Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-07-13

that when the executive officer spoke 10
this ungainly lad, and asked him where he
came from. he stared at him in q stupid
way, AM replied mechanically that he
came from Maine.
well, wake up! Stand up straight.
Take your hands out of your pockets.
There, now, what have you been doingP"
"Farmn'."
"Did you ever see ship beforeP"
mo, sir, never seed ship afore. 'cept
a skeow that -
Never mind about the skow. Did any
boy ever give you good lickingP"
The boy opened his eyes with astonish-
ment and said, with significant tone, ~
reckon not"
The officer smiled and put one final
Question: "Do you really want to be a
sailorp"
"Yaas, SIR"
"Well. I'll give you chance. Messen-
ger, take this boy down to the captains
off CO."
what do you come here forP" the officer
next inquire of pompous- looking little
fellow who seemed to want an opportunity
to speak.
ITO learn to be sailor, and get to be an
oAhCoi, luO DOJ Eeplou promptly.
I'VE can do the first for you; we cannot
do the second. You have Il wrong idea d.
This ship is TO train boys to become sailors.
The naval academy at Annapolis Is the
place where boys are trained as officers"
But, sir, can't a sailor become an Off
cerP"
mo. not a commissioned Office. You
can rise to be a petty officer, a sort of fore
| sajlnrs and thara Eo,.
chances to become warrant officers that
is, a boatswain, or gunner. or salmaker
or carpenter. These are officers, Lut not
commissioned officers"
The boy whose sole ambition was to
wear sword and strut in epaulets fell out
of the line, and walked, with detected
look to the gangway
"What are you working your jaws forp"
inquiredthe offer sternly, stopping in front
of a stunted little fellow, street gamin
from the neighborng city.
"Chewin', sir" was the timd reply.
How dare you bring tobacco on board
this ship, where not Il boy is allowed 10
use !tP Go to the spit-kid yonder. ard
empty your mouth, and then will talk to
you"
Almost the last hoy to be questioned was
the one who has been before alluded to-
the lad who came with his mother.
"What have you been doingP"
"Gong to school, sir
"What books have you been reading
lately?'
"A variety, sir; among them the stories
of Cooper and Marryat."
II thought SO. lam afraid your notions
are too romantic to suit the life on board
this ship. How would you relish chewing
hard-tack with those fine teeth of yours,
and putting those lily fingers into u tar
bucket?'
You can try me, sir" the boy replied,
nodestiy but firmly.
Very well you can go to the captains
Office on the deck below"
The boy found his way to the captains
office. Here the clerk put to him several
questions, as to age, place of residence,
parents, previous occupation. motive in
coming to the ship, ETC., all of which hav-
ing been answered satisfactorily, an order
was made out to the surgeon to examine
him as to his physical fitness for the service,
and he was conducted by the orderly to "a
place screened off on the gun deck The
surgeon bade him strip naked, and then
proceeded to search his whole body for
any malformation or defect. All of which
was noted on II blank prepared for the pur-
pose, which blank was sent to the captains
office with the result of the examination.
Having passed the surgeon, the boy was
sent to the "school-room,' on the berth
deck,-a steerage fitted up as a library
where board of officers inquired into his
mental and moral qualifications and his
aptitude for the service. He was directed
to read aloud from book handed to him;
to write sentence; to perform examples
in arithmetic; and to reply to . series of
questions such as any bright, intelligent
boy could readily answer. Inquiries were
made .as to his moral training and habits,
how and where he spent his evenings. his
religious preferences, etc. Some eXpana-
tion was then made of the general charac-
ter of life on board ship, the discipline, the
restraints, the length of service, etc and
the question was put to him whether he
was willing to accept these conditions.
On replying in the Affirmative, he was
put to one final test-to see whether he
could 90 aloft without being dizzy. He
was taken to the upper deck, and required
to climb into the rigging, and go over the
masthead, and come down on the other
side. This the boy found no difficulty in
doing, and was accordingly pronounced to
have passed the entrance examinations and
to he ready for the formality of enlistment.
After brief talk with the captain, he was
permitted to 60 ashore with his mother on
condition that he would return the next
day, sign the shipping articles, and enter
upon his new '!uties.
1t will be seen from the above descrip-
ton that none but boys of sound physical
health, good morals and fair intelligence.
are wanted in the naval service. The gov
ernment permits tue enlistment of $50
boys annually, and undertakes to train
them, by the aid of officers carefully picked
for the purpose, in practical seamanship,
gunnery, and the elements of an English
education, the intention being to drive out
of the service the foreign and vicious ee-
ments, and man the navy with trained and
disciplined sailors of American birth.
| Nearly one half of the $500 seamen at
present allowed by law are graduates of
our training ships; and these, by reason of
their superior training, have been advanc-
ed in their minority even, TO the ratings
of petty officers. Without doubt, many of
these youth, on being discharged at the age
of 21, will enter the merchant service; but
it is hoped the great bedy of them will
choose the navy as their permanent home.
|
The MOTHER.--There is no such bene-
factor in the universe, this side of God and
Jesus, as mother. She far outstrips the
father in disnterestedness, in self-sacrifice,
and often in pain willingly taken and will
ingly borne. Indeed, many of us come into
life walking through long ways OF ante
natal pain. and enter life at the gate of
crying and tears, and dwell in all the early
precincts of life, as it were, under the
shade and shadows of suffering. The
father has his share, in his way, and it is
much for the child; but who lies awake
nightsp Who defers all pleasure and all
business for the childp Who, when the
child is sick, laps it and arms it, and is as