David had passed a sleepless night in fear and sadness. As the morning
sun shone over all, a little lightness had crept into his heart, and he
sank upon his knees and prayed.
As David was kneeling, the three men came behind him. But he was so
absorbed that he heard no steps.
Peter saw him first, and said to the others: "See, there is a hermit,
maybe he can direct us. Brother, can you tell us?"--he had no time to
finish his question, for David had risen to his feet. He recognized his
father, and cried: "Oh, my father! my father!" Then a silence broke over
them, for neither had the power to speak.
At last they controlled their emotion and thanked God in one voice, for
bringing them together. David then greeted his uncle and Peter and
gathering up his belongings, hastened with them to the boat.
On the homeward trip, David related all his adventures, and shed tears
of joy. Even his father had to dry his eyes several times. "You were
very wise, and helped yourself wonderfully. Necessity awakened your
understanding," said Peter.
"Don't you remember?" said his uncle, "what I once said to you that God
would send you to a special school? That's where you've been. In the
school of Experience. In this school you learned to know God, to pray to
Him, to love Him, and to thank Him for his blessings. What I find most
wonderful of all in your story is about the smoke which arose from your
island. What is more trivial than smoke, yet the smoke was like a sign
from heaven, that this was an island upon which some one lived.
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