CHAPTER XV.
The storm continued for some days, during which the "Dolphin" layquietly at anchor in the bay of Para. It was a quiet, uneventful timefor her passengers, but they enjoyed themselves well in each other'ssociety and waited patiently for a change of weather.
Finally it came; the sun shone, the waves had quieted down and a gentlebreeze taken the place of the boisterous wind of the last few days.
Just as the sun rose, the anchor was lifted and, to the joy of all onboard, the yacht went on her way, steaming out of the harbor and thendown the coast of Brazil; a long voyage, but, under the circumstances,by no means unpleasant to the "Dolphin's" passengers, so fond as theywere of each other's society.
At length they arrived at Rio de Janeiro. They stayed there longenough to acquaint themselves with its beauties and all that mightinterest a stranger.
All that accomplished, they left for the north, as it was getting nearthe time when even the invalids might safely return to the coolerclimate of that region.
It was evening; the children had retired for the night, and all theolder ones were together on the deck. A silence that had lasted forsome moments was broken by Lucilla. "You are taking us home now, Isuppose, father?"
"I don't remember to have said so," replied the Captain, pleasantly,"though very likely I may do so if you all wish it."
Then Violet spoke up in her quick, lively way, "Mamma, if you wouldgive us all an invitation to visit Viamede, I think it would be justdelightful to go there for a week or two; and then Chester could seehis sisters and their children."
"I should be glad to help him to do so; and very glad to have you allmy guests at Viamede," was the reply, in Grandma Elsie's own sweettones.
Then came a chorus of thanks for her invitation; all seeming muchpleased with the idea.
"It will be quite a journey," remarked Lucilla, in a tone ofsatisfaction.
"You are not weary of life on shipboard, daughter?" her father queried,with a pleased little laugh.
"No, indeed, father; I am very fond of life on the 'Dolphin.' I supposethat's because of the sailor-blood in me inherited from you."
"Some of which I have also," said Grace; "for I dearly love a voyage inthe 'Dolphin.'"
"Which some of the rest of us do without having the excuse of inheritedsailor-blood," said Harold.
"No; that inheritance isn't at all necessary to the enjoyment of lifeon the 'Dolphin,'" remarked Chester.
"Indeed, it is not," said Evelyn. "I am a landsman's daughter, butlife on this vessel with the dear friends always to be found on it isdelightful to me."
"And the rest of us can give a like testimony," said Mrs. Lilburn, andthose who had not already spoken gave a hearty assent.
"Up this South American coast, through the Caribbean Sea and the Gulfof Mexico--it will be quite a voyage," remarked Lucilla, reflectively."It is well, indeed, that we are all fond of life on the 'Dolphin.'"
"Yes; you will have had a good deal of it by the time we get home,"said her father.
"To-morrow is Sunday," remarked Grandma Elsie. "I am very glad we canhave services on board. I often find them quite as helpful as those Iattend on shore."
"Yes; I don't know why we shouldn't have services, though there is nolicensed preacher among us," said the Captain. "Certainly, we may allread God's Word, talk of it to others, and address to him both prayersand praises."
The next morning after breakfast all assembled upon deck, united inprayer and praise, the Captain read a sermon, and then Mr. Lilburn, byrequest of the others, led them in their Bible lesson.
"Let us take parts of the 13th and 14th chapters of Numbers for ourlesson to-day," he said, reading the passages aloud, then asked, "Canyou tell me, Cousin Elsie, where the children of Israel were encampedjust at that time?"
"At Kadesh, in what was called the wilderness of Paran. It was at alittle distance to the southwest of the southern end of the Dead Sea."
"They went and searched the land, as Moses directed, and cut down andbrought back with them a cluster of grapes, a very large one, it musthave been, for they bare it between two upon a staff; also they broughtpomegranates and figs. Do you know, Neddie, what Eshcol means?" askedCousin Ronald.
"No, sir; papa hasn't taught me that yet," replied the little boy.
"It means a bunch of grapes," said Cousin Ronald, smiling kindly onthe little fellow. "Grace, do you think the spies were truthful?"
