y well for a whole year. I am sorry to see that he has begun
the second year badly."

"O, his is a very hopeful case!" said Mr. Agneau. "He is penitent for
his folly, and I never saw so great a change in an individual as he
exhibited on my second visit to him last evening."

"I hope he will not disappoint you. I only mentioned him to show what a
benefit the ship had been to him; for if it keeps him out of trouble
even a single year, it is so far a blessing to him, to say nothing of
his intellectual progress, which has been more than satisfactory. The
fact that there are gambling, and drinking and other vices on board,
does not diminish my faith in the institution."

"It certainly ought not to do so," added Dr. Winstock, who was not so
sanguine a reformer as the chaplain and was willing to wait till the
medicine had time to produce an effect. "Here is an evil: we must meet
it, and we needn't stop to groan over it. What's to be done? that's the
question."

"The officer of the watch must be required to visit every room during
the first watch at least," said the principal.

"But those who are disposed to gamble will find abundant opportunities
to do so," suggested the doctor. "A couple of them up in the maintop, or
even in the cross-trees, could shake props, 'odd or even,' and play
other games of chance, without being seen. I don't think you have hit
the nail on the head yet, Mr. Lowington."

"The utmost vigilance we can use will not entirely prevent evil. We
depend upon moral influences, as well as discipline, for the prevention
and cure of vice and error," added the principal.

"I'm afraid a lecture on gambling wouldn't do much, good while the means
of play were still in the hands of the students. It would influence
some; but others are not to be influenced in any way: a strong arm alone
will meet their case."

"We can take the props from them," said Mr. Lowington.

"You must go a step farther than that; you must search the berths and
lockers for cards, dice, or other gambling implements. Even then you
will not have struck at the root of the evil."

"What is the root of the evil?" asked the principal.

"Money, sir!" replied the doctor, with unusual energy.

"That is said to be the root of all evil," added Mr. Lowington, with a
smile.

"Among boys, money does more injury than we can comprehend. A college
friend of mine was wholly spoiled by his allowance of money. His purse
was always full, which made him t