“This is not the seaman’s usual way of thinking,” returned our hero, after regarding his companion for a moment, a little intently.  “With us, there is very little Sabbath in blue-water.”

“Too little, sir; much too little.  Depend on’t, Captain Gar’ner, God is on the face of the waters as well as on the hill-tops.  His Spirit is everywhere; and it must grieve it to see human beings, that have been created in his image, so bent on gain as to set apart no time even for rest; much less for his worship and praise!”

“I am not certain you are wrong, Stimson, and I feel much more sure that you are right as a political economist than in your religion.  There should be seasons of rest and reflection—­yet I greatly dislike losing a day as fine as this.”

“‘The better the day, the better the deed.’ sir, No time is lost to him who stops in his work to think a little of his God.  Our crew is used to having a Sabbath; and though we work on lays, there is not a hand aboard us, Captain Gar’ner, who would not be glad to hear the word pass among ’em which should say this is the Lord’s Day, and you’ve to knock off from your labour.”

“As I believe you understand the people, Stephen, and we have had a busy time of it since we got in, I’ll take you at your word, and give the order.  Go and tell Mr. Hazard there’ll be no duty carried on to-day beyond what is indispensable.  It is Sunday, and we’ll make it a day of rest.”

Truth compels us to say that Roswell was quite as much influenced in giving this order, by recollecting the pleasure it would give Mary, as by any higher consideration.

Glad enough was Stimson to hear this order, and away he hastened to find the mate, that it might be at once communicated to the men.  Although this well-disposed seaman a little overrated the motives of a portion of the crew at least, he was right enough as to the manner in which they would receive the new regulation, Rest and relaxation had become, in a measure, necessary to them; and leisure was also needed to enable the people to clean themselves; the business in which they had been engaged being one that accumulates oily substances, and requiring occasional purifications of the body in order to preserve the health.  The scurvy, that great curse of long voyages, is as much owing to neglect of cleanliness as to diet.

No sooner was it known that this day was to be treated as the Sabbath, than soap, razors, scissors, and all the usual appliances of the sailor’s toilet, were drawn out of bags and chests, and paraded about on the rocks.  An hour passed in scrubbing, shaving, cutting hair, holding garments up to the light to look for holes and ascertain their condition, and rummaging among “properties,” as the player would term the different wardrobes that were thus brought into view.  The mates came out of the melee ’shaven and shorn,’ as well as neatly attired; and there was not a man on the island who