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[563] the other way and said that General Howard would have the meeting. At last he and I met, having given the general notification. Before the hour everybody came crowding into the salon. This was filled, and all the passages leading to it. I think everybody on the ship responded to the invitation, except, of course, those on duty. For a while, in the imminent danger, everybody attempted to pray. Mr. Moody stood at the head of the table and led the reading and the prayer. A good Catholic lady from South America, returning to New York, led our singing, beginning with “Nearer, my God, to Thee.” There was singing in English and German. I led the speaking, using the words: “Let not your heart be troubled.” A German officer followed me in German, and I heard him use some words with which I had closed: “Man's extremity is God's opportunity.”

The rest of the day we watched for a steamer, and saw the day close without any substantial answer to our petitions. After the accident a young man, a second-class passenger, occupied one of the berths in my stateroom, while I slept under the window with my feet toward the door. The electric light had been revived and my door was held open a little way by a long hook. About three o'clock Monday morning, I opened my eyes and saw Matilda looking in from the hallway smiling. She said in plain English, for her mistress had just taught her the four words: “The ship is coming, Herr General.” Indeed it was true. The steamer Huron, crossing from Canada, had seen our signals of distress, and she came, just in time, to our relief. We had drifted out of the usual course of ships, and to many on board there appeared very little hope of our rescue.

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