I ought to be grateful to her, and do cherish her memory with affection, for she assisted to bring me into the world; attended my mother in her time of trial and trouble, and nursed me with the gentlest care. Yet Sue had a tongue, and could use it too when occasion, in her judgment, required its employment. But she always took the side of right and virtue against wrong and vice, and woe betided the luckless wight who fell under the ban of her just displeasure. She would belabour him, not with her hands, but by word, look, and gesture, till he shrieked out for mercy and promised never again to offend, or took to ignominious flight like a thief with a possé of constables at his heels. Bill King was a quiet-mannered little man with a huge pair of whiskers, like studden-sails rigged out on either side of his cheeks, and a mild expression of countenance which did not belie his calm good-temper and amiability of disposition. But though gentle in peace, he was as brave and daring a seaman as ever sprang, cutlass in hand, on an enemy’s deck, or flew aloft to loose topsails when a prize had been cut out, amid showers of bullets and round-shot.
Of my father, I will only say that he was in no way behind his friend Bill King in bravery, and though he spoke the sailor’s lingo like his shipmates, he was vastly his superior in manners and appearance. Indeed, he and my mother were a very handsome couple. They were also, I may say, deservedly looked upon with great respect by the officers, from the captain downwards, and regarded with affection by all the crew.
To go back to that insignificant little individual, myself, as I certainly was on the day I have mentioned, when I made my first appearance on board the HMS “Boreas”. I came in for a large share of the regard entertained by the ship’s company for my parents. My father was the first person introduced by Susan King into my presence.
“Well, he is a rum little youngster!” he exclaimed, taking me up in his open palms. “He is like Polly—that he is!” he added, as he gazed at me affectionately, the feelings of a father for the first time welling up in his bosom. “Yes, he is a sweet little cherub! Shouldn’t wonder but he is like them as lives up aloft there to watch over us poor chaps at sea. Ay, that he must be. They can’t beat him. Lord love ye, Sue, I am grateful to you for this here day’s work.”
I here interrupted my father’s remarks by a loud cry, and other infantine operations, on which Sue insisted on having me back again to her safe keeping, while outside the screen several voices were heard entreating my father to bring me out for inspection, a request with which Mrs King had before steadily refused to comply.
“I say, Dick, just let’s have a look at him. One squint, Burton, just to see what sort of a younker he may be. Come now, he ain’t a chap to be ashamed of, I’m sure. There ain’t none like him here aboard, I’ll swear. He don’t come up to Quacko anyhow. Come, Dick, show us him now, do, there’s a good chap.”
These and similar exclamations were sung out by various voices in different tones, to which my mother, as she lay in her cot, listened not unpleased, till at length my father having given her a kiss, and uttered a few words of congratulation and thanks to Heaven—sailors are not addicted to long prayers—again took me in his outstretched palms, and thus brought me forth to the admiring gaze of his shipmates. So eager were they to see me, that I ran no little risk of being knocked out of my father’s hands, as they were shoving each other aside in their endeavours to get to the front rank. Then one and all wanted to have me to handle for a moment; but to this Susan King, who had followed my father from behind the screen, would on no account consent.
“Why, bless you, my lads, you would be wringing the little chap’s neck off, if you were to attempt to take hold of him,” said Susan.
“Oh! No, don’t fear, we will handle him just as if he was made of sugar,” was the reply.
“Oh! You don’t know what delicate, weak little creatures these babies are when they are first born,” observed Susan. “Just like jellyfish, they will not stand any rough handling.”