Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 11 — page 8: what you’re looking at

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

8 — 2+ will always find followers—that is, to the tavern ; lieutenants did not disdain to dine, walk arm-in-arm | and be “ hail fellow well met ’’ with a midshipman, at | whose expense they lived during the time they were | individu onshore. Mr. Asper had just received his commission and appointment, when his father became a bankrupt and the fountain was dried up from which he had The New York Library. a : . man who is able and willing to pay a large tavern bill | devilish free and easy sort of a fellow, to tell the cap- and | tain that you considered yourself as great a man as he was, “IT beg your pardon,”’ replied Jack; “I did not argue y, but generally, upon the principles of the | rights of man.”’ drawn such liberal supplies. Since that, Mr. Asper had | rights of man don’t get you in the wrong box—there's felt that his consequence was gone; he could no longer | no arguing on board of a man-of-war. The captain talk about the service being a bore, or that he should give it up ; he could no longer obtain that deference d to his purse, and not to himself ; and he had con- racted very expensive habits, without having any longer the means of gratifying them. It was there- fore no wonder that he imbibed a great respect for money; and, as he could no longer find the means him- self, he was glad to pick up anybody else at whose cost he could indulze in that extravagance and ye a to which he had been so long accustomed, and still sighed for. Now, Mr. Asper knew that our hero was well sup- lied with money, as he had obtained from the waiter the amount of the bill paid at the Fountain, and he had been waiting for Jack’s appearance on deck to be- come his very dearest and most intimate friend. The conversation in the cabin made him feel assured that | Jack would rt, and he had taken bridge, to offer to ta mare and be grateful for sup t e Jack in his watch. Whether it was that Mr. Sawbridge saw through the design of Mr. r, or whether he imagined that our hero would be better pleased with him than with the master, con- sidering his harshness of deportment ; or with himself, who could not, as first lieutenant, overlook any remis- sion of duty the offer was accepted, and Jack Easy was ordered, as he now entered upon his duties, to keep watch under Lieutenant As But not only was this the first said to have appeared in the service, put it was the first | day in which he had entered the midshipmen’s berth, and was made acquainted with his messmates. mate, but we must introduce him more particularly, Nature is sometimes extremely arbitrary, and never e Spporosmy of a walk with Mr. Saw- | Fur | ea Sere Gascoigne listened without interrup- | pected that a midshipman’s berth would do wonders ; tion, and Mes oe y that Jack may be | course he could not combat my ri “Mr. Easy, as a friend,’’ replied Jolliffe, “I request that you would as much as possible keep your opinions | | to yourself; Ushall have an opportunit We have already mentioned Mr. Jolliffe, the master’s | you on the subject, and will then exp ‘took it amazingly easy, but you’d better not broach | that subject too often,’ ‘* Gascoigne Pity you very good advice, Mr. Easy,” observed Jolliffe; “allowing that your ideas are correct, which it appears to me they are not, or at least impos- sible to be acted upon, there is such a thing as pru- dence, and however much this question may be can- 'vassed on shore, in his Majesty’s service it is not only dangerous in itself, but will ou,” ‘* Man is a free agent,” replied Easy. “‘T’ll be shot if a midshipman is,’’ replied Gascoigne, laughing, “‘ and that you'll soon find.” ‘And yet it was the expectation of finding that equal- ity that | was induced to come to sea.”’ ‘* On the first of April, I presume,” replied Gascoigne. “But are you really serious?” Hereupon Jack entered into a long argument, to with admiration; at the end of it Gas- coigne laughed heartily, and J olliffe sighed. iffe. ‘From my father who is a great philosopher, and has constantly upheld these opinions. ‘* And did your father wish you to go to sea?” **No, he was opposed to it,’’ re ts and free-will.”’ reasons.” As soon as Mr. Jolliffe had ceased, down came Mr. did she show herself more so than in insisting that Mr. | Vigors and O’Connor, who had heard the news of Jack's Jolliffe should have the most sinister expression of countenance that ever had been looked upon. He had suffered martyrdom with the small-pox, which probably had contracted his lineaments: his face was me! 9 only deeply pitted, but scarred with this cruel disorder. One eye been lost, and all eyebrows had disappeared—and the contrast between the dull, sight- less opaque orb on one side of his face, and the bril- liant, piercing little ball on the other, was almost terri- . His nose had been eaten away by the disease it formed a sharp but irregular point; part of the muscles