To-day I rung her knell , and though my heart was heavy , yet my soul was glad ; for in spite of all her human woe and weakness , I am sure that little girl will keep a joyful Christmas up in heaven . '' In the silence which the spirits for a moment kept , a breath of softer air than any from the snowy world below swept through the steeple and seemed to whisper , `` Yes ! '' `` Avast there ! fond as I am of salt water , I do n't like this kind , '' cried the breezy voice of the fourth spirit , who had a tiny ship instead of a tassel on his cap , and who wiped his wet eyes with the sleeve of his rough blue cloak . `` It wo n't take me long to spin my yarn ; for things are pretty taut and ship-shape aboard our craft . Captain Taylor is an experienced sailor , and has brought many a ship safely into port in spite of wind and tide , and the devil 's own whirlpools and hurricanes . If you want to see earnestness come aboard some Sunday when the Captain 's on the quarter-deck , and take an observation . No danger of falling asleep there , no more than there is up aloft , ` when the stormy winds do blow . ' Consciences get raked fore and aft , sins are blown clean out of the water , false colors are hauled down and true ones run up to the masthead , and many an immortal soul is warned to steer off in time from the pirates , rocks and quicksands of temptation . He 's a regular revolving light , is the Captain , -- a beacon always burning and saying plainly , ` Here are life-boats , ready to put off in all weathers and bring the shipwrecked into quiet waters . ' He comes but seldom now , being laid up in the home dock , tranquilly waiting till his turn comes to go out with the tide and safely ride at anchor in the great harbor of the Lord . Our crew varies a good deal . Some of 'em have rather rough voyages , and come into port pretty well battered ; land-sharks fall foul of a good many , and do a deal of damage ; but most of 'em carry brave and tender hearts under the blue jackets , for their rough nurse , the sea , manages to keep something of the child alive in the grayest old tar that makes the world his picture-book . We try to supply 'em with life-preservers while at sea , and make 'em feel sure of a hearty welcome when ashore , and I believe the year '67 will sail away into eternity with a satisfactory cargo . Brother North-End made me pipe my eye ; so I 'll make him laugh to pay for it , by telling a clerical joke I heard the other day . Bellows did n't make it , though he might have done so , as he 's a connection of ours , and knows how to use his tongue as well as any of us . Speaking of the bells of a certain town , a reverend gentleman affirmed that each bell uttered an appropriate remark so plainly , that the words were audible to all . The Baptist bell cried , briskly , ` Come up and be dipped ! come up and be dipped ! ' The Episcopal bell slowly said , ` Apos-tol-ic suc-cess-ion !
apos-tol-ic XXXXX ! '
Baptist Bellows Captain North-End knell life-boats quarter-deck quicksands suc-cess-ion whirlpools