At length the women and the sick had all been saved in the boats.

This done, and not till then, the men had saved themselves, some by boats, some by life preservers; and last of all the captain and officer in command were proceeding to leave the fast foundering ship, when the latter heard a voice close to him, saying, "Colonel, may we leave now ?" It was the voice of one of his two sentinels.

In the stress and strain of the awful scenes of that night he had for the moment forgotten that he had ordered them not to leave their post until he gave the word of command.

And he said that _the water was almost up to their lips_! Oh ye mothers of America and of our great Empire! send us such men as these,--men who will mount guard over women and children in all lands, and see, as far as in them lies, that they do not make shipwreck of what is dearer than life;--men who, even with the bitter waters of temptation up to their own lips, will still hold their post and see that no man, to save himself, drives them down into that dread sea of perdition which never gives up its dead.
Then East, West, North, South, the American flag will witness in the face of all nations to the true manhood that steers its course by no earth-born fires of passion and selfish lust, but by the eternal stars, the heavenly lights of God, and mother, and duty, and home.
East, West, North, South, by its side our flag, twice scored with the White Cross, will float wide in the face of all nations the Englishman's faith, reverence for womanhood, self-giving manhood, and the pure heart that sees God.
FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 38: _Hereditary Genius_, by Francis Galton, p.

331.] [Footnote 39: Great Britain, since the conquest of the Soudan, rules one-fourth of the population of the world.].