em.

It was not often that the wind blew direct on the shore, but coming from
the northward and eastward, it was in a slanting direction; but
occasionally, and chiefly about the time of the equinoxes, the gales
came on very heavy from the eastward, and then the wash of the seas upon
the rocky coast was tremendous. Such was the case about this time. A
fierce gale of wind from the eastward raised a sea which threw the surf
and spray high over the loftiest of the rocks, and the violence of the
wind bore the spray far inland. The gale had come on in the evening,
and my mother and I, when we rose in the morning, were standing on the
platform before the cabin, admiring the grandeur of the scene, but
without the least idea that it was to be productive of so much misery to
ourselves. My mother pointed out to me some passages in the Psalms and
Old Testament bearing strongly upon the scene before us; after a time I
called Nero, and went down with him to take fish out of the pool for our
day's consumption. At that time we had a large supply in the pool--more
than ever, I should say. When I arrived at the pool, I found the waves
several feet in height rolling in over the ledges, and the pool one mass
of foam, the water in it being at least two or three feet higher than
usual; still it never occurred to me that there was any mischief done,
until I had sent Nero in for the fish, and found that, after floundering
and diving for some time, he did not bring out one. My mind misgave me;
and I ordered him in again. He remained some time and then returned
without a fish, and I was then satisfied that from the rolling in of the
waves, and the unusual quantity of the water in the pool, the whole of
the fish had escaped, and that we were now without any provisions or
means of subsistence, until the weather should settle, and enable us to
catch some more.

Aghast at the discovery, I ran up to the cabin, and called to my mother,
who was in her bedroom.

"Oh, mother, all the fish have got out of the pool, and we have nothing
to eat. I told you we should be starved."

"Take time, Frank, and take breath," replied she, "and then tell me what
has happened to cause this alarm and dismay, that you appear to be in."

I explained to her what had happened, and that Nero could not find one
fish.

"I fear that what you say must be correct," replied she; "but we must
put our trust in God. It is His will, and whatever He wills must be
right.