The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1877-05-10
The Young lIidshipn,o1s.

-1fary Adpes Dodge, in st. Nicholas for Hay.
The Young 1Iidshtpn,on.
1t was change indeed for Cyrus Bur
ton, when his yearnings were at last
realized and he had exchanged his moth
er's quiet little house, snugly settled in
the Shenandoah valley, for midship-
mans berth on board the Hornet, for
our story is not of this day. Brought
up by his gentle mother with every care;
full of high and generous feelings; pi-
GUS, yet not a milksop, for he was brave
and adventurous, he found his new life
strange enough.
Eager to enter the service to which he
had been attracted by boys love of
adventure, he was, from the retired home
of his mother, almost utterly unac-
quainted with the stern realities of sea-
life. Its duties, severe as they were by
their strictness, CALLED the young spirit,
but his high principle made him go
through all with alacrity and accuracy.
He sought to do all well.
Officers soon liked him; but his fellow
middies had not received his training,
or perhaps had, in many cases, proved
recreant to the early teachings of a
Christian home. Cyrus, before he
turned in at night, always knelt to recite
his prayers. At first this drew laughter
and jeers. "He'I soo1 get out of that
fashion, they said. But he did not. He
neither dropped that good fashion nor
showed any inclination to adopt some
bad fashions esteemed manly among
them.
Then they laid their heads together
and resolved on a series of prosecutions.
When he would kneel down the war be-
gan. One in a berth above him would
pull his hair; another behind would sing
some loose song heard among the sailors;
another would kneel in mock reverence
beside; while smother would launch a
convenient pillow at his head.
This he bore without complaint Then
came the taunt of coward He thought
the matter over, and his course was at
last decided. The next night he knelt
as usual. Again the annoyance began.
Suddenly springing up, cool but deter
mined, he grappled Henry Easton, the
leader of his assailants, and, by vigor-
GUS effort, brought him to the floor his
sinewy left hand in a fierce grip on Hen
rvs throat, while his right was raised as
if to bring it down with all his strength
on the distorted face. His eyes flashed
on the startled group.
Have 1 u right to punish this fell
low" he said 81 have got him in my
power; shall I show him any mercy %
A dead silence followed. 1t was not
pleasant to pronounce sentence on them
selves.
Cyrus rose, and babe his fallen foe get
up. When Henry, smarting with defeat.
rose, sulky and abashed, Cyrus held out
his hand.
Boys" he cried, "you must see that
l am no coward, and, if I choose, am a
match for any of you. Nor am vim
dictive. / have not molested you, nor,
as you see, do I feel inclined to harm
you, even in fair retaliation. But from
this night I am leader here; and, as
leader, L fix prayer-time before going to
bed. If any one never knew how to pray
If there is one who never had q
kind mother to teach him to
kneel IN reverence before his
God, let him go to the chaplain
and learn, and turn into his berth as he
may. One thing I know: every fellow
that loves his mother, his country, and
his God, will kneel down and say his
prayers in this old Hornet"
Pluck, outspoken manliness and real
grit were all on the right side, and they
told. One after another came over and
admitted that he was right, that they had
been laughed into neglecting what they
were brought up to consider a sacred
duty. The cruise was not without its
occasion for testing the courage of the
young lads. In the first action CYRUS
won the applause of all by his coolness.
intrepidity and knowledge His posi-
ton was gained, and gray-haired navy
officers still remember the impression
made on them by the manly MILDLY IL
their young days.-Smaday Magazine
for Nay.
Trotty's Lecture Bureaa.
Master Trotty climbed upon the but
reau, and Nate and Mia sat down upon
a wheelbarrow, and they shut the door
of the Toulouse, and Trotty opened the
French grammar and delivered the open
ing lecture of the course as follows:
"MY LECTURE BUREAU
LECTURE THE FIRST: WOMAN s SUFFER
INGS.
MY subject, gentlemen and few
ladies, is woman's sufferings. Conjuga-
ton the first
'.Vis lecture bureau is a little rickety,
and I'll be obliged to you, ladies and