At a certain time, when pressed with business, he directed two of his clerks to spend the Sabbath in the counting-room. After trying it one or two Sabbaths, one of them, under the conviction that it was wrong, positively refused any longer to continue it. He is now an intelligent, active, and respectable man. The other, in compliance with the wishes of his employer, continued thus to desecrate the Sabbath. Before long the employer found that this clerk had defrauded him to a large amount. The merchant himself failed, and his extensive business passed into other hands. His neighbors in the same business, and with apparently less mercantile ability and skill, but who have kept the Sabbath, continue to prosper; a number of them have acquired large estates, and are still doing an extensive business; and the conscientious clerk now ascribes no small share of the difference between their condition and that of his old employer to their different modes of treating the Sabbath day.

69. THE SUCCESSFUL CAPTAIN. A captain of a vessel says, "When I was about to sail from New York on my first voyage as master, there was a ship ready to sail from Boston for the same port. As she was a swift vessel, my owners were fearful of her arriving first; and as the profit of the voyage might depend in some measure on that, they were anxious to get me away as soon as possible. On Saturday night we were ready for sea. One of the owners, on Sabbath morning, urged that we should sail, as the wind was fair. I remonstrated and prevailed, and went with most of my crew to the Mariners' Church. On Monday, the wind shifted to the southward, and we could not get out. But the owner was so anxious for me to sail, that he employed a steamboat in the afternoon of that day to tow us out to sea. But on reaching Sandy Hook, the wind was very fresh at the south-east, so that I lay in the roads till Tuesday

morning, and then made sail. The Boston vessel sailed on Sabbath morning, getting the start of us forty-eight hours, besides being several degrees to the eastward. But I arrived at port three days before she did. I discharged, and took in my return cargo, and sailed for Boston, and arrived in the Vineyard Sound after a passage of forty-nine days. Thence I went to Boston and discharged, took in another cargo for the same place, and on my arrival home, after the second voyage, found that I was twenty-five days in advance of the other ship."

70. NEW ENGLAND YOUNG MEN. A number of young men started from New England, by land, for New Orleans. One of them had invested his property in merchandise for that market, which he had shipped, with directions to the captain, that, should he not find him there by such a time, he should store the goods. In Pennsylvania, the question came up whether they should travel on the Sabbath. He and one other concluded to stop, though strongly urged by their fellow-travellers to go onward. A number of the next coaches which arrived were so crowded that they could not obtain a passage, and they were delayed for some time. But they finally succeeded in obtaining a private conveyance to Pittsburg, for about twentyfive dollars. The cost, had they continued in the coach, would have been about six dollars. On their arrival, they found that the Sabbath-breakers had arrived just in time to take the only boat that would go down the river for a number of days. They finally obtained a passage to Cincinnati. Here they were delayed a number of days more, while their fellowtravellers had departed, without delay, a number of days before. They finally, however, obtained a passage, and arrived safely at New Orleans. The young man who had shipped his goods found that the vessel had arrived; and, the captain not finding him at the

Soon

appointed time, his part of the goods were stored; and, what seemed unfortunate, the rest of the cargo was sold to a man who took it from the vessel, and wanted what belonged to this young man, and at a handsome advance upon the cost and charges; but as he was not there, his goods had been stored, and thus the expenses much increased. So far every thing seemed to be against him, but no farther. there was a great advance upon the price of such goods, and he sold to great advantage, and obtained his money, while the man to whom the rest of the cargo had been sold, failed before the notes became due, and all was lost. Had he sold to him, as he doubtless would have done had he not stopped on the Sabbath, he would have lost the whole. So what seemed to be his loss, turned out to be his gain. "Judge nothing before the time." (1 Cor. 4: 5.) "And let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not." (Gal. 6: 9.) This is often the case, to some extent, in this world, and will be fully, always, in the world to come.

71. FOUR PER CENT. AND TWENTY-FIVE.

Captain

was at Rio Grande after a cargo of hides. He refused to have them loaded on the Sabbath, and, in consequence of that, he had to wait twenty days, till all the other vessels that were ready had been loaded. That time he spent in cleaning and drying his hides, while several other vessels sailed. He also had opportunity to purchase more hides, and prepare them to be stowed away to the best advantage. At length, his turn arrived. His vessel was loaded and prepared for sea on Saturday night. Sabbath morning, instead of sailing, he raised his Bethel flag, and spent the day in the appropriate duties of the Sabbath. On Monday he set sail; and when he arrived at the bar, he found the vessels that had sailed before him lying there, wind-bound. They could not get over the bar. On

his arrival, a master pilot rode up from the country, and asked him if he wished to be taken out. He told him he did; and his was the second vessel that was taken over the bar. His was also the second vessel that arrived in New York. His hides, in consequence of being so finely dried during those twenty days that he was detained, were in such good order that he lost on the cargo only about four per cent.; while others, that were loaded before their hides were properly dried, lost twenty-five per cent.

72. THE WHIRLWIND. Two neighbors, near the Mississippi River, had each a quantity of wheat which he wished to send to New Orleans. One of them wrote to the captain of a steamboat, up the river, that, on his arrival, he might take his wheat, provided he should not come for it on the Sabbath. On the Sabbath the captain came, and the owner would not let him take his wheat. His neighbor, however, permitted him to take his, to the amount of about two thousand bushels. It was placed upon the deck of the boat. On their passage, they were met by a violent whirlwind. It struck directly across the deck of the vessel, and the wheat which lay there was swept away. Thus the man who refused to have his wheat put on board on the Sabbath, saved it; and the man who consented that the Sabbath-breaking captain should take his, lost it.

73. THE TRAVELLER AT NATCHEZ.-A traveller at Natchez, was wishing to go to Memphis. On the Sabbath, a boat came along. He was urged to take it, but refused. On Monday, another boat arrived, which he took. On Tuesday, they passed the other boat. He arrived at Memphis in season to take the stage-coach through Kentucky, which ran only twice. a week; and thus he saved three days, which he would have lost had he taken the other boat, as it did not No. 5.

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arrive till after the stage-coach had taken its departure.

74. THE WEST INDIA CAPTAIN. A sea captain in the West Indies was very careful not to have work done on board his vessel, while in the harbor, on the Sabbath. But on a certain Sabbath, it was thought to be very important for the vessels in the harbor to take a new position. They all did so, except his own. He was strongly tempted to move his also; but he told his men that as it was the Sabbath, and they were not accustomed to work on that day, they would let her lie. A violent storm arose, and every vessel except his own was wrecked or driven high upon the shore; while his outrode the storm in safety. "On the Sabbath," said he, "they laughed at me for my superstition; on Monday, I pointed to their vessels, and said, 'See the effect of Sabbath-breaking.'"

75. THE TRAVELLER AT MACKINAC. A gentleman, at Mackinac, was wishing to go to Chicago. There was only one steamboat in port, and that was to go on the Sabbath. All the passengers were going in her, and they urged him to accompany them. He was in great haste, and it was uncertain when another boat would arrive. He, however, refused to go, stopped, and kept the Sabbath. On Tuesday.

another boat arrived; and before they reached Chicago, they passed the boat that started on the Sabbath; and he arrived sooner than he would have done, had he taken the Sabbath-breaking boat.

76. THE YOUNG MAN AT NEW ORLEANS. A young man, from Massachusetts, went out as shoedealer to New Orleans. He kept his store shut, and regularly attended public worship on the Sabbath. From time to time, he transmitted money to his brother, till he had deposited a considerable sum.