Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 11 — page 22: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

22 you have accepted their hospitality, laughed, talked, walked arm-in-arm with them, pledged them in wine, as we have seen you this evening, and after they have confided in you that you have put them in irons?”’ ‘“‘'Yes, sir, I do,” replied Captain Tartar. “Then, by heaven, you have oy defiance, and you are nc gentleman!” replied Don Philip, the elder. “And L repeat my brother’s words, sir,” cried Don Martin. The two brothers felt so much attachment for our hero, who had twice rendered such signal service to their family, that their anger was without bounds. In every other service but the English navy there is not that power of grossly insulting and then sheltering yourself under your rank; nor is it necessary for the discipline of any service. To these young officers, if the power did exist, the use of such power under such circumstances appeared monstrous, and they were de- termined, at all events, to show to Captain Tartar that in society, at least, it could be resented. The collected their friends, told them what had passed, and begged them to circulate it through the room, This was soon done, and Captain Tartar found himself avoided. He went up tc the marquesa and owe tc her; she turned her head the other way. He addressed a count he had been conversing with the night before—he turned short round upon his heel; while Don Philip and Don Martin walked up and down talking, so that he might hear what they said, and looking at him with eyes flashing | with indignation. Captain Tartar left the ball-room and returned to the inn, more indignant than ever. When he rose the next morning he was informed that a rentleman wished to speak with him; he sent up his card as Don Ignatio Verez, colonel commanding the fourth regiment of infantry. On being admitted, he informed Captain Tartar that Don Philip de Rebiera wished to have the pleasure of crossing swords with him. and requested to know when it would be convenient for Captain Tartar to meet him. It was not in Captain Tartar’s nature to refuse a challenge; his courage was unquestionable; but he felt indignant that a midshipman should be the cause of his etting intosuch ascrape. He accepted the challenge, ut having no knowledge of the small-sw6rd, refused to fight unless with pistols. Tc this the colonel raised no objections and Captain Tartar dispatched his cox- swain with a note to his second lieutenant, for he was not on gp? terms with his first. The meeting took place—at the first fire the ball of Don Philip passed through Captain Tartar’s brain, and he instantly fell dead. The second lieutenant hastened on board to re- | ort the fatal result of the meeting, and shortly after | on Philip and his brother, with many of their friends, went off in the governor’s barge to condole with our ero. The first lieutenant, now captain ‘‘ pro tempore,”’ re- ceived them graciously, and listened to their remon- strances relative to our hero and Gascoigne. “T have never been informed by the captain of the grounds of complaint against the young gentlemen,” replied he, ‘‘and have t erefore no charge to prefer against them. I shall therefore order them to be liber- ated. But asI learn that they are officers belonging to one of his Majesty’s ships at Malta, I feel it my duty, as T saii immediately, to tale them there and send them ¥ +n board of their owr ship.” Jack and Gascoigne were then taken out of irons and permites tosee Don Philip, who informed them that he had revenged the insult, but Jack and Gascoigne did aot wish to go on shore after what had passed, After an hour’s conversation, and assurances of continued friendship, Dor Philip, took leave of our two midshipmen, and rowed on shore. And now we must be serious. We do not write these novels merely to amuse. have always had it in our view to instruct, and it must not be supposed that we have no other end in view than to make the reader laugh. If we were to write an elaborate work, telling truths, and plain truths, con- fining ourselves only to point out errors and to demand reform, it would not be read; we have, therefore, se- lected this light and trifling species of writing, as it is by many denominated, as a channel through which we | may cenvey wholesome advice ina palatable shape. If we would point out an error, we draw a character, and although that character appears to weave naturally into the tale of fiction, it becomes as much a bacon as it is a vehicle of amusement. We consider this to be the true art of novel writing, and that crime and folly and error can be as severely lashed as virtue and morality can be upheld by a series of amusing Causes and effects that entice the reader to take a medicine which, although rendered agreeable to tha palate, still produces the same internal benefit as if it had been pre- sented to him in its crude state, in which it would either be refused or nauseated. In our naval novels we have