“Nineteen hundred and twenty,” answered the lad after a moment’s thought.

“Right,” said his father.  “The tongue when not in use, lies folded deep in the interior of the limpet.”

“Are their shells pretty, papa?” Lulu asked.

“Those of some of the limpets of warmer climates are very beautiful,” he answered; “large too.  I have seen them on the western coast of South America, a foot wide; so large that they are often used as basins.”

“Oh I’d like to have one!” she exclaimed.  “Is it for their shells people try to pull them off the rocks?”

“It may be so in some instances, but the limpet is used for food and also as bait, by the fisherman.

“Try, my children, to remember what I have been telling you about it; but most of all let your thoughts dwell upon the lesson to be drawn from its close clinging to the rock.

“God is often spoken of in the Scriptures as his people’s rock, because he is their strength, their refuge, their asylum, as the rocks were in those places whither the children of Israel retired in case of an unexpected attack from their foes.

“David says; ’The Lord is my rock and my fortress....  Who is a rock save our God?’

“Jesus is the rock on which we must build our hope of salvation; any other foundation will be as the sand upon which the foolish man built his house; ’and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell; and great was the fall of it.’

“The limpet is wiser; it never trusts to the shifting sand, but holds firmly to the immovable rock.  Be like it in resisting all attempts whether of human or spiritual foes, to drag you from your Rock.”

“Papa,” said Max, slowly and with some hesitation.  “I wish to do so—­I think it is my settled purpose—­but I—­I feel afraid that sometime I may let go.  I’m a careless, heedless fellow you know, and—­and I’m afraid I may forget to hold fast to Jesus, and be overcome by some sudden and great temptation.”

“There is danger of that, my boy,” the captain returned with feeling, “yet I should have greater fear for you if I heard you talk in a self-confident and boasting spirit.  Trusting in ourselves we are not safe, but trusting in Jesus we are.  We are safe only while we cling to our sure foundation, the Rock Christ Jesus; but our greatest security is in the joyful fact that he holds us fast and will never let us go; if we have indeed given ourselves to him.

“He says, ’My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me; and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.’”

“Such sweet words, papa, aren’t they?” Lulu said softly.

“Yes, words that have been an untold comfort and support to many of God’s dear children on their way Zionward.  The sword of the Spirit with which they have fought Satan’s lying assertion that they might yet be lost in spite of having fled for refuge to Him who died on Calvary.”