service--men who are not
ashamed of the Cross of Christ. Tom and Mrs Jones soon became fast
friends, and it was through her that the way in which he and Frank first
became intimate was known to Mrs Morgan and the rest of the family.

"You see, Mrs Jones," said Tom, as he sat with her in the housekeeper's
room, "I was pretty well a castaway, without friends, without home,
without any one to care for me, or show me the right course to sail on.
I had got hold of some books, all about the rights of man, sneering at
religion, and everything that was right, and noble, and holy; and in my
ignorance I thought it all very fine, and had become a perfect infidel.
All that sort of books writ by the devil's devices have brought
countless beings to destruction--of body as well as of soul. Our ship
was on the coast of Africa, employed in looking after slavers, to try
and put a stop to the slave trade. I entered warmly into the work, for
I thought that it was a cruel shame that men, because they had white
skins, more power, and maybe, more sense, should be allowed to carry off
their fellow-men and hold them in bondage. I was appointed as coxswain
of the boat commanded by Mr Morgan. Often we used to be sent away in
her for days together from the ship, to lie in wait for slavers. The
officers on such occasions used to allow us to talk pretty freely to one
another and to express our minds. One day I said something which showed
Mr Morgan what was in my mind--how dark and ignorant it was. He
questioned me further, and found that I was an infidel, that I had no
belief in God or in goodness, and that I was unhappy. Some officers
would have cared nothing for this, or just abused me, called me a fool,
and let me alone; others, who called themselves religious, would have
cast me off as a reprobate. But Mr Morgan, whom I always thought only
a good-natured, merry young gentleman, did neither; but he stuck to me
like a friend. Day after day, and night after night, he talked to me,
and reasoned with me, and read to me out of the blessed Gospel, for he
never was without the Book of Life in all our expedition. [See Note 1.]
Whenever he could get me alone he pleaded earnestly with me, as a
friend, nay, as affectionately as a brother. In spite of myself, he
made me listen to him, and I learned to love and respect him, even when
I thought myself far wiser than he was. He persevered. I began to see
how vile I was, how unlike a pure and holy