d not relish my outbursts of laughter. It was
explosive, spontaneous and hearty, but not contagious among them.
Their faces assumed a rather pained expression, a kind of notice of
emotion that a sense of humour and religious beliefs occupied
different compartments in the human mind. It was intimated to me that
such "frivolousness" was out of kelter with the profession of a
Christian. It was merely by accident that I pulled out of a shelf in
the library "Adam Bede" by George Eliot. When I was discovered eagerly
devouring its contents under the glare of the fighting lamp one night
after the crew had "piped down," I was upbraided for spending such
precious time on such "worldly trash."

"Suppose the Lord should come now and find you reading that; what
would you say to Him?"

My reply added to their sorrow.

"I should say, 'Begorra, Yer Honour, it's a bully good story!'"

The judgment of my brethren was that there was good stuff in me for a
Christian if I had only been born somewhere else, a judgment I could
not be expected to agree with. My disagreement with these men on
various lines was no barrier to my participation in their propaganda.
There was only one thing in the world to do--get men converted. Each
man in this small group picked out another man as a subject of prayer
and solicitation and persuasion. At our weekly meetings we reported on
our work. Then we worked for each other. Of course, I was a subject of
prayer myself. When these men shook hands in parting, they usually
said, "If the Lord tarry," for the Lord was expected to come at any
moment. This they could not get into my speech or mind. As I looked
around me, I got the idea that there was a good deal of work to be
done before the Lord came, and I put emphasis rather on the work than
on the expectation. The ship was a beehive of activity, not merely the
activity of warlike discipline or preparation, but social activity. Of
course, this activity was largely for the officers. We had to go
ashore for most of ours, and the social activity of the rank and file
was rather of a questionable character ashore, but the officers had
their dinners, their dances, and their afternoon receptions.

The social centre for a portion of the rank and file was a sailors'
institute. As this was a temperance institution, it was only
patronized by a small percentage of them. Here we had frequent
receptions, afternoon teas, lectures, and religious meetings. Here the
secret soci