Anniversary of Our Deliverance--Motives for
Thankfulness
One morning, having arisen earlier than the rest of my young family,
I occupied myself by counting up the time that had passed away since
our shipwreck. I calculated the dates with the utmost exactness, and
I found that the next day would be the anniversary of that event. It
was just two years since the hand of God had been extended over us to
save us from a watery grave. I felt my mind filled with thanksgiving,
and I resolved to celebrate the day with all the pomp our situation
would permit.
As I had not yet fixed upon the arrangements for our holiday, I said
nothing about it to my family. Breakfast over, we proceeded to our
different employments, and it was not until we were seated at supper
that I announced, in a pompous manner, the holiday for the morrow.
“Be ready,” said I to my sons, “to celebrate the anniversary of the
morrow; let each one prepare himself as is proper for so great a day.”
These last words, joined to the announcement of a holiday, surprised
and overjoyed my children. Their mother was not less astonished than
they were to find that they had been on the island two years.
On the morrow we rose and dressed as decently as our scanty means
afforded, and proceeded to breakfast. After our daily prayer I
announced to my family that the amusements of the day would conclude
with the exercises which always terminated our holidays.
“You have practised for some time,” said I, “in wrestling, running,
slinging, and horsemanship; the time has come when you shall receive
the reward for your labours. You shall this day contend, before your
mother and me, and the crown shall be given to the victor. Come,
champions,” I added, elevating my voice, “the barrier is open, enter
the lists; and you, trumpets, sound the horn of combat.” As I said
these last words, I turned to the little inlet where our geese and
ducks were feeding, and the whole troop, frightened by my gestures,
and the tone of my voice, commenced a most deafening clamour, and
furnished my sons with a good joke to excite their risible faculties.
I then organized the different combats which were to take place.
First came firing at a mark; the materials for this were soon
arranged by fixing in the ground a rudely-shaped piece of wood,
with two bits of leather at each side of the top, which we called a
kangaroo. Jack did wonders, either by chance or skill: he shot away
one of the ears of our pretended kangaroo! Fritz just grazed the
head, and Ernest lodged his ball in the middle of the body. The three
shots were all worthy of praise. Another proof of skill was then
made; it consisted in firing at a ball of cork which I threw up in
the air. Ernest had the advantage here: he cut the ball to pieces.
Fritz also shot well, but Jack could not hit it. We then tried
the same thing with pistols, shortening the distance, and again I
complimented my boys upon the progress they had made since last year.
Slinging succeeded to the pistol exercise. Fritz carried off
the prize. After that came archery; and here all--even little
Francis--distinguished themselves. Next came the races; and I gave
them for a course the distance between Family Bridge and Falcon’s
Nest.
“The one that arrives first,” said I to the runners, who gathered
about me, “will bring me, as proof of his victory, my knife, which
I left on the table, under the tree.” I then gave the signal, by
clapping my hands three times. My three sons set out, Jack and
Fritz with all the impetuosity that marked their character; on the
contrary, Ernest, who never did anything without reflecting, set off
slowly at first, but gradually augmented his pace. I perceived that
he had his elbows pressed firmly against his body, and I augured well
from this little mark of prudence.
The runners were absent about three-quarters of an hour. Jack
returned first; but he was mounted on his buffalo, and the onagra and
the ass followed him.
“How now,” said I, “is this what you call racing? It was your legs,
and not those of the buffalo, that I wished to exercise.”
“Bah!” cried he, jumping from the back of his courser; “I knew I
would never get there, so I left the course; and, as the trial of
horsemanship comes next, I thought that, as I was near Falcon’s Nest,
I would bring our coursers back with me.”
Fritz came next, all out of breath and covered with sweat; but he had
not the knife, and it was Ernest who brought it me.
“How came you to have the knife,” said I, “when Fritz got here before
you?”
“The thing is simple,” answered Ernest; “in going, he could not long
keep up the pace he started with, and soon stopped to breathe, while
I ran on and got the knife; but in coming back, Fritz had learned a
lesson; he pressed his arms against his sides, and held his mouth
shut, as he had seen me do, and then the victory depended upon our
relative strength: Fritz is 16, while I am but 13, and of course he
arrived first.”
I praised the two boys for their skill, and declared Ernest conqueror.
But now Jack, mounted on his buffalo, demanded that the equestrian
exercises should commence, and he be allowed to repair the injury his
reputation had sustained.
“To the saddle, to the saddle, my lads,” he bellowed with all his
force, “and you shall then see who can best manage a courser; we
shall then know whether you can sit your horse as well as you can
exercise your legs.”
I hastened to comply with the request of the little braggart: Fritz
mounted his onagra, and Ernest took the ass; but although they tried
all their skill, Jack distanced them both. I was frightened myself
to see with what boldness the boy abandoned himself to the powerful
animal that bore him. To stop, charge, and turn was but a trifle to
him; a practised groom could not have managed a thoroughbred horse
with more ease and grace than he did his bull. Just as I had declared
the contest over, and was about to proclaim Jack victor, the little
Francis rode into the arena, mounted on his young bull “Broumm,” who
was not more than three or four months old; my wife had made him a
saddle of kangaroo-skin, with stirrups adjusted to his little legs,
and there he sat, a whip in his right hand, and the bridle of his
animal in the left.
“Gentlemen,” said the little cavalier, saluting us with a gracious
bend, “I have not contended with you thus far in any of the exercises
of the day; will you now permit Milo of Crotona to make a trial of
his horsemanship before you?”
The assembly loudly applauded this little harangue, and the cavalier
commenced to manœuvre his courser. The boy was more cool and calm
than those of his age are apt to be. But what I admired most was the
docility of the animal. My wife looked on with maternal pride to see
the success of her dear pupil, and Francis was unanimously proclaimed
an excellent horseman.
After the horsemanship, the swimming occupied some time; they also
climbed the trees; and, after we had finished our gymnastics, I
announced that the rewards would now be distributed, and that the
crowns would shade the brows of the victors.
Every one hastened to the grotto, which had been lighted up with
all the torches we possessed; my wife, as queen of the day, was
pompously installed in an elevated seat, decorated with flowers, and
I called up the laureates to receive the rewards, which their mother
distributed to each one as she impressed a tender kiss upon his
forehead.
Fritz--conqueror at shooting and swimming--received a superb English
rifle,[3] and a hunting-knife, which he had long wished for. Ernest
had for the reward of the race a splendid gold watch. Jack--the
cavalier--obtained a magnificent pair of steel spurs and a whip of
whalebone. Little Francis received a pair of stirrups and a box of
colours as a reward for the industry he had displayed in educating
his bull.
When this distribution was finished, I rose, and, turning to my
wife, presented her with a beautiful English work-box, in which was
contained all those little things that add so much to the comfort of
an industrious woman, such as pins, needles, scissors, etc.
“Receive,” said I, “my excellent companion, also a reward; for your
services and endurance during the year well deserve one, even though
the tender love of myself and children may be in itself a sufficient
reward.”
The day was finished as it had begun--with songs and expressions
of joy; we were all happy, all contented: we all enjoyed that pure
felicity which a life free from reproach had given us; and we all
thanked in our hearts the Lord who had been so merciful toward us.
FOOTNOTE:
[3] These articles were portion of the property brought
from the wreck.