Susan Glaspell - "Lifted Masks"

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Emile Zola - "The Three Cities Trilogy: Paris, Vol. 2"

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Looking for Child to be on Cover of a New Book, 'The Model Child'
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. -- The Philadelphia literary world will celebrate the launch of two new players today, April 10th: Kay Square Press, a new publishing company focused on Philadelphia-area artists, their stories, and their art; and Kay Square's first release, 'With the Rich and Mighty: Emlen Etting of Philadelphia' (ISBN: 978-0-9815129-0-7), a critical biography by Kenneth C. Kaleta.

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NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Nathan Yungerberg, an accomplished model scout and professional child photographer is launching a nation-wide casting call to find the cover model for his highly anticipated book release, 'The Model Child: A Parents Guide to the Child Modeling Industry' (ISBN: 978-0-9817018-0-6).

Books: Mr. Midshipman Easy

F >> Frederick Marryat >> Mr. Midshipman Easy




Mr Jolliffe was the son of a warrant officer. He did not contract
this disease until he had been sent out to the West Indies, where it
swept away hundreds. He had 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 contumely had been heaped upon him at one time or another, in
the ships in which he served; among a crowd he had found himself
desolate--and now, although no one dared treat him to his face with
disrespect, he was only respected in the service from a knowledge of
his utility and exemplary performance of his duties--he had no friends
or even companions. For many years he had retired within himself, he
had improved by reading and study, had felt all the philanthropy of a
Christian, and extended it towards others. Silent and reserved, he
seldom spoke in the berth, unless his authority, as caterer, was
called for; all respected Mr Jolliffe, but no one liked, as a
companion, one at whose appearance the very dogs would bark. At the
same time every one acknowledged his correct behaviour in every point,
his sense of justice, his forbearance, his kindness, and his good
sense. With him life was indeed a pilgrimage, and he wended his way
in 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 invariably meet with a bully. And it
is also generally the case that you will find one of that society who
is more or less the butt. You will discover this even in occasional
meetings, such as a dinner-party, the major part of which have never
met before.

Previous to the removal of the cloth, the bully will have shown
himself by his dictatorial manner, and will also have selected the one
upon whom he imagines that he can best practise. In a midshipman's
berth, this fact has become almost proverbial, although now perhaps it
is not attended with that disagreeable despotism which was permitted
at the time that our hero entered the service.

The bully of the midshipman's berth of H.M. sloop Harpy Was a young
man about seventeen, with light, curly hair, and florid 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 great, might at least have
been respectable, had he not lost all confidence in his own powers
from the constant jeers and mockeries of those who had a greater
fluency of speech without perhaps so much real power of mind. Although
slow, what he learnt he invariably retained. This lad's name was
Gossett. His father was a wealthy yeoman of Lynn, in Norfolk. There
were at the time but three other midshipmen in the ship, of whom it
can only be said that they were like midshipmen in general, with
little appetite for learning, but good appetites for dinner, hating
everything like work, fond of everything like fun, fighting "a
L'outrance" one minute, and sworn friends the next--with general
principles of honour and justice, but which were occasionally warped
according to circumstances; with all the virtues and vices so
heterogeneously jumbled and heaped together, that it was almost
impossible to ascribe any action to its true motive, and to ascertain
to what point their vice was softened down into almost a virtue, and
their virtues from mere excess degenerated into vice. Their names
were O'Connor, Mills, and Gascoigne. The other shipmates of our hero
it will be better to introduce as they appear on the stage.

After Jack had dined in the cabin, he followed his messmates Jolliffe
and Gascoigne down into the midshipmen's berth.

"I say, Easy," observed Gascoigne, "you are a devilish free and easy
sort of a fellow, to tell the captain that you considered yourself as
great a man as he was."

"I beg your pardon," replied Jack, "I did not argue individually, but
generally, upon the principles of the rights of man."

