“Yes; that review took place last April; and after it they sailed for the St. Lawrence River, came round the lakes as we did, and here into this harbor.”

“How many are there, papa?”

“Three:  the Santa Maria—­in which Columbus himself sailed—­the Nina, and the Pinta.  There they are, daughter,” as at that moment they came in sight of the three small vessels.

“Why, how little they are!” she exclaimed; “not nearly so big as the Illinois that we see all the time from our deck.”

“You are quite right about that,” her father said, with a smile.

“But what does anybody want with such little bits of ships?” she asked.

“Only to show people with what little vessels Columbus accomplished his great work of discovering America.”

“I’m glad he discovered it,” Elsie said, with satisfaction; “because, if he hadn’t, we couldn’t have been here living in it.”

“Unless somebody else had discovered it between that time and this, Elsie,” laughed her uncle Walter, overhearing her last remark.

All were interested in looking at the little vessels, but their curiosity was soon satisfied and they returned to the Court of Honor for a time, then to the Dolphin.

CHAPTER XVII.

It was Sunday afternoon.  Most of the Dolphin’s passengers were in their own state-rooms enjoying the Sabbath rest, after the fatigue of the sight-seeing of the past week, but Captain Raymond sat on the deck with Neddie on his knee and the three girls grouped about him.  The father and daughters had each a Bible, for even little Elsie could read fluently and had been given one of her own, which she valued highly.

“Papa,” she said, “you know you bade each of us to have a verse to recite to you to-day.  May I say mine now?”

“Yes; we will begin with the youngest to-day,” he replied.

“But that’s I, papa; your Neddie boy!” exclaimed the little fellow on his knee.

“Why, yes, to be sure!  But I hardly expected him to have one,” the captain returned, with a fatherly smile down into the dear little face upturned to his.  “Let me hear it, son?”

“It’s only a very little one, papa:  ’The Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins.’”

“A very sweet verse.  Does my little son know who said these words?”

“Grandma said they were Jesus’ words.  She taught me the verse.”

“Yes, it was Jesus our Saviour who said it; and do you know whom he meant by the Son of man?”

“Grandma said it was himself, and that he can forgive all our sins and take away the love of sinning and make us truly good, really holy.”

“That is true, a blessed truth; and to him alone, to Jesus who was God and man both, we must go to get our sins forgiven, and be taught to love holiness; that holiness without which no man can see the Lord.”