-savage, raw material which he had gone out
there to work upon?

"Why did you not bring Billy, Joe?" asked the skipper of the mission
vessel.

"Well, you know, we had to leave some one to look after the smack, an' I
left Luke Trevor, as he said he'd prefer to come to evenin' service, an'
Billy said he'd like to stay with Luke."

By this time a number of boats had put their rough-clad crews on the
deck, and already a fair congregation was mustered. Shaking of hands,
salutations, question and reply, were going briskly on all round, with
here and there a little mild chaffing, and occasionally a hearty laugh,
while now and then the fervent "thank God" and "praise the Lord"
revealed the spirits of the speakers.

"You mentioned the name of Billy just now," said Captain Bream, drawing
Joe Davidson aside. "Is he a man or a boy?"

"He's a boy, sir, though he don't like to be reminded o' the fact," said
Joe with a laugh. "He's the son of our skipper who was drowned--an' a
good boy he is, though larky a bit. But that don't do him no harm,
bless ye."

"I wonder," returned the captain, "if he is the boy some lady friends of
mine are so fond of, who was sent up to London some time ago to--"

"That's him, sir," interrupted Joe; "it was Billy as was sent to Lun'on;
by the wish of a Miss Ruth Pont-rap-me, or some such name. I never can
remember it rightly, but she's awful fond o' the fisher-folks."

"Ah, I know Miss Ruth Dotropy also," said the captain. "Strange that I
should find this Billy that they're all so fond of in the new _Evening
Star_. I must pay your smack a visit soon, Davidson, for I have a
particular interest in her."

"I'll be proud to see you aboard her, sir," returned Joe. "Won't you
come after service? The calm will last a good while, I think."

"Well, perhaps I may."

The conversation was interrupted here by a general move to the vessel's
hold, where the usual arrangements had been made--a table for a pulpit
and fish-boxes for seats.

"Do you feel well enough to speak to us to-day, Captain Bream?" asked
the skipper of the mission-ship.

"Oh yes, I'll be happy to do so. The trip out has begun to work wonders
already," said the captain.

Now, the truth of that proverb, "One man may take a horse to the water,
but ten men can't make him drink," is very often illustrated in the
course of human affairs. You may even treat a donkey in the same way,
and the result will be similar.

Joe Davidson