My eldest brother had gone to sea with a relative who was master
of a merchant vessel in the South American trade. His inclination
led him that way; it seemed to open before him a prospect of
profitable business, and my mother looked upon him as her future
stay and support.
One day she came in among us children looking strangely excited.
I heard her tell some one afterwards that she had just been to
hear Father Taylor preach, the sailors minister, whose coming to
our town must have been a rare occurrence. His words had touched
her personally, for he had spoken to mothers whose first-born had
left them to venture upon strange seas and to seek unknown lands.
He had even given to the wanderer he described the name of her
own absent son Benjamin. "As she left the church she met a
neighbor who informed her that the brig "Mexican" had arrived at
Salem, in trouble. It was the vessel in which my brother had
sailed only a short time before, expecting to be absent for
months. "Pirates" was the only word we children caught, as she
hastened away from the house, not knowing whether her son was
alive or not.
Pages:
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187