I fell, without a word, upon his neck.
MR. MIDSHIPMAN BREEZY
A NAVAL OFFICER
BY CAPTAIN M-RRY-T, R. N. [ [!-- H2 anchor --] ]
CHAPTER I
My father was a north-country surgeon. He had retired, a widower, from her Majesty’s navy many years before, and had a small practice in his native village. When I was seven years old he employed me to carry medicines to his patients. Being of a lively disposition, I sometimes amused myself, during my daily rounds, by mixing the contents of the different phials. Although I had no reason to doubt that the general result of this practice was beneficial, yet, as the death of a consumptive curate followed the addition of a strong mercurial lotion to his expectorant, my father concluded to withdraw me from the profession and send me to school.
Grubbins, the schoolmaster, was a tyrant, and it was not long before my impetuous and self-willed nature rebelled against his authority. I soon began to form plans of revenge. In this I was assisted by Tom Snaffle,—a schoolfellow. One day Tom suggested,—
“Suppose we blow him up. I’ve got two pounds of powder!”
“No, that’s too noisy,” I replied.