The Morning Star - History Of The Children's Missionary Vessel (1860) (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER HI. THE LAUNCH. j OR the purpose of hastening the enterprise thus begun, contracts were speedily made for building the vessel. Her builder was Mr. Jotham Stetson, launch of the Morning Star. Qf Cnelsea) near BOS ton. She was to be of one hundred and fifty tuns burden, and her model or form was one of great beauty. In about twelve weeks from the laying of the keel, she was ready to be launched. Many were the visits made to the ship-yard in Chelsea, while the work was in progress, by the young stockholders, who could scarcely wait to see it finished. At last the day for launching came. Three or four thousand men, women, and children were assembled to see the vessel glide into the water. Every face was full of smiles; every body was happy. A stage had been built nearThe Secretary's Speech. 39 the bows of the vessel, and from that place one of the secretaries of the Board addressed the assembled multitude. "You all know," he said, "that, a little while since, a missionary packet was found to be necessary for the good work among tho islands of the Pacific. A circular was addressed to the children and youth, giving them the privilege of raising the twelve thousand dollars ueeded. That circular was sent through tho (and, and no sooner said than done, ? Here She is, and will be launched in a few minutes. She is called the ' Morning Star.' Can you tell why ? When that bright star comes up, (t announces to all beholders that the great sun will soon lift up his head above the hori- Eon. So when this beautiful packet shall approach and land tho missionary and the word of God on one of the dark iskids in that far-off ocean, it will be a sure sign that a new day is about to dawn, and the Sun of Righteousness soon to rise upon them." The vast assembly then united ...