306 THE WORLD OF ICE.

“ Ah, father, yonder stands one stone, at least, that
calls forth feelings of sorrow.”

Fred pointed as he spoke to Store Island, which
was just passing out of view. On this lonely spot the
men had raised a large stone over the grave of Joseph
West. O'Riley, whose enthusiastic temperament had
caused him to mourn over his comrade more, perhaps,
than any other man in the ship, had carved the name
and date of his death in rude characters on the stone.
it was a conspicuous object on the low island, and
every eye in the Dolphin was fixed on it as they
passed. Soon the point of rock that had sheltered
them so long from many a westerly gale intervened
and shut it out from view for ever.

When man’s prospects are at the worst, it often
happens that some unexpected success breaks on his
path like a bright sunbeam. Alas! it often happens,
also, that when his hopes are high and his prospects
brightest, a dark cloud overspreads him like a funeral
pall. We might learn a lesson from this—the lesson
of dependence on that Saviour who careth for us, and
of trust in that blessed assurance that “all things
work together for good to’ them that love God.”

A week of uninterrupted fair wind and weather
had carried the Dolphin far to the south of their
dreary wintering ground, and all was going well,
when the worst of all disasters befell the ship—she
caught fire! How it happened no one could tell.
The smoke was first seen rising suddenly from the
hold. Instantly the alarm was spread.