CAPTAIN HIGGINSON AND THE SPANISH MAIN
The Churchwarden, having put back into his pocket the bottle of Odour of
Sanctity, folded his hands across his fat stomach and began again:
"As I was saying----"
"Never mind that," said Toby. "Tell us what we had better do."
"Well, as I was saying," went on the Churchwarden, paying no attention
to Toby, "the best idea that occurs to me, after thinking it over
considerable, is that--But I ain't saying there's none better, and I
don't lay claim to being any wiser than--Anyway, it seems to me we ought
to----"
"Just listen to this!" broke in Aunt Amanda. She had been studying the
map all this time, and she was holding it in her hands. She was much
excited. "I've just made out all this handwriting at the bottom of the
map, and I'll read it to you. Do you want to hear it?" Her voice shook
and her hands trembled. Everybody except the Churchwarden begged her to
go on. "Oh! do you think it could be true? If it only could! Oh, if it
_could_ only be true!"
"Maybe if you'd read it, Aunt Amanda----" said Toby.
"Yes, yes, I will," said she, all of a twitter. "I'll read it. Don't
hurry me. This is what it says. If it could only be true! 'Correction
Island: By dead Reckoning, latitude 12 deg. 32' 14" N., longitude 61 deg. 45'
13" W.,' whatever that means. But I'll read it to you just as it's
written. It's a queer kind of language--Anyway, this is what it says:
"'Lately discovered by me, Reuben Higginson, Master Mariner, Brig Cotton
Mather: New Bedford.
"'Notify Elizabeth Higginson, Spinster: or Else the acknowledged Elder
of the Society of Friends: New Bedford.
"'Now off course in heavy gale on return Voyage to fetch my Sister
aforesaid to Correction Island with as Many others as are Minded to
come.
"'Leaking badly below line: pumps Given over: Water mounting in hold:
decks Awash: Both masts gone By the board: whale-oil, no use: Down with
all hands in another Hour.
"'This Map shall be cast Overboard in a stout Bottel as we go down, with
a Paper of directions how to Gain correction in the Island.'"
"Where's the paper of directions?" said Toby.
"It ain't here," said Aunt Amanda. "I suppose Captain Higginson lost it,
or else he didn't have time to put it in the bottle. Anyway, this is
what the writing on the map says:
"'Let him that Finds the Bottel remember these Mariners: Also, let him
take heed to Search out the Island diligently.
"'For this Island'--Listen to what it says now," said Aunt Amanda,
trembling with excitement. "Oh, do you suppose it could really be true?
And yet this Reuben Higginson was a good Quaker captain, I'm sure, and I
don't believe he would say what wasn't true, and especially when he was
on his way home to get his own sister----"
"Why don't you read it, instead of talking about it?" said Toby.
"I would, if you'd let me," said Aunt Amanda. "Here's what it says:
"'For this Island is Refuge to such as be afflicted: And in this Island
shall be Corrected'--oh! listen to this! I wouldn't believe it from
anybody but Reuben Higginson--'shall be Corrected whatever Errors,
Disappointments, Miscarriages, Faylures, Preventions, and the like, this
mortal Life may have afflicted Any withal: Wherefore I have called it
Correction Island.
"'There be Perils enough in coming at Compleat Correction: But let
Courage halt not By the way, so shall he Arrive presently.
"'If any be Crooked'--this is the part! it's too wonderful! but Captain
Higginson wouldn't have said it, when he was so near going down with his
ship, and especially on his way home to get his own sister----"
"Me dear lydy," said Mr. Punch, "_hif_ you would be so wery kind as
to----"
"Yes, yes; give me time. I declare you make me so nervous--Now just
listen to this, every one of you, and don't speak:
"'If any be Crooked, he shall there be made Straight.'"
She paused, and looked hard at Toby. Mr. Punch started at the same time,
and he and Toby looked hard at each other.
"'If any be Blind, he shall see: If any Dumb, he shall speak.'"
At the word "dumb," Mr. Hanlon, whose elbow was resting on the table,
jumped so violently that he knocked the Album onto the floor. Aunt
Amanda nodded her head to him, and all the others stared at him.
"'If any be Old, he shall be Young again: If any Fat, he shall be as
Lean as he will.'"
At the word "fat", the Churchwarden gave a questioning grunt, and
settled down deeper in his chair.
"'If any be Poor, whether in Purse or in Mind, he shall seek Alms no
longer.'"
The Old Codger with the Wooden Leg, who had been resting his wooden leg
on the chair opposite, dropped it to the floor and sat up very straight.
Toby, who was standing beside him, clapped him heartily on the shoulder.
"'If any be Mean, or Cunning, or Despiteful, he shall be given a new
heart.'"
Aunt Amanda looked directly at the Sly Old Codger, who was sitting
smiling, with his tall silk hat on his knees; and everyone else in the
room, except Mr. Hanlon, looked very intently at him. He noticed it, and
glanced around inquiringly, smiling more benevolently than ever.
"How beautiful that would be," he said. "How beautiful! If some of my
dear, dear friends could only have a new heart,--how beautiful!"
"Don't interrupt," said Aunt Amanda. "Freddie, listen to this:
"'If any be Little in stature, against his desire, he shall be Great.'"
Freddie opened his eyes very wide. Would it be possible to be big at
once, without waiting all that long dreary time? How glorious that would
be!
"But this," said Aunt Amanda, "this is the last and the best. I don't
know--whether I can--read it right--" her voice broke, and she blew her
nose and cleared her throat--"but I will try. Oh! do you suppose it
_could_ be true? Would a good Quaker captain, with a sister in New
Bedford, say it if it wasn't true? With the sea raging and both masts
gone, and the ship filling up with water, and----"
"Aunt Amanda," said Toby, "if you don't read the rest of it this
minute----"
"Ah, yes, Toby, I will," said Aunt Amanda. "It must be true, or a good
man like that wouldn't have said it. This is the last part, and the
best:
"'If any be Prevented unjustly of Beauty or of Children or of Love or of
Other like desires, there shall be found for him of these a great Store:
So that there shall be an End of repining, and none in that Place shall
say, Thus and thus might I have been also, had I been but justly
entreated.
"'And so I commit my Body to the sea, and my soul to----'"
"Go on! go on!" cried the company--excepting, of course, Mr. Hanlon.
Aunt Amanda blew her nose again, and laid down the map on the table.
"That's all," she said. "I suppose he didn't have time to finish it."