"Well," replied Gascoigne, "it's the first time I ever heard a middy
do such a bold thing; take care your rights of man don't get you in
the wrong box--there's no arguing on board of a man-of-war. The
captain took it amazingly easy, but you'd better not broach that
subject too often."

"Gascoigne gives 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 impossible to be acted upon, there is such a thing as
prudence, and however much this question may be canvassed on shore, in
his Majesty's service it is not only dangerous in itself, but will be
very prejudicial to you."

"Man is a free agent," replied Easy.

"I'll be shot if a midshipman is," replied Gascoigne, laughing, aloud
"that you'll soon find."

"And yet it was in the expectation of finding that equality that I 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 which Jolliffe and
Gascoigne listened without interruption, and Mesty with admiration; at
the end of it, Gascoigne laughed heartily, and Jolliffe sighed.

"From whence did you learn all this?" inquired Jolliffe.

"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," replied Jack, "but of course he could not
combat my right and free-will."

"Mr Easy, as a friend," replied Jolliffe, "I request that you would as
much as possible keep your opinions to yourself. I shall have an
opportunity of talking to you on the subject and will then explain to
you my reasons."

As soon as Mr Jolliffe had ceased, down came Mr Vigors and O'Connor,
who had heard the news of Jack's 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 Easy, thought he had somebody
else to play upon, and without ceremony he commenced.

"So, my chap, you are come on board to raise a mutiny here with your
equality--you came off scot free at the captain's table; but it won't
do, I can tell you, even in the midshipman's berth: some must knock
under, and you are one of them."

"If, sir," replied Easy, "you mean by knock under, that I must submit,
I can assure you that you are mistaken. Upon the same principle that
I would never play the tyrant to those weaker than myself, so will I
resent oppression if attempted."

"Damme, but he's a regular sea lawyer already: however, my boy, we'll
soon put your mettle to the proof."

"Am I then to infer that I am not on an equality with my messmates?"
replied Jack, looking at Jolliffe. The latter was about to answer
him, but Vigors interrupted.

"Yes, you are on an equality as far as this, that you have an equal
right to the berth, if you are not knocked out of it for insolence to
your masters; that you have an equal share to pay for the things
purchased for the mess, and an equal right to have your share,
provided you can get it; you have an equal right to talk, provided you
are not told to hold your tongue. The fact is, you have an equal
right with everyone else to do as you can, get what you can, and say
what you can, always provided that you can do it; for here the weakest
goes to the wall, and that is midshipman's berth equality. Now, do
you understand all that; or will you wait for a practical
illustration?"

"I am then to infer that the equality here is as much destroyed as it
even will be among savages, where the strong oppress the weak, and the
only law is club law--in fact, much the same as it is at a public or
large school, on shore?"

"I suspect you are right for once. You were at a public school: how
did they treat you there?"

"As you propose treating people here--the weakest went to the wall."

"Well, then, a nod's as good as a wink to a blind horse, that's all,
my hearty," said Vigors.

But the hands being turned up, "Shorten sail" put an end to the
altercation for the present.

As our hero had not yet received orders to go to his duty, he remained
below with Mesty.

"By de powers, Massa Easy, but I lub you with my hole soul," said
Mesty. "By Jasus, you really tark fine, Massa Easy; dat Mr Vigor--
nebber care for him, wouldn't you help him--and sure you would,"
continued the black, feeling the muscle of Jack's arm. "By the soul
of my fader, I'd bet my week's allowance on you anyhow. Nebber be
'fraid, Massa Easy."

"I am not afraid," replied Jack; "I've thrashed bigger fellows than
he"; and Jack's assertion was true. Mr Bonnycastle never interfered
in a fair fight, and took no notice of black eyes, provided the
lessons there well said. Jack had fought and fought again, until he
was a very good bruiser, and although not so tall as Vigors, he was
much better built for fighting. A knowing Westminster boy would have
bet his half-crown upon Jack had he seen him and his anticipated
adversary.

