The Indianapolis journal., 1899-10-23
TALk WITH DEWEY.
He Enjoys the HoDOrs Paid Him, but
VIII BE Glad to Rest.

LeSlieS Weekly
AN this hullabaloo about being hero
is simple nonsense" continues the admiral.
Il ann in the navy to do the navys work.
We were sent out To do a certain thing, and
did II. That Is all.
when YOU are seeking a thing there il
nothing like going after it. Under the condi-
tions by which / was surrounded. failure
was not easy. We went into the harbor of
Manila at night and the EarbOr was
mined. This was the first and worst part of
our difficulty. When we had finally got our
enemy the work was halt done. Every man
IN our 1ect seemed To be imbued with the
sense that the quicker the work was done
the greater would be the moral effect of
the victory.
Some of the naval experts in other
countries. | notice. have suggested that
there is a lack Of organization and loose
ness of discipline in our navy he says.
THE Manila and Santiago campaigns will
more than answer that criticism. | should
he surprised TO find finer example of dis
cipline and good drilling than that display
ed by our men in the fight at Manila.
Everything and everybody moved with de-
liberation and scientific accuracy of clock
work. The fleet, as a whole, realized one :
idea of Il huge machine controlled by the
turn of a single lever All that IL is possible
10 say has been said about the superb shoot
Ing OF our men. Yet | myself was scarcely
prepared for the wonderful record they
made. Every shot told
1T will be pleasant TO remember i'm after
years that we succeeded in taking Manila
1t is gratifying 10 know that every pTac-
tical navy man i'm England America
looks upon il a clean-cut. workmanlike
job But | iceland we all on the Olympia
feel-that they have made too much of
what we did. And in my happiest moments,
i'm the midst OF all this hurrdh. all this con-
graduation all this praise showered upon
me from every. part of the country and
every corner of the world. arises the
Election: True. L succeeded; but if / had
failed.
My one hope now that I am here and
have seen my boy grown into manhood is
TO get home-my own home--with my family
and rest. That is all / want. shall not
vitations. If | am alive after the people of
New York get through with me shall so
TO my home and stay there until am again
called 10 duty"
And at this point enters pretty, girish
figure in widows weeds. The face. beautiful
in it's sorrow. is lined and marked with the
trouble OF many days. a tiny duplicate of
herself clings to her hand. She is the wife
of young officer killed in the war. Il knew
your husband well. madam says the adj
miral bending down to kiss the child. "A
better sailor never lived" They talk apart
for few moments a new light is in her
eyes as she goes out. And the admirars
face, as he turns away. tells us that the
widow and orphan will not want a friend
or a protector while George Dewey lives
Don't ask me to say a word about the
Philippines or Aguinaldo, or good govern
ment." says the admiral. with look at his
What about the London Spectators sug-
gestion that YOU should be governor general
of the Philippines?'
The admiral burst into laugh and waved
the subject away.
"Oh, yes" he resumes, in answer to an
other question, Il have received hundreds
of questions on every kind of subject, but
never them Only poor Brumby enjoys
the felicity of reading them. People want TO
know the secret of getting on in life. There's
secret. Effort Nothing i'm this world was
ever accomplished save by continued per-
sistent effort. This is not the time for the
dreamer or theorist No man need want a
chance If he seeks it. 1t is an ordination of
God that each one Of us shall have his Op-
portunity in this life. and it rests with him
to seize it and turn ii To the best account.
Effort, effort EFFORT Always effort and
again effort"
The talk is over. The door of his room is
opened. and then all stand stock still at the
spectacle under their eyes. On an empty
crate, scarce dozen yards away. sits a
very youthful sailor with his sweetheart by
his side. The whole story of the romance
il told a boy-and-girl attachment, with
street corners and doorways and angry
mothers with waSh-sticks figuring largely
In it. She was fifteen and he was seven
teen when he ran away three years ago to
Join the navy. His arm is round her waist
her head rests contentediy on his shoulder.
They are otherwise dead 10 all things-dead
TO the delighted smiles of the ladies grouped
around the admiral: to the grins of the off,
GERS and sailors: or 10 the awful eye of the
admiral fixed upon them. There is a pause
and a silence, and then the fighter of Ma
Mia smiles.
Never saw anything prettier than that"'
he chuckleS. and disappears into his ca bin.
And we all agree with him.