ry little of that.
If I thought I had done good enough to make up for my back-aches, and
three fine stumps lost through chewing patriotic sentiments, why, of
course I should be thankful, and make the best of my reward. But charity
begins at home, my boy, and one's shirt should be considered before
one's cloak. A man's family is the nearest piece of his country, and the
dearest one."

"I am sure, sir, I hope," replied Frank, who had never heard his father
talk like this before, "that nothing is going on amiss with us here.
When you are away, I keep a sharp lookout. And if I saw anything going
wrong, I should let you know of it immediately."

"No doubt you would; but you are much too soft. You are quite as
easygoing as I used to be at your age"--here the Admiral looked as if
he felt himself to be uncommonly hard-going now--"and that sort of thing
will not do in these days. For my own discomforts I care nothing. I
could live on lobscouse, or soap and bully, for a year, and thank God
for getting more than I deserved. But my children, Frank, are very
different. From me you would never hear a grumble, or a syllable of
anything but perfect satisfaction, so long as I felt that I was doing
good work, and having it appreciated. And all my old comrades have just
the same feeling. But you, who come after us, are not like that. You
must have everything made to fit you, instead of making yourselves fit
them. The result will be, I have very little doubt, the downfall of
England in the scale of nations. I was talking to my old friend St.
Vincent last week, and he most heartily agreed with me. However, I don't
mean to blame you, Frank. You cannot help your unfortunate nature for
stringing ends of words together that happen to sound alike. Johnny will
make a fine Officer, not in the Navy, but of Artillery--Stubbard says
that he has the rarest eyes he ever came across in one so young, and he
wishes he could put them into his Bob's head. He shall not go back to
Harrow; he can spell his own name, which seems to be all they teach them
there, instead of fine scholarship, such as I obtained at Winton. But to
spell his own name is quite enough for a soldier. In the Navy we always
were better educated. Johnny shall go to Chatham, when his togs are
ready. I settled all about it in London, last week. Nothing hurts him.
He is water-proof and thunder-proof. Toss him up anyhow, he falls upon
his feet. But that sort of nature very seldom goes up high