The constant battles which Jack was obliged to fight at school had
been brought forward by Jack against his father's arguments in favour
of equality, but they had been overruled by Mr Easy's pointing out
that the combats of boys had nothing to do with the rights of man.

As soon as the watch was called, Vigors, O'Connor, Gossett, and
Gascoigne came down into the berth. Vigors, who was the strongest in
the berth, except Jolliffe, had successively had his superiority
acknowledged, and, when on deck, he had talked of Easy's impertinence,
and his intention of bringing him to his senses. The others,
therefore, came down to see the fun.

"Well, Mr Easy," observed Vigors, as he came into the berth, "you take
after your name, at all events; I suppose you intend to eat the king's
provision, and do nothing."

Jack's mettle was already up. "You will oblige me, sir, by minding
your own business," replied Jack.

"You impudent blackguard, if you say another word, I'll give you a
good thrashing, and knock some of your equality out of you."

"Indeed," replied Jack, who almost fancied himself back at Mr
Bonnycastle's; "we'll try that."

Whereupon Jack very coolly divested himself of his upper garments,
neckerchief, and shirt, much to the surprise 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 Vigors well thrashed. Vigors, however, knew
that he had 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 expected that a
midshipman's berth would do wonders; but I did not expect this yet
awhile. This victory is the first severe blow to Mr Easy's equality,
and will be more valuable than twenty defeats. Let him now go to his
duty, he will soon find his level."


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 commencement of his career, as from those is
his character judged, and he is treated accordingly. Jack had chosen
to 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 honesty 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
antagonist and Mr Smallsole, good-will. Instead of being laughed at
by his messmates, he was played with; for Jolliffe smiled at his
absurdities, 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 protector against Vigors, who had persecuted
them all; for Jack had declared, that as might was right in a
midshipman's berth, he would so far restore equality, that if he could
not put down those who were the strongest, at all events he would
protect the weak, and, let who would come into the berth, they must be
his master before they should tyrannise over those weaker than he.

Thus did Jack Easy make the best use that he could of his strength,
and become, as it were, the champion and security of those who,
although much longer at sea and more experienced than he was, were
glad to shelter themselves under his courage and skill, the latter 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
particularly observe this, because, had it so happened that our hero
had succumbed to Vigors, the case would have been the very reverse. He
then would have had to go through the ordeal to which most who enter
the naval service are exposed, which cannot be better explained than
by comparing it to the fagging carried to such an iniquitous extent in
public schools.

Mr Asper, for his own reasons, made him his companion: they walked the
night watch together, and he listened to all Jack's nonsense about the
rights of man. And here Mr Asper did good without intending it, for,
at the same time that he appeared to agree with Jack, to secure his
favour, he cautioned him, and pointed out why this equality could not
exist altogether on board of a man-of-war.

As for himself, he said, he saw no difference between a lieutenant, or
even a captain, and a midshipman, provided they were gentlemen: he
should choose his friends where he liked, and despised that power of
annoyance which the service permitted. Of course, Jack and Mr Asper
were good friends, especially as, when half the watch was over, to
conciliate his good-will and to get rid of his eternal arguing, Mr
Asper would send Jack down to bed.

They were now entering the Straits, and expected to anchor the next
day at Gibraltar, and Jack was forward on the forecastle, talking with
Mesty, with whom he had contracted a great friendship, for there was
nothing 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 had suffered all the
horrors of a passage in a slave ship; he had been sold as a slave
twice; he had escaped--but he found that the universal feeling was
strong against his colour, and that on board of a man-of-war he was
condemned, although free, to the humblest of offices.

He had never heard anyone utter the sentiments, which now beat in his
own heart, of liberty and equality--we say now, for when he was in his
own country before his captivity, he had no ideas of equality; no one
has who is in power: but he had been schooled; and although people
talked of liberty and equality at New York, he found that what they
preached for themselves, they did not practise towards others, and
that, in the midst of liberty and equality, he and thousands more were
enslaved and degraded beings.

