The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-04-18
OUR GALLANT TARs.
l CUSTOM THAT WILL ENDURE AS
LONG AS THE NAVY ENDuREs. 4

Wives" Every ~Sasurday Nk2h&-Ks Makes
the Men In the Navy Bester. Truer. No
bier and B-aver.
The people OF this country are very
fond OF their naval officers 50 far ne
they know them. 1t would be i good
deal better for the country IL they were
better known, for among them are to be
found as large q percentage Of fine,
brainy, lovable and well bred men as in
any of the familiar professions.
There is not much sentimentality in
the navy, but there is q deal Of senti.
ment, which il q vastly different thing.
Certain cynical young women who have
met officers and who have noticed how
attentive they are sometimes think that
this is merely q dainty, sham devotion"
bestowed upon yonng women whom they
meet at every port they touch. But this
is not true. There is more genuine chiv-
airy among the officers OF the United
States navy than is to be found among
any class Of men on shore.
1t is one of the conventions OF the
navy to place women upon q pedestal,
and there is no finer convention In the
world. 1t may be because that for SO
much of their time they are denied the
delight of seeing women. Bnt they new
err forget them.
Every Saturday night in every United
States warship aioat there taken place a
ceremony so beautiful. SO exquisite, that
it seems to have escaped from the land
of chivalry and wandered into American
life. There, fattered and amazed at its
welcome, it has remained yer since and
made the men in the navy better, truer,
nobler and Drawer, for it must be con-
fessed that the officers are, first of all,
splendidly American.
When a ship is under way, there is no
woman aboard her. She has no place
there. Maybe each man carries an image
of one in his thoughts during his watches
ON deck. OF these things he does not
speak. But once each week he comes
forth boldly with his fellows and rever-
emily sends greeting from across the seas
to her. From the China sea, from stormy
Cape Horn, from the peaceful Mediter.
ranean comes the message.
"Sweethearts and wives!' That was
even and always will be the sailors toast.
And when it Is given aboard UncleSa m's
ships it is a tribute to the sweetness, the
purity, the beauty of American woman.
hood. There are men who have drunk
that toast every Saturday night for more
than 40 years. 1t is never old to them.
The officers would as soon think OF pass.
ing unnoticed an important disciplinary
regulation as passing Saturday night
without this ceremony. tt does not mat.
ter whether the ship is on the high seas,
or anchored in a foreign port, or lying al
the dock in the Brooklyn navy yard. &C
long az her men are aboard they DRINK
the toast. It Is q custom as old - the
navy. twill endure as long as the navy
endures.
When the supply of wine Is running
short during q long cruise, the officers
deny themselves during the week thai
they may have it for this toast ON Satur'
day nights.
The servants are well trained. They
AaSa the champagne nicely chilled and
open 1T almost without orders. After
the dinner 10 finished the executive OH
Ger arises. Very likely there is gra, y
his hair. his face Ia Redeemed by wealth.
n and scanned by years, for men who
reach position cannot be young. But hii
heart is still young. They have diped
well, and the content Of well filled stoms
achs shines ON their faces. But when The
lieutenantcommander rises they are still.
He stands straight with his hand mp.
raised, the champagne bubbling deli.
ciously.
Gentlemen, are your glasses chargedY'
There is not one which is empty. The
officers rise and bow their heads In am
swer.
81 give You" 1.-THE lieutenant command
or speaks earnestly, and there is a soft
glimmer in his eyesH"I give yo1 sweet
hearts and wives. God bless themr'
"Sweethearts and wives-God bless
themr' comes in chorus from the officers.
Then they drink, and If there runs down
their spinal cords a little thrill, and IL
their eyes grow moist and their hands
shake o bit it is a tribute to themselves
and to American womanhood to whom
this toast is drunk. With something In
their breasts throbbing like the great en-
gines, and the swish and gurgle Of the
waters dulling their ears, there Is COM
iured before them, like the azure nim-
bus of q dream, q home with q soft
voiced woman and the prattle of a child.
or q slender, girlish figure bending her
head to hide the love light in her eyes.
On Saturday night the officer at sea feela
that he is very nea home.
Every one knows that naval officers
are famous for the attractions which
they have for the fair. This may show
that it isn't the uniform alone which Ii
the magneS-New York World.
The F0rger.
Sir John Evans says, In Longmanss
Magazine, 'sthat not even the trained an
tiquary il proof against the forger and