“Here, sir,” cried Bollup a moment later to Baldwin, “I’ve hunted the whole ship over and this is all I can find,” and he quickly handed Baldwin the book and paper.
Baldwin looked at them and then at the plebe in front of him. “I think these will be very interesting to you, Mr. Bollupsir,” he remarked quietly. “This paper is The Sunday-School Herald; it has a number of things in it, some articles and some poems. I’m quite fond of poetry. Suppose you learn all of these poems by heart, commencing with this one, entitled: ‘Our Beautiful Sunday-School;’ there are only twenty-two verses to it. And this is a very valuable book you have brought me; I know it well; it helped me get into the Academy three years ago. It is ‘Robinson’s Practical Arithmetic.’ Now when you are tired of learning poetry you may work out some problems, there are hundreds of them, and commence at the first. And every night you’ll please report to me at seven o’clock.”
Bollup was aghast. But Baldwin was determined and directed Bollup to commence immediately. And for the rest of the summer cruise for part of each day Bollup was to be seen on the berth deck by Baldwin’s side industriously working problems or committing some part of the Sunday-School Herald to memory. This created lots of fun for everybody except poor Bollup. His own classmates plagued him unmercifully and he was in constant demand by the third classmen to recite “Our Beautiful Sunday-School.” In this recitation, performed hundreds of times, Bollup became impassioned and created uproarious laughter.
On the afternoon of the day of Bollup’s misadventure, Baldwin passed Ralph who was standing by his locker and said: “Here you, take this rubber coat and keep it in your locker for me, and whenever it rains bring me my coat on the run. Do you understand? And what’s your name?”
“Yes, sir, I understand and my name is Osborn; but my locker is now so jammed I can’t get all of my own things in it, sir; I’m afraid I can’t do it, sir.”
“Never say ‘can’t’ when your senior gives you an order, Mr. Osborn,” said Baldwin severely, throwing his rubber coat to Ralph and walking on.
Ralph was in despair. He tried his best but simply was unable to stuff Baldwin’s coat in the already overfilled locker. So finally he took his own rubber coat out and laid it on top of his locker, and then managed to stow Baldwin’s. The next morning Ralph’s coat was missing; this was a hardship for it started to rain heavily. Ralph rushed to Baldwin with the latter’s coat, and then went up on deck to haul on some ropes. He was soon drenched, and to add to his misfortunes he received five demerits for being out of uniform, and later three more for having a rubber coat in the “Lucky Bag.” He received his coat back and stood ruefully before his locker wondering what he could do, when Baldwin came up; the latter spoke kindly. “I’m sorry about those demerits I caused you to get, Mr. Osborn,” he said. “Your classmate, Bollup, has just told me about your having received them. If I’d known it in time I could have fixed the matter up. I could do it now by going to the captain and stating the circumstances; he would take off your demerits but would report me for hazing you; even such a little thing as that would be considered hazing and would cause my dismissal. I don’t suppose you would want me to do that?”
“Oh, no, sir,” replied Ralph, “indeed I wouldn’t; your coat is now back in my locker and I’ve just received mine from the ‘Lucky Bag’ and am wondering what I had best do. If I leave it on top of my locker it will be taken up again and I will get more demerits, and really I can’t possibly get it in my locker.”
“I should say not,” remarked Baldwin, looking into Ralph’s locker. “Here, Mr. Osborn, give me my coat, and come along with me. Bring your own coat with you.”
Ralph did so, wondering what was going to happen. They walked aft for some distance, and then Baldwin said, “Here are my lockers, Mr. Osborn; I am quite fortunate; I have two lockers and I’m going to give you a big shelf in one of them. You can stow your rubber coat here and some other things. And if at any time I can do anything for you, come right up. I have those demerits of yours on my conscience and I want to square up the account. I want to be your friend. You needn’t run to me with my coat any more, and shove your own coat in there.”