Escaping to England, he had regained his liberty, but not his
equality; his colour had prevented the latter, and in that feeling all
the world appeared to conspire together against him, until, to his
astonishment, he heard those sentiments boldly expressed from the lips
of Jack, and that in a service where it was almost tantamount to
mutiny. Mesty, whose character is not yet developed, immediately took
a fondness for our hero, and in a hundred ways showed his attachment.
Jack also liked Mesty, and was fond of talking with him, and every
evening, since the combat with Vigors, they had generally met in the
forecastle to discuss the principles of equality and the rights of
man.

The boatswain, whose name was Biggs, was a slight, dapper, active
little man, who, as captain of the foretop, had shown an uncommon
degree of courage in a hurricane, so much so, as to recommend him to
the Admiral for promotion. It was given to him; and after the ship to
which he had been appointed was paid off, he had been ordered to join
H.M. sloop Harpy. Jack's conversation with Mesty was interrupted by
the voice of the boatswain, who was haranguing his boy. "It's now ten
minutes, sir, by my repeater," said the boatswain, "that I have sent
for you"; and Mr Biggs pulled out a huge silver watch, almost as big
as a Norfolk turnip. A Jew had sold him the watch; the boatswain had
heard of repeaters, and wished to have one. Moses had only shown him
watches with the hour and minute hands; he now produced one with a
second hand, telling him it was a repeater.

"What makes it a repeater?" inquired the boatswain.

"Common watches," said the cunning Jew, "only tell the minutes and
hours; but all repeaters tell the seconds."

The boatswain was satisfied--bought the watch, and, although many had
told him it was no repeater, he insisted that it was, and would call
it so.

"I swear," continued the boatswain, "it's ten minutes and twenty
seconds by my repeater."

"If you please, sir," said the boy, "I was changing my trousers when
you sent for me, and then I had to stow away my bag again."

"Silence, sir; I'd have you to know that when you are sent for by your
officer, trousers or no trousers, it is your duty to come up
directly."

"Without trousers, sir?" replied the boy.

"Yes, sir, without trousers; if the captain required me, I should come
without my shirt. Duty before decency." So saying, the boatswain lays
hold of the boy.

"Surely, Mr Biggs," said Jack, "you are not going to punish that boy
for not coming up without his trousers?"

"Yes, Mr Easy, I am--I must teach him a lesson. We are bound, now
that newfangled ideas are brought into the ship, to uphold the dignity
of the service; and the orders of an officer are not to be delayed ten
minutes and twenty seconds because a boy has no trousers on."
Whereupon the boatswain administered several smart cuts with his
rattan upon the boy, proving that it was quite as well that he had put
on his trousers before he came on deck. "There," said Mr Biggs, "is a
lesson for you, you scamp--and, Mr Easy, it is a lesson for you also,"
continued the boatswain, walking away with a most consequential air.

"Murder Irish!" said Mesty--"how him cut caper. De oder day he haul
out de weather ear-ring, and touch him hat to a midshipman. Sure
enough, make um cat laugh."

The next day the Harpy was at anchor in Gibraltar Bay; the captain
went on shore, directing the gig to be sent for him before nine
o'clock; after which hour the sally-port is only opened by special
permission. There happened to be a ball given by the officers of the
garrison on that evening, and a polite invitation was sent to the
officers of H.M. sloop Harpy. As those who accepted the invitation
would be detained late, it was not possible for them to come off that
night. And as their services were required for the next day, Captain
Wilson allowed them to remain on shore until seven o'clock the next
morning, at which hour, as there was a large party, there would be two
boats sent for them.