of the chin were contracted, and it was drawn in with unnatural seams and puckers. He was tall, gaunt, and thin, seldom smiled, and when he did, the ced a still further distortion. , _at the captain’s table; heresy. ‘You do not know Mr. Vigors and Mr. O'Connor,” said Jolliffe to Easy. Jack, who was the essence of politeness, rose and bowed, at which the others took their seats, without | returning the salutation. Vigors had, from what he | _had heard and now seen of Eas body else to play upon, and without ceremony he com- | menced., “So, my chap, you are come on board to raise a mut | uality—you came off scot free | ut it won't do, I can tell you, | even in the midshipmen’s berth; some must knock un- | atallevents he would protect the weak, and, let who tiny here with your der, and you are one of them.” “If, sir,”’ replied back at Mr. Bonnycastle’s; “ we'll try * Well,” replied Gascoigne, “it’s the first time I ever heard a middy do such a bold thing; take care your however, knew that he ha be very prejudicial to) ‘From whence did you learn all this?’ inquired Jol- | be more valuable than twenty defeats. Le go to his duty, he will soon find his level.” jed Jack, “ but of | of talking to n to you my , thought he had some- | Easy, ‘*‘you mean by knock under, | would come into the berth, they must en --- *“ You impudent blackguard, if you say another word, Pil give youa food thrashing, and knock some of your equality out of you.”’ ‘* Indeed,” replied Jack, who almost fancied himself that.” Whereupon Jack very coolly divested himself of his up- per garments, neckerchief, and shirt, much to the sur- prise of Mr. Vigors, who little contemplated such a proof of decision and confidence, and still more to the delight of the other midshipmen who would have forfeited a week's allowance to see Vi ors well thrashed. Vigors, gone too far to retreat; he therefore prepared for action: and, when ready, the whole party went out into the steerage to settle the business. Vigors had gained his assumed authority more by bullying than fighting; others had submitted to him without a sufficient trial; Jack, on the contrary, had won his way up in school by hard and scientific combat; the result, therefore, may easily be imagined. In less than a quarter of an hour Vigors, beaten dead, with his eyes closed, and three teeth out, gave in; while Jack, after a basin of water, looked as fresh as ever, with the exception of a few trifling scratches. The news of this victory was soon through the ship; and before Jack had resumed his clothes it had been told confidentially by Sawbridge to the captain. ‘So soon,” said Captain Wilson, laughing; “I ex- ut I did note ct this yet awhile. This victory is the first severe ¢ low to Mr. Easy’s equality, and will him now CHAPTER XI. IN WHICH OUR HERO PROVES THAT ALL ON BOARD SHOULD EQUALLY SACRIFICE DECENCY TO DUTY. THE success of any young man in a profession very much depends upon the occurrences at the commence- ment of his career, as from those is his character judg- ed, and he is treated accordingly. Jack had chosen enter the service at a much later period than most lads; he was tall and manly for his age, and his countenance, if not strictly handsome, wore that expression of hdh- esty and boldness which is sure to please. His spirit in not submitting to, and meeting, Vigors when he had hardly recovered from his severe prostration of sea- sickness, had gained him with the many respect, and with all, except his a wy and Mr, Smallsole, good- will. Instead of being gm tre at by his messmates, he was played with; for Jolliffe smiled at his absurdi- ties, and attempted to reason him out of them, and the others liked Jack for himself and his generosity, and moreover, because they looked up to him as a protect- or against Vigors, who had persecuted them all; for . Jack had declared, that as might was right in a mid- shipman’s berth, he would so far restore equality, that if he could not put down those who were the strongest, be his master smile produ : Mr. Sollifte was the son of a warrant officer. He did | that 1 must submit, I can assure you that you are mis- | before they should tyrannize over those weaker than not contract this disease until he had been sent out to the West Indies, where it swept away hundreds, He now been long in the service, with little or no chance of promotion. He had suffered from indigence, from reflections upon his humble birth, from sarcasms on his appearance, [Every con- ,tumely had been hea upon him at one time or another, in the ships crowd he had found himself desolate—and now, though no one dared treat him to his face with ee he was only re in the service from a knowledge of his utility and exemplary of his duties—he had no friends or even companions. For many years he had retired within ienpeomed: by reading and study, had felt all the philan- thropy of a Christian, and extended it toward others. Silent and reserved, he seldom spoke in the berth, un- less his authority, as caterer, was