s," he observed.

"I learned to respect missionaries, and to see the importance of their
work, long before my brother became one," I answered; and I then told
him of my uncle's journal, which I promised to bring on shore to show
him. He was evidently much interested, and made many inquiries about
it.

"Does he mention the name of Joseph Bent?" he asked suddenly.

I remembered well several circumstances connected with that person.

"I am the very man," he exclaimed, grasping my hand. "Oh, how much do I
owe to that excellent man! He saved my life; but he did far more,--he
brought the truth before me,--he showed me my own vileness by nature;
and thus, by his instrumentality brought by grace to trust in Jesus, has
my soul been saved. Can one man owe a greater debt to another than I
owe to him? I had begun to like you for your own sake, and for that of
John Harvey I shall ever regard you as a son. Your uncle was an example
of the good a true Christian layman can effect in his ordinary course in
life. Those on board every ship in which he sailed benefited by his
presence, not so much from what he said as from what he did, from his
pure and bright example; for he was a man of few words under ordinary
circumstances, though he could speak on occasion, and well. Many by his
means were brought to know Jesus, and to serve and love him as their
Lord and Master. When John Harvey left the sea and went to live on
shore, he devoted his whole time to doing God's service, and great has
long since been his reward."

This was indeed an interesting discovery. It was gratifying to me to
hear the fine old man speak thus of my uncle, as I was sure the praise
was not undeserved. As I looked at him, too, I felt how great is the
power of grace. I saw before me the drowning youth snatched from the
very jaws of death, and of eternal death, too, and allowed to spend a
long life in making known to the heathen the inexhaustible riches of
Christ. From that day I naturally looked on Mr Bent as an old friend,
and was more than ever with him. Indeed, I confess that I was thus
drawn into a more intimate acquaintance with his daughter Mary than
would have been otherwise the case, and to discover and admire her many
excellences.

The missionary was never idle during his visit to the island, and in a
week after his arrival the king declared openly that he could no longer
withstand the arguments he brought forward in support of his religion,