Mr Asper obtained leave, and asked permission to take our hero with
him; to which Mr Sawbridge consented. Many other officers obtained
leave, and, among others, the boatswain, who, aware that his services
would be in request as soon as the equipment commenced, asked
permission for this evening. And Mr Sawbridge, feeling that he could
be better spared at this than at any other time, consented. Asper and
Jack went to an inn, dined, bespoke beds, and then dressed themselves
for the ball, which was very brilliant, and, from the company of the
officers, very pleasant. Captain Wilson looked on at the
commencement, and then returned on board. Jack behaved with his usual
politeness, danced till two o'clock, and then, as the ball thinned,
Asper proposed that they should retires. Having once more applied to
the refreshment-room, they had procured their hats, and were about to
depart, when one of the officers of the garrison asked Jack if he
would like to see a baboon, which had just been brought down from the
rock; and, taking some of the cakes, they repaired to the court where
the animal was chained down to a small tank. Jack fed the brute till
all the cakes were gone, and then, because he had no more to give
him, the baboon flew at Jack, who, in making his retreat fell back
into the tank, which was about two feet deep. This was a joke, and
having laughed heartily, they wished the officer goodnight, and went
to the inn.

Now, what with the number of officers of the Harpy on shore, who had
all put up at the same inn, and other occupants, the landlord was
obliged to put his company into double and treble-bedded rooms; but
this was of little consequence. Jack was shown into a double-bedded
room, and proceeded to undress; the other was evidently occupied, by
the heavy breathing which saluted Jack's ear.

As Jack undressed, he recollected that his trousers were wet through,
and to dry them he opened the window, hung them out, and then jammed
down the window again upon them, to hold them in their position, after
which he turned in and fell fast asleep. At six o'clock he was
called, as he had requested, and proceeded to dress, but to his
astonishment found the window thrown open and his trousers missing. It
was evident, that his partner in the room had thrown the window open
during the night, and that his trousers, having fallen down into the
street, had been walked off with by somebody or another. Jack looked
out of the window once more, and perceived that whoever had thrown
open the window had been unwell during the night.

A nice drunken companion I have had, thought Jack; but what's to be
done? And in saying this, he walked up to the other bed, and perceived
that it was tenanted by the boatswain. Well, thought Jack, as Mr Biggs
has thought proper to lose my trousers, I think I have a right to take
his, or at least the wear of them to go on board. It was but last
night he declared that decency must give way to duty, and that the
orders of a superior officer were to be obeyed, with or without
garments. I know he is obliged to be on board, and now he shall try
how he likes to obey orders in his shirt tails. So cogitating, Jack
took the trousers of the boatswain, who still snored, although he had
been called, and putting them on, completed the rest of his dress, and
quitted the room. He went to that of Mr Asper, where he found him
just ready, and, having paid the bill--for Asper had forgotten his
purse--they proceeded down to the sally-port, where they found other
officers waiting, sufficient to load the first boat, which shoved off,
and they went on board. As soon as he was down below, Jack hastened
to change his trousers, and, unobserved by anyone, threw those
belonging to Mr Biggs on a chair in his cabin, and, having made a
confidant of Mesty, who was delighted, he went on deck, and waited the
issue of the affair.

Before Jack left the hotel, he had told the waiter that there was the
boatswain still fast asleep, and that he must be roused up
immediately; and this injunction was obeyed. The boatswain, who had
drunk too much the night before, and, as Jack had truly imagined, had
opened the window because he was unwell, was wakened up, and hearing
how late it was, hastened to dress himself. Not finding his trousers,
he rang the bell, supposing that they had been taken down to be
brushed, and, in the meantime, put on everything else, that he might
lose no time: the waiter who answered the bell, denied having taken
the trousers out of the room, and poor Mr Biggs was in a sad quandary.
What had become of them, he could not tell: he had no recollection of
having gone to bed the night before; he inquired of the waiter, who
said that he knew nothing about them--that he was very tipsy when he
came home, and that when he called him, he had found the window open,
and it appeared that he had been unwell--he supposed that he had
thrown his trousers out of the window. Time flew, and the boatswain
was in despair. "Could they lend him a pair?"