Salt Water Part 30

A short time before I left Daisy Cottage to join my next s.h.i.+p, I was sitting in the drawing-room, when Sir Richard Sharpe was announced, and in walked d.i.c.ky himself. We almost wrung each other's hands off before we could speak, and then we did indeed rattle away. His father was dead, he told me.

"I have been compelled to deprive the navy of my services," said he, with perfect gravity. "But you see that I have my estates to look after, and my mother and sisters' welfare to attend to; and I could not fulfil my duties in these respects were I to remain afloat. Do you know, D'Arcy, I am very glad indeed that I went to sea," he continued, more seriously. "It made me think much less of myself, and cured me of many faults; for I am very sure that I should have been spoiled had I remained at home. They always let me have too much of my own way, and that is bad for the best of us. Now in the service I got cobbed and mast-headed, and made to do what I was told; and I'm all the better for the discipline, though I did not like it at the time. Then I learned a very important lesson,--that every man, whatever his position, has his duties to perform; and that, if he does not do them to the best of his power, he must certainly expect to be disrated."

"You mean to say that you learned this out of the man-of-war's Homily-book,--the Station Bill," said I, smiling at my own conceit.

I must explain that this Station Bill is a book in which is entered the place which every man on board is to occupy, as well as the duties he is especially to attend to, though at the same time he is expected to do his very utmost in performing any other work which may be necessary.

"That's just it," replied Sir Richard. "I used to think that the captain of a man-of-war had a good deal to do to keep his s.h.i.+p in good order; but I can tell you that I feel that the owner of a large estate has many more and multifarious duties; and that in a great degree every soul upon it is committed by G.o.d to his care, and at his hands will they be required."

I fully agreed with my old messmate in these matters, and was rejoiced to find that he had really discovered the true object of life. I am happy to say that he was after this a very frequent visitor at Daisy Cottage, and that ultimately one of my cousins became Lady Sharpe.

They, the Vernons and the Wallers, are among my most valued friends; and at the houses also of Admiral Poynder and Captain Idle, and most of my subsequent commanders, I am a welcome guest.

I must not forget to mention, once more, my gallant companion in so many adventures, honest Jack Stretcher. He volunteered into the next s.h.i.+p to which I was appointed, to my very great satisfaction; and afterwards taking out his warrant as a boatswain, he was with me for several years, and a better boatswain there is not in the service. I have never revisited my ancestral halls since I left them with Larry to go to sea; and, to say the truth, the Enc.u.mbered Estates Court knows more about them than I do. The ocean is my only heritage; my s.h.i.+p is my wife, and I look on my crew as my children. I went to sea again as a mids.h.i.+pman; then, after pa.s.sing, I spent four years as a mate, and six as a lieutenant; during which time I saw a good deal of hard service. At length I got my promotion as a commander, and have still to look for my post step.

Every career has its trials. A naval life has many; but we must always bear in mind that we were sent into this world for the express purpose of undergoing them, and that while some persons are proved by hards.h.i.+ps and poverty, others are so by abundance of ease and wealth. I, for my own part, feel that I have much for which to be grateful; and though I have neither rank nor riches, I do not consider myself unfortunate nor ill-treated. And once more I say, that, had I to begin my career again, I should prefer to every other a life on Salt Water.

THE END.