their fill, they put down the remains of
the dish--into which they had all plunged their unclean fingers--before
us, much in the way they would have put it before a hungry dog, and made
us a sign to eat it if we chose. At first I could scarcely bring myself
to touch the food; but Macco urged me to do so, and he and Oliver at
length beginning their repast, I could no longer resist the desire to
eat.

I could not make out exactly whether we were on board a trader or a
pirate; perhaps a mixture of both. If she was a trader, I c