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Untitled Article
to an inner apartment . In the middle of the room was a table , whereon lay several printed and red ink-ruled papers with blank spaces , pens and ink , a book which looked like a register , and a small mahogany box . At the table were placed a leather-covered
arm-chair , and one of lighter character and dimensions . The guarded door opened , and my eye glanced on ranges of pistols and cutlasses suspended , and cutting Euclidisms and trigonometries on the walls : this looked awful ! A very handsome man , with an epaulette on each shoulder—an armless sleeve hanging
from one—walked forward and seated himself on the leather chair . He smiled as he surveyed us both with a look which indicated anything but unkindness ; and the bland manner in which he addressed us , captivated me . He civilly asked if we wished to go to sea . I answered , yes sir ; ' George was silent ; I was spokesman for both . Then followed the usual flummery about the honour of serving his majesty , fighting his enemies , promotion , brave fellows , glorious wooden walls , &c . ' What is your age ?' f Seventeen , sir . ' c Seventeen ! ' ' I shall be , sir , if I live a little
longer . ' ' Ay , I dare say . ' I spoke openly to all his inquiries except on the article of name ; that I concealed , and gave him my mother ' s . ' Will you let me see it correctly written ? ' and one of the pigtails advancing to the table drew paper and held a pen before me . I took it and dashed off the name in full , sponsorial and matronymic , at a stroke . c You write a beautiful hand , young gentleman . ' Young gentleman ! Young gentleman ! only think of that ! Young gentleman , to me ! ' Oh , what a good man this is F I thought , as I blushed at the tips of my fingers and under my toe nails , while every hair of my eye-brows stood on end and oozed . * Well , if you conduct yourself properly with diligence and sobriety , I do not question but you will make your
way * ' . * I'll try , sir . ' At this stage of the business another personage entered and took the vacant chair , riveting his two great green glassy eyes on us ; his whole face besides was a blank , but how those eyes seemed to grin ! a tiger at his studies ; and his light sandy hair stood bushily out like a wig of hemp , every thread of which had a quarrel with its neighbour . Between the Captain
and this queer-looking animal , a half-muttered , half-hissed conversation ensued ; the tiger was proposing something to which he of the epaulettes objected , and I gathered the words * Tender * ' the hold ? ' pair of scamps ? ' riff-raff ? to which the gentleman shook his head , and said , * No , no . ' 1 learned the meaning of all this soon ; and ; Captain Mends , after twenty-five years , accept 1
my thanks for your * no , no . A shilling was put into my hand , which 1 gave to one of the pigtails . My friend George received one also , and stood staring at it us it lay in his open palm . We had sold our bodies to the king , and to all others , his naval officers , to that tiger-gentleman inclusive . ' The French ship ( so it sounded in my ears ) will receive you , ' said the Captain , 4 and
Untitled Article
Autobiography of Pel . Verjuice . 541
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Aug. 2, 1833, page 541, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2620/page/29/
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