I Have Seen the Face of the Pilot, and He Smiled

It seems a storm caught a seafaring vessel off a rocky coast. The wind and waves threatened to drive the boat to its destruction.

In the midst of the terror, one daring pas­sen­ger, contrary to orders, made his way across the ship. Groping along a passageway, he found the pi­lot house. There he beheld an intriguing sight; the ship's pilot was lashed to his post. Secure against the raging elements, he held the wheel fast, turning the ship, inch by inch, once more out to sea. The pilot saw the watcher and smiled.

The daring passenger found his way below deck where other passengers huddled. Encouragingly, he said, "I have seen the face of the pilot, and he smiled. All is well."

-- Often attributed to Robert Louis Stevenson.

HT: Anthony Carter

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