have occurred connected
with him. I waited, hoping to hear his name mentioned. At length I
made the inquiry of Mr Newton.

"He has paid us two visits, and is still in these seas, though hoping
soon to return home," he answered. "He is as much attached as ever to
our friend, but he is wisely anxious to secure the comforts of a home
before he marries; and though she would not have refused to become his
wife, had he pressed her, still, believing that her father is alive, and
may return home, she wishes first to obtain his sanction."

With a favourable breeze, the _Phoebe_ soon ran the coast of Australia
out of sight.

CHAPTER TWENTY.

OVERBOARD.

We had been some weeks at sea. Captain Slack showed his evil
disposition by throwing every impediment in the way of Mr Newton when
he attempted to hold a service on board. He could not, however, prevent
him from having prayers in his own cabin, to which I and Dick, and those
who were willing to come, were invited. Among them was a half-caste
lad, called Bill Gennill, of a not over-prepossessing countenance, to
whom I had spoken. While others scoffed, he listened, and had before we
reached Sydney gladly accepted the truth. This exposed him to the
sneers, and often to the ill-treatment, of his messmates, though Dick
and I did our best to protect him. He expressed his gratitude, and,
opposing gentleness to brutality, showed every day more and more
earnestness. Mr Newton encouraged him to persevere. Miss Kitty often
spoke kindly to him, and frequently brought up her Bible, and read such
portions as he could best understand.

"I think that Bill understands the fundamental truths of the gospel,"
she said to me: "that being all sinners by nature, and outcasts from
God, and become again His dear children by simple faith in the glorious
fact that Christ died, and was punished instead of us, and that our debt
to God being thus paid, our sins are blotted out of His remembrance, and
that we being clothed with the righteousness of Christ, we can approach
boldly the throne of grace, and are made heirs with Him of that kingdom
which He has gone before to prepare for us. He knows, too, that, being
possessed of these privileges, we are called on by the aid of the Holy
Spirit to try and imitate Christ, to live pure and blameless lives, to
make His name known to others, and do all the good we can to our
fellow-creatures, especially to those of the household of faith. I am
th