called for; all re- spected Mr. Jolliffe, but no one liked, as a companion, one at whose appearance the very dogs would bark. At the same time every one acknowl his correct behavior in every point, his sense of justice, his for- bearance, his kindness, and his good sense. With him life was indeed a pilgrimage, and he wended his way jn all Christian charity and all Christian zeal. In all societies, however small they may be, provided that they do but amount to half-a-dozen, you will in- variably meet with a bully. And it is also general the case that you will find one of that society who more or less the butt. You will discover this even in occasional meetings such as a dinner party, the major of which have never met before. Previous to the removal of the cloth, the bully will have shown himself by his dictatorial manner, and al- will also have selected the one upon whom he imagines | an end to the altercation for the present. that he can best practice. In a midshipman’s berth this fact has become almost proverbial, although now perhaps it is not attended with that entered the service. The bully of the midshipmen’s berth of H. M. sloop Harpy, was a “pe, man about seventeen, with light curt hair and: flori countenance, the son of the clerk in the dockyard at Plymouth, and his name was Vigors. The butt was a pudding-faced Tartar-physiognomied boy of fifteen, whose intellects, with fostering, if not t, might at least have been respectable, had he not fost all confidence in his own powers, from the con- —_ qonrs and = ggg of — who hada nr uen ol speec out, rhaps, sO much re power of mind. though aoe. what he learnt he in- variably retained. This lad’s name was Gossett. His father was a wealthy yeo of Lynn, in Norfolk. There were at the time the shi like hipmen in general, with little ap learning, but ag appetites for dinner, hatin thing e work, fond of everything like fun, “al —with general principles of honor and justice, but which were occasionally warped according to th all the virtues and vices 80 every- stances; wi neously jumbled and hea together, that it was _ +i J paps. to its true mo- | tive, and to ascertain to what point their vice was sof- almost impossible to ascribe any action tened down into almost a virtue, and their virtues from mere excess degenerated into on the stage. After “eek | taken. which he served; among a| with my messma himself, he had | an equal share mess, and an equal right to have your share, provided | naval service are exp you can getit; you have an equal right to talk, provided | | fo are not told to hold 2 Rap tongue. The fact is, you le des- | dut potism which was permitted at the time that our hero | hole soul,’ fine, Massa Eas wouldn't you li _the black, feeling the muscle of Jack's arm. | soul of my fader, I'd bet my week’s | anyhow. Neber be ‘fraid, Massa Easy | fellows than he;” and Jack's assertion was true. Bonn / ho no said. Jack avery good bruiser, and althoug he was much better built for man, Westminster boy would have be ut three other midshipmen in | Jack had he seen of whom it can only be said that they were| The constant battles which Jack was obliged to tite for | at school had been bro ghting | been overruled by Mr. Easy’s poin ; bats of boys had nothing to do with the rights of man. | _not his equality; his color had prevented the la and in that vitormy Bxg the world ap i outrance *’ one minute, and sworn friends the next circum- hetero- | Vigors, who was the strongest in the berth, except ce, Their names were O'Connor, Mills, and Gascoigne, The other shipmates of our hero it will be better to introduce as they appear had dined in the eabin, he folle-rd his Upon the same principle that .I would never play the tyrant to those weaker than myself, so will I resent oppression if attempted.”’ Beware my boy, we'll soon put your mettle to t roof.” ‘**Am I then to infer that I am not on an ?” replied eo looking at Jolliffe. ut to answer , but Vigors inter- uality as far as this—that The latter was a disre- | rupted. ‘Yes, you are on an ou ave an equal right wi can, get what you can, and say what provided that you can do it: for here every one else to do as you ou can, always ou understand all that; or will you wait fora Now, do illustration?”’ prac- ti uality | e weakest goes | to the wall, and that is midshipman’s berth equality. he. Thus did Jack Easy make the best use that he could of his strength, and become, as it were, the c ‘Damme, but he’s a regular sea-lawyer sreany; | gt , e champion e | and security of those who, although much longer at eo! and more experienced than he was, were glad to shelter themselves under his courage and skill, the lat- ter of which had excited the admiration of the butcher of the ship, who had been a pugilist by profession, Thus did Jack at once take the rank of an oldster, and soon became the leader of all the mischief. We par- ticularly observe this, because, had it so happened performance | have an equal right to the berth, if you are knocked | that