The faults of his king did punishment bring, So his servant a scourge was to be. And if thou wilt hear, and God's Name thou wilt fear, Said the prophet who told him his lot, Thy house shall be sure, and thy race shall endure, Though thy master shall not be forgot. He sat on the throne, then he follow'd alone The idols his folly had made; He selected his priests, and he dated his feasts, And his wickedness thus he display'd. Then warnings were sent that the man might repent, But no heed to the warnings took he; Then his child was laid low, but the weight of the blow Ne'er led him from evil to flee. So did he rebel till the punishment fell On him and his subjects beside, They fell in the wars, but their king was the cause, Then the Lord struck the man that he died. SHORT SENTENCES FOR XXV. An evil conscience is the most unquiet companion. XXVI. A fault is made worse by endeavouring to conceal it. XXVII. Small neglects may breed great mischiefs. XXVIII. Fix a time for everything, and do everything in its time. XXIX. Shun a slanderer as you would a scorpion. xxx. Be always more ready to forgive than to return an injury. XXXI. Employment is the salt of life. XXXII. Rather slip with the foot than with the tongue. xxxIII. It is better to be alone than in bad company. XXXIV. Books alone do not teach the use of books. xxxv. Command your temper, lest it command you. XXXVI. To be civil is always safe, but pride makes enemies. A SUNDAY AT SEA. the nettings intended for this purpose. When these first steps are gone through, and every rope is coiled up in its proper place, the sailors go to breakVERY fast. While at their meal the captain word is passed to "clean for in the muster," and the dress is ordered according to the time of year and climate. Thus at different seasons, is heard: "Do you navy takes care that his crew, as far as is consistent hear there ? fore and aft! clean for muster at five bells-duck frocks and white trousers!" or "blue jackets and trousers," or D'ye hear there? clean shirt for muster at five bells." At half-past eight, the first watch is called; "between decks," the store-rooms, and in short every hole and corner of the vessel, are then swept and put in the nicest order. All this is accomplished by half-past ten. The mate of the decks, the mate of the hold, the boatswain, gunner, and carpenter, receive reports that the different departments they superintend are ready. Reports are then finally made to the first lieutenant by the mates and warrant-officers, who himself goes round the ship, to see that all is ready for the final inspection. The captain then desires the lieutenant to tell the officer in command to give out the order Few landsmen can form any idea of the cleanliness in which every part of a ship is kept. No floor of a palace is so white, no parlour of a lady is so neat, as the decks of a man-of-war on a Sunday morning. The planks, which are scoured and swept every day of the week, receive a double portion of washing on Saturday. At seven o'clock the "hammocks are piped up," when each man brings up his bed, neatly folded, and places it in VOL. XIII. SECOND SERIES.-April, 1873. D of "beat to divisions." This is done by the drummer; and the ship's crew range themselves in a single line along both sides of the quarter-deck, the gangways, and all round the forecastle; and in line-of-battle ships, the number being too large to be disposed on this space, they also arrange themselves in the same way on each side of the maindeck. The marines, under arms and in full uniform, fall in at the after-part of the quarter-deck. In each division, the men are ranged according to their rank, and have a lieutenant at their head, who, as well as his midshipmen under him, is in full uniform. Each company is then inspected by the officer in charge of it with minute attention, and a spot of tar on the trousers, or an ill-mended hole in a shirt, are noticed with reproof. The medical officers also pass along the lines to judge by the appearance of the men whether they are healthy, and to ascertain whether any signs of disease are beginning to show themselves. When all is ready, the captain, accompanied by the lieutenant, goes round, and the former looks at every man from head to foot. During this examination a pin might be heard to fall. But for the sound of the wind among the cordage, the rippling of the water round the bows, and the creaking as the ship heels over under a press of sail, she might be supposed to be unmanned and dismantled in Portsmouth Dock. After going these rounds, the captain arrives at the galley, or kitchen, where he is received by the cook and his mate, who lift the lids off the coppers, that their cleanliness may be examined. The cook also lets some of the soup run out, that the captain may inspect it. In short, every part is looked into. Beyond the galley is the hospital, which is next visited, and the captain kindly inquires into the state and wants of each patient. The crew having taken all their clothes-bags on deck for inspection, nothing is left on the lower decks but the messtables, kits, and crockery of each mess. The tables, kept as white as if they were painted, are fixed by hinges at one end to the ship's side, and are supported at the other by cords from the ceiling. Against these rest the kits of the mess, and the double row along the deck is lighted up by a candle at each berth, preparatory to the captain's visit. and their soberness ascertained. The guns are examined, a duty never omitted, for obvious reasons, even on a Sabbath evening. Then follow the orders, "Reef topsails," the hammocks, "Roll up the watch;" and thus concludes the Seaman's Sunday. 99.66 'Stand by on their mess-stools, or on the gun-carriages, or on capstanbars, resting on tubs, but all in due order and subordination, and with the utmost decorum. The awnings are spread overhead to keep off the sun, if the weather be fine. But in rainy or squally weather, the service is held on the main-deck, under the quarter-deck. A pendant is hoisted to indicate that service is going on, and this signal is HOW JOHNNY WAS MADE respected by every other ship 'Pipe down," "Call the cloths," BETTER. during its continuance. The dinner-hour is always at TELL you it's of no use. noon, but on Sunday the people boy up at first as at last. may try from now until he selves in any way they please. is six feet high, and you'll That which especially characberizes Sunday afternoon on board, is the cessation of all that noise and stir caused by the various occupations of the artificers and crew. The men either gather in groups on the deck, or walk up and down the gangways and forecastle. This inactivity, contrasted with the usual bustle on board, is a distinguishing mark of the day of rest. At half-past four, the pipe to supper gathers the men together again at the messtables. At sunset, the drum beats to quarters, when the men's names are called over, never make anything out of him." "But he has only been here ten months. I'm sure, Miss W-, you can hardly expect a bad boy to become thoroughly good in that time." "No; I don't expect one to become a saint, but I think he ought to be a little better today than he was six months ago. You must confess, Miss D-, that he has shown himself as bad a boy this very day as he was the first week he entered." |