often pointed out the errors which have existed, and still do exist, in a service which is an honor to our country; for what institution is there on earth that is perfect, or into which, if it once was perfect, abuses will not creep? Unfortunately others have written to decry the service, and many have raised up their voices against our writ- ings, because they felt that, in exposing error, we were exposing them. But to this we have been indifferent; his brother, and their friends | We | The New FOE sy | tides on board serters, although, have shown more delicacy. The fault was in stigma- tizing a young man as a swindler, and the punishment that such an abuse of power should be severely visited. |The greatest error now in our service is the disregard | shown to the feelings of the junior officers in the language _of their superiors: that an improvement has taken place I grant, but that it still exists, to a degree injurious to the service, I know too well. The articles of war, as our hero was informed by his captain, are equally binding on officers and crew; but what a dead letter do they be- come if officers are permitted to break them with im- punity! The captain of a ship will turn the hands up to punishment, read the articles of war, for the trans- gressing of which the punishment is inflicted, and to show at that time their high respect for the articles of war, the captain and every officer take off their hats. The moment the hands are piped down, the second ar- ticle of war, which forbids all swearing, etc., in deroga: tion of God’s honor, is immediately disregarded. 'e are not straight-laced—we care little about an oath as a mere expletive; we refer now to swearing at others, to insulting their feelings grossly by coarse and intem- perate language. We would never interfere with a man for d——- of his d- g¢ those of another. The rank of a master in the service is above that of | a, midshipman, but still the midshipman is a gentleman | by birth, and the master, generally speaking, is not. Even at this moment, in the service, if the master were to d——n the eyes of a midshipman, and tell him that he was a liar, would there be any redress, or if so, would it be commensurate to the insult? If a midship- man were to request a court-martial, would it be granted ?—certain y not: and yet this is a point of more importance than may be conceived. Our service has been wonderfully improved since the peace, and those who are now permitted to enter it must be gen- tlemen. cry out against this as dangerous, and oer to the service; as if education spoiled an officer, and the scion of an illustrious house would not be more care- ful to uphold an escutcheon without blemish for centu- ries than one who has little more than brute courage; but those who argue thus are the very people who are injurious to the service, for they can have no other reason, except that they wish that the juniors may be _tyrannized over with impunity. Be it remembered that these are not the observations | flict, we are too high to receive insult, but we have not forgotten how our young blood has boiled when wanton, _reckless, and cruel torture has been heaped upon our | feelings, merely because, as a junior officer, we were not in a position to re other evil is, that this great error is disseminated. In observing on it in one of our works, called “ Peter Simple,” we have put the following true observation in the mouth of O’Brien. _ ple, PRT way: ‘T should think, O’Brien, that the very circumstance of having had your feelings so often wounded by such language when you were a junior officer, would make you doubly careful not to use it toward others, when you had advanced in the service.” “Peter, that’s just the first feeling, which wears away after a time, till at last your own sense of indig- nation becomes blunted, and becomes indifferent to it; you forget, also, that you wound the feelings of others, and carry the habit with you, to the great injury and disgrace of the service.” Let it not be supposed that in making these remarks we want to cause Htigation or insubordination. On the contrary, we assert that this error is the cause, and eventually will be much more the cause of insubordina- tion; for asthe junior officers who enter the service are improved, so will they resist it. The complaint here is more against the officers than the captains, whose ower has been perhaps already too much curtailed b ate regulations: that power must remain, for although there may be some few who are so perve as to make those whom they command uncomfortable, in justice to the service we are proud to assert that the majority acknowledged, by their conduct, that the greatest charm attached to power is to be able to make so many people happy. CHAPTER XXIIL OUR HERO IS SICK WITH THE SERVICE, BUT RECOVERS WITH PROPER MEDICINE—AN ARGUMENT, ENDING AS MOST DO, IN A BLOW UP—MESTY LECTURES UPON CRANT- OLOGY; Tue day after the funeral, H. M. ship Aurora sailed for Malta, and on her arrival the acting captain