our hero had succumbed to Vigors, the case would out of it for insolence to your masters; that you have have been the very reverse. He then would have had to to pay for the things purchased for the | go through the ordeal to which most who enter the osed, which cannot be better ex- plained than by comparing it to the f carried to such an iniquitous extent in public schoo Mr. Asper, for own reasons, made him his companion: they walked the night-watch to- ether, and he listened to all Jack’s nonsense adout e rights of man. And here Mr, Asper did good with- out intending it, for, at the same time that hea - ed to agree with Jack, to secure his favor, he cautioned ““T am then to infer that the equality here is as much | him, and pointed out why this equality could not e destroyed as it ever will be among savages, where the altogether on board of iy nna tenn Di: strong oppress the weak, and the only law is club law— As for himself, he said, he saw no difference between in fact, much the same as it is at a public or large | a lieutenant, or even a captain, and a midshipman, pro- school, on shore?”’ “IT sus public school: how did they treat you there?” * AS you said Vigors. But the hands being turned up, “ Shorten sail,” put ct you are right foronce. You were at a/ friends where he | ropose treating people here—‘ the weak- | | est went to the wall.’ ‘* Well, then, a nod’s as good as a wink to a blind horse; that’s all, my hearty, vided they were Seepes he should choose his ed, and despised that power of annoyance which the service permitted, Of course, Jack and Mr, Asper were good friends, especially as, wae my a TE gay yor over, to concilia A a - an et rid o s eternal arguing, Mr. would send Jack down to bed. ag we They were now entering the Straits, and expected to anchor the next day at Gibraltar, and Jack was for- As our hero had not yet received orders to go to his | ward on the forecastle, talking with Mesty, with whom he remained below with Mesty. * By de powers Massa Hasy, but Ilub you with m said Mesty, “By Jasus, you really tar ; dat Mir. Vigor—nebber care for him him—and ** By the I’m not afraid,” replied Jack, ** I’ve thrashed b castle never interfered in a fair fight, and took ice of black eyes, provided the lessons were well not 80 is half-crown upon him and his anticipated adve ht forward by Jack against ents in favor of equ ng ou father’s a that the com- As soon as the watch was called, Vigors, O'Connor, Gossett, and Gascoigne came down into the berth. riority acknow- _ Jolliffe, had successively had his su ed of Easy’s im- edged, and, when on deck, he had senses. The others, therefore, came fun. “We e king's provision, and do mupposs you intend to eat t no , Jock's mettle was already up. “You will oblige me, sir, by) minding your owa busi- ae nent shipmen's | Jolliffe anc Gascoigne, down into the 1id- *s berth Hany," Qbaerved Gascoigne, “you are @ | ROM ‘ replieal Jack. sure you would,” continued | had suffered all the horrors of a allowance on you | r .| he was condemned, although free, to the humblest of had fought and fought again, until he was | which now beat in his own tall as Vigors, | —we say fighting: A knowing fore his captivity, 1 rht s | ty, but they had | inence, and his intention of bringing omen =| own ! | Mr. Easy," observed Vigors, as he came into | also liked Mesty, an the berth, “ you take after yor name, at all events; I and every evening, since the combat with he had contracted a we friendship, for there was noth- ing that Mesty would not have done for Jack, although he had not been three, weeks in the ship; but a little reflection will show that it was natural. Mesty had been a great man in his own country; he pasage in a slave ship; he had been sold as a slave twice; he had escap- ed—but he found that the universal feeling was strong against his color, and that on board of a man-of-war offices. He had never heard ny one utter the sentiments, eart, of liberty and equality now, for when he was in his own country be- he had no ideas of equality; no one has who is in power: but he had been schooled; and although ple talked of liberty and equality at New York, he found that what they preached for themselves, they did not practice toward others, and that, in the midst of liberty and equality, he and thousands more were enslaved and degraded edls Escaping to England, he had regained his liberty, but tter, red to conspire together against him, until, to his aatontahioweet’ Bee heard those sentiments boldly expressed from the lips of Jack, and that in a service where it was almost tan- tamount to iene’ A Mesty, whose character is not yet developed, immediately took a fondness for our hero, and in a hundred ways showed his attachment. Jack was fond of tang. with him, ors, the had generally met in the foree>*!e to dis raesthe henie et of equality and the rights of idan. he boatswain, whose name was Biggs, was a ht, ‘ Ttls man, who, as captain of the fore- -. au uncommon degree of courage in a Corr JOOKS- COM