Australian Tales - Setis

altogether, sooner than suffer such dreadful tortures any more.”
“I am better now, sir,” he added, “but I am very veak, and I cannot
vork properly, because I shake like as if I had de palsy: and ven I go aloft
I'm afraid I fall off de yard. Ough de grog! it close up killed me dis time.
I did suffer dreadful agonies! oh! vot a fool I vos to spend all my money,
to buy such teevilish torment.”
Poor fellow! the tears coursed down his rough face, as he finished his
horrifying narration. He had nearly wrecked a naturally robust
constitution with his excesses, and had brought upon himself remorse
and poverty, and, in addition to present suffering, he had laid up in his
enfeebled body, the seeds of future pain and misery.
I gave him some advice, and a little medicine, and the next day, when
he was off duty, I had another conversation with him. I endeavoured to
cheer him up and stimulate his hope, by showing him that many others
who had sunk even lower than himself had been reclaimed, and had risen
to positions of eminent usefulness. I gave him my own pocket Bible, also
a copy of the thrilling autobiography of the celebrated John Gough, and
several useful and entertaining magazines, for which he expressed
thankfulness.
On many subsequent occasions, I spoke to Louis, both in private, and
also when assembled with all the other sailors on board, and I often had
the pleasure of seeing him sitting on the booms, when off duty, reading
the books which I had given him.
On New Year's Day, being then on our homeward passage, I was much
gratified at seeing Louis in company with every one on board — officers
as well as crew — (except two), come aft and voluntarily sign the
Temperance pledge! I did not fail to briefly direct them to the Divine
source from whence alone they could obtain strength to keep their
pledges. I could give some interesting facts from the subsequent history
of several of those seamen, but I should too much digress from my
present subject.
A little more than six months afterwards, I was sitting one day alone in
my study, when a servant informed me “that a gentleman wished to see
me;” and in another minute Louis entered the room. He was so much
improved in appearance that I did not know him, until he spoke to me;
when I recognised his voice. He was really a fine-looking man, and as
upright as a soldier. He informed me that he had just come off a voyage,
and although there was plenty of spirits on board the ship, he had
remained stanch to his pledge of total abstinence, and had tried to induce
some of his shipmates to follow his example. He was in good health, and
was happy and cheerful. Since I had last seen him, he had bought some
good clothes, also a watch and chain, and sent a small sum of money to
his mother, in Sweden. He expressed his gratitude to me for speaking to
him when he was in such a miserable condition; and assured me that