sent our two midshipmen on board the Harpy without any re- mark, except “ victualed the day discharged,”’ as they had been borne on the ship’s books as supernumeraries. Mr. James, who was acting in the Aurora, was anx- | ious to join the admiral at Toulon, and intended to sail the next day. Hemet Captain Wilson at the governor's table, and stated that Jack and Gascoigne had been put rr we telt that we were doing good, and we have con- | in irons by order of Captain Tartar: his suspicions, and tinued. To prove that we are correct in asserting that | the report that the we have done good, we will, out of several, state oue single case. In “ The King’s Own,” a captain, when requested to punisl. a man instante: fora fault committed, replies that he never has and never will punish a man until twenty-four hours after the offense, that he may not be induced by the an punishment than in his cooler moments he might think commensurate; and that he wished that the Admiralty would give out an order to that effect. . Some time after the publication of that work, the order was given by the Admiralty forbidding the punishment until a certain time had elapse offense; and we had the pleasure of knowing from the first lord of the Admiralty at the time that it was in consequence of the suggestion in the novel. If our writings had effected nothing else, we ht still lay down our pen with pride and satisfaction: but they have done more, much more; and while they have amused the reader they have improved the service: they have held up in their characters a mirror, in which those who have n in error may see their own de- fermity, and many hints which have been given have ard returned to the thoughts of those who have had inffhence, have been considered as their own ideas, ha ted The conduct of Captain may be considered as a libel on the service—is it got! The fault of Captain Tartar was not in sending: er of the moment to award a severer | 1 after the | uel had in consequence taken place; but Gascoigne and Jack had both agreed that they would not communicate the events of their cruise to anybody on board of the Aurora; and therefore no- thing else was known, except that they must have made powerful friends somehow or other; and there appeared _in the conduct of Captain Tartar, as well as in the whole transaction, somewhat of a mystery. “T should like toknow what happened to my friend Jack, who fought the duel,”’ said the governor who had laughed at it till he held his sides. “ Wilson, do bring —_ here to-morrow morning, and let us have his “Tam afraid to encourage him, Sir, Thomas; he is -much too wild already, Itold you of his first cruise. He nae nothing but adventures, and they all end fa- _vorably.”’ “Well, but youcan send for him here and blow him up just as well as in your own cabin, and then we will | have the truth out of him.” ., That you certainly will,” replied Captain Wilson, ‘for he tells it plainly once 4 “Well, to oblige me, send for him. I don’t see he was much to blame in absconding, as it appears he chong he would be hung. I want to see the ¥ ‘Well, governor, if you wish it,’ replied Captain Wilson, who wrote a note to Mr. Sawbridge, requesting he would send Mr, Easy to him at the governor's house at ten o'clock in the morning, or even putting them in irons as de- | under the circumstances, he might | _awarded to the error is intended to point out the moral, his own eyes, but we deny the right | We know that even now there are many who | of a junior officer, smarting under instlt—they are the | result of deep and calm reflection, We have arrived | to that grade, that, although we have the power to in- | taliate, or even to reply. And an-| Peter observes, in his sim- | —— + <- Jack made his appearance in his uniform—he did not much care for what was said to him, as he was re solved to leave the service. He had been put in irons, and the iron had entered into his soul. Mr. Sawbridge had gone on shore about an hour be- fore Jack was sent on board, and he had remained on _shore all the night. He did not therefore see Jack but for a few minutes, and thinking it his duty to say noth- ing to him at first, or to express his displeastrie, he -merely observed to him that the captain would speak to him as soon as he came on board. As Gascoigne and our hero did not know how far it might be safe, even at Malta, to acknowledge to what occurred on board the speronare, which might get wind, they did not even tell their messmates, resolving only to confide it to the captain. When Jack was ushered into the presence of the ca | tain, he found him sitting with the governor, and the breakfast on the table ready for them. Jack walked in with courage, but respectfully. He was fond of Captain Wilson, and wished to show him respect. p- tain Wilson addressed him, pointed out that he had committed a great error in fighting a duel—a greater error in demeaning himself by fighting the purser’s steward, and still greater in running tig his i ship. Jack looked respectfully to Captain Wilson, ac- knowledged that he had done-.wrong, and promised to be more careful another time, if Captain Wilson would look over it. ‘Captain Wilson, allow me to plead for the youn gentleman,”’ said the governor; “I am ovavisestt that it has yg hig an error in judgment.”’ ‘“Well, Mr. Easy, as you express your contrition, and the governor interferes in your behalf, I shall take no more notice of this. But recollect, Mr. Easy, that you have occasioned me a great deal of anxiety by your mad pranks, and I trust another time you will remem- ber that Iam too anxious for your welfare not to be uncomfortable when you run such risks. You may now o on board to your duty, and tell Mr. Gascoigne to do the same; and pray let us hear of no more duels or run- ning away.” Jack, whose heart softened at this kind treatment, did not venture to speak; he made his bow and was about to quit the room, when the governor said; ‘*Mr. Easy, you have not breakfasted ?” “‘T have, sir,”’ replied Jack, “‘ before Icame onshore.” “But a midshipman can always eat two breakfasts ake ape when his own comes first; so sit down and reakfast with us—it’s all over now.”’ - + Hae - : bing ee ay ee a or Wilson, aughing, ‘I doubt whether it wo Mr. Easy’s breakfast. Come, Mr. Easy, sit aoe. Jack bowed, and took his chair, and proved that his lecture had not taken away his appetite. When break- fast was over, Captain Wilson observed; ‘“Mr. Easy, you have generally a few adventures to | speak of when you return, will you tell the governor and me what has taken eT since you left us 7” | “Oertainly, sir,’ replied Jack; “but I venture to request that it may be under the promise of secrecy, _ for it’s rather important to me and Gascoigne.” ‘Yes, if secrecy is really necessary, my Sons but I’m the best udge of that,’’ replied the governor. Jack then entered into a detail of his adventures, | which we have already described, much to the astonish- ment of the governor and his captain, and concluded his narration by stating that he wanted to leave the service; he hoped that aptain Wilson would discharge | him and send him home, Pooh, nonsense!’ said the governor, “you shan’t leave the Mediterranean while Iam here. No, no—you must have more adventures, and come back and tell them tome. And recollect, my lad, that whenever you | come to Malta, there is a bed at the Se house, and a seat at his table, always ready for you.” * ave are very kind, Sir Thomas,” replied Jack, 7 u alee | “No buts at all, sir—you shan’t leave the service! | Besides, recollect that I can ask for leave of absence for you to go and see Donna Agnes. Ay, and send you _ there, too.” | Captain Wilson also remonstrated with our hero, and he gave up the point. It was harsh treatment which made him form the resolution—it was kindness which overcame it. | “With your permission, fa goa Wilson, Mr. — shall dine with us to-day, and bring Gascoigne wit him. You shall first scold him, and I’) console him with a good dinner. And, boy, don’t be afraid to tell our story tay Syme Sit down and tell it at Nix angare stairs, if you please. I’m governor here!’ Jack made his obeisance, and oF sae ! “The lad must be treated kindly, Captain Wilson,” said the governor; ‘he would be a loss to the service. Good heavens, what adventures, and how honestly he tells everything! I shall ask him to stay with me for the time you are here, if you will alow me; I want to make friends with him—he must not leave the service.’ Captain Wilson, who felt that kindness and attention would be more effectual with our hero than any other measures, gave his consent to the governor’s proposi- tion. So Jack ate at the governor's table, and took les- sons in Spanish and Italian until the Harpy had been refitted, after heaving down. Before she was ready a vessel arrived from the fleet, directing Captain Wilson to repair to Mahon and send a transport, lying there, to procue live bullocks for the fleet. Jack aid not join willingly, but he had promised the gover- nor to remain in the service, and he went on board the evening before she sailed. He had been living so well eke had, at first, a horror of midshipman’s fare, but a g a is ship ve tite seasons everything, and Jack soon com- plained that there was not enough. He was delighted to see Jolliffe and Mesty after so long an absence; he laughed at the boatswain’s cheeks, inquired after the purser’s steward's shot-holes, shook hands with Gas- coigne and his other messmates, gave Vigors a thrash- ing, and then sat down to supper. | Ah, Massa Easy, why you take a cruise without | me?” said Mesty; “dat very shabby. By de power, bus | I wish I was there. You are too much danger, Massa mae: without ed anyhow.” The next day the Harpy sailed, and Jack went to his duty. Mr. Asper borrowed ten pounds, and our hero ate as much watch as he pl which, as w did not please him, was very little. Mr, Sawb long conversations with our hero, pointing out to him the necessity of discipline and obedience in the service, and that there