"They seem to have been, so far as the facts about the country theyhad just visited were concerned," Grace answered, then read, "And theytold him, and said, 'We came unto the land whither thou sentest us,and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit ofit. Nevertheless, the people be strong that dwell in the land, and thecities are walled, and very great; and, moreover, we saw the childrenof Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and theHittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains:and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.'"
"Truly, a very discouraging report," said Mr. Lilburn; "for thoughthey described the land as very good and desirable, they evidentlyconsidered its inhabitants too strong to be overcome."
He then read, "And they brought up an evil report of the land whichthey had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, 'The land,through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up theinhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men ofa great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, whichcome of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, andso we were in their sight.' And what effect had their report upon thepeople, Cousin Violet?" he asked.
In reply, Violet read, "And all the congregation lifted up theirvoice, and cried; and the people wept that night. And all the childrenof Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the wholecongregation said unto them, 'Would God that we had died in the landof Egypt! Or would God we had died in this wilderness! And whereforehath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, thatour wives and our children should be a prey? Were it not better for usto return into Egypt?' And they said, one to another, 'Let us make acaptain, and let us return into Egypt.'"
It seemed to be Mr. Dinsmore's turn, and he read, "And Joshua, theson of Nun; and Caleb, the son of Jephunneh, which were of them thatsearched the land, rent their clothes: And they spake unto all thecompany of the children of Israel, saying, 'The land, which we passedthrough to search it, is exceeding good land. If the Lord delightin us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it us; a landwhich floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the Lord,neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us:their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us: fear themnot.'"
Then Mrs. Dinsmore read, "But all the congregation bade stone them withstones. And the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of thecongregation before all the children of Israel. And the Lord said untoMoses, 'How long will this people provoke me? And how long will it beere they believe me, for all the signs which I have showed among them?I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and willmake of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.'"
"How very childish they were," remarked Violet. "Why should theywish they had died in the land of Egypt, or in the wilderness? Thatwould have been no better than dying where they were. And it doesseem strange they could not trust in God when he had given them suchwonderful deliverances."
"And they said, one to another, 'Let us make a captain, and let usreturn into Egypt,'" read Harold, adding, "It does seem as though theyfelt that Moses would not do anything so wicked and foolish as goingback into Egypt."
"And they might well feel so," said the Captain. "Moses was not the manto be discouraged by such difficulties after all the wonders God hadshown him and them in Egypt and the wilderness."
"That is true," said Mr. Lilburn. "But let us go on to the end of thestory. We have read that the Lord threatened to smite them with thepestilence, and di
sinherit them, and make of Moses a greater nation andmightier than they. Chester, what did Moses say in reply?"
"And Moses said unto the Lord, 'Then the Egyptians shall hear it (forThou broughtest up this people in Thy might from among them); and theywill tell it to the inhabitants of this land; for they have heard thatThou, Lord, art among this people, that Thou, Lord, art seen face toface, and that Thy cloud standeth over them, and that Thou goest beforethem, by daytime in the pillar of cloud, and in a pillar of fire bynight. Now if Thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then thenations which have heard the fame of Thee will speak, saying, Becausethe Lord was not able to bring this people into the land which He swareunto them, therefore He hath slain them in the wilderness. And now,I beseech Thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as Thouhast spoken, saying, The Lord is long-suffering, and of great mercy,forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing theguilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto thethird and fourth generation. Pardon, I beseech Thee, the iniquity ofthis people according unto the greatness of Thy mercy, and as Thou hastforgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.'"
Chester paused, and Mrs. Dinsmore took up the story where he droppedit, reading from her Bible, "And the Lord said, 'I have pardonedaccording to thy word: but as truly as I live, all the earth shallbe filled with the glory of the Lord. Because all those men whichhave seen My glory and My miracles, which I did in Egypt and in thewilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have nothearkened to My voice. Surely they shall not see the land which Isware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked Mesee it: But My servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him,and hath followed Me fully, him will I bring into the land whereintohe went; and his seed shall possess it. (Now the Amalekites and theCanaanites dwelt in the valley). To-morrow, turn you, and get you intothe wilderness by the Red Sea.'"
"Papa, did all those people lose their souls?" asked Elsie.
"I hope not," he replied. "If they repented and turned to the Lord,they were forgiven and reached Heaven at last. Jesus says, 'Come untoMe, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly inheart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.'"