CROSSING IN THICK WEATHER. 155 



" True," replied Lawrence. " The weather is no more 

 controlled by the providence of God than every thing 

 else ; and so, when a man grumbles and complains about 

 any thing that he can not help, he is repining against the 

 providence of God, and he punishes himself in doing it." 



" How so ?" asked John. 



" He makes himself uncomfortable in getting angry, and 

 does not help the trouble by it." 



" But sometimes he can help it," replied John. 



"I said things that he could not help," rejoined Law* 

 rence. " If there is any thing that he can help, he ought 

 to help it." 



Just then the engine began to move, and John said the 

 steamer was going to start, and that he must go up on deck 

 to see her sail out of the harbor. In about ten minutes he 

 came back. 



"It does not rain any more," he said, "but it is very wet 

 on deck, and the light -house behind us on the pier looks 

 very brilliant. I'm glad we came." 



" It is generally best to go if the boat goes," said Law- 

 rence ; " that is, if you are a man." 



" I'm not a man," said John. 



" Or if you are old enough to have much manliness 

 about you," added Lawrence. 



"I'm going up again," said John, after a moment's pause. 



So he left Lawrence, who was at this time sitting quietly 

 at a table reading. He was gone about fifteen minutes, 

 and when he came back he said that the light-house on the 

 French coast was in view. " It looks like a faint star," he 

 said, " low in the horizon." 



" Then the clouds must have lifted, and the air must 

 have become quite clear below," replied Lawrence, "for 

 very rare drops of rain, or even a very little dimness, ex- 

 tending for twenty miles, would entirely intercept the 



