Chapter One.
Some account of my family, including Aunt Deb—My father receives an offer—A family discussion, in which Aunt Deb distinguishes herself—Her opinions and mine differ considerably—My desire to go to sea haunts my dreams—My brother Ned’s counsel—I go a-fishing in Leighton Park—I meet with an accident—My career nearly cut short—A battle with a swan, in which I get the worst of it—A courageous mother—Mark Riddle to the rescue—An awkward fix—Mark finds a way out of it—Old Roger’s cottage—The Riddle family—Roger Riddle’s yarns and their effect on me—Mark takes a different view—It’s not all gold that glitters—The model—My reception at home.
We were all seated round the tea-table, that is to say, my father and mother, my five sisters, and three of my elder brothers, who were at home—two were away—and the same number of young ones, who wore pinafores, and last, but not least, Aunt Deb, who was my mother’s aunt, and lived with us to manage everything and keep everybody in order, for this neither my father nor mother were very well able to do; the latter nearly worn out with nursing numerous babies, while my father was constantly engaged in the duties of the parish of Sandgate, of which he was incumbent.
Aunt Deb was never happy unless she was actively engaged in doing something or other. At present she was employed in cutting, buttering, or covering with jam, huge slices of bread, which she served out as soon as they were ready to the juvenile members of the family, while my eldest sister, Mary, was presiding at the tea-tray, and passing round the cups as she filled them.
When all were served, my father stood up and said grace, and then all fell to with an eagerness which proved that we had good appetites.
“I say, Aunt Deb, Tom Martin has lent me such a jolly book. Please give me another slice before you sit down. It’s all about Anson’s voyage round the world. I don’t know whether I shall like it as well as ‘Robinson Crusoe’ or ‘Captain Cook’s Voyages,’ or ‘Gulliver’s Travels,’ or the ‘Life of Nelson,’ or ‘Paul Jones,’ but I think I shall from the look I got of it,” I exclaimed, as Aunt Deb was doing what I requested.
“I wish, Dick, that you would not read those pestiferous works,” she answered, as, having given me the slice of bread, she sat down to sip her tea. “They are all written with an evil intent, to make young people go gadding about the world, instead of staying contentedly at home doing their duty in that state of life to which they are called.”
“But I don’t understand why I should not be called to go to sea,” I replied; “I have for a long time made up my mind to go, and I intend to try and become as great a man as Howe, or Nelson, or Collingwood, or Lord Cochrane, or Sir Sidney Smith. I’ve just to ask you, Aunt Deb, what England would be without her navy, and what the navy would be unless boys were allowed to go into it?”
“Stuff and nonsense, you know nothing about the matter, Dick. It’s very well for boys who have plenty of interest, for sons of peers or members of parliament, or judges or bishops, or of others who possess ample means and influence, but the son of a poor incumbent of an out of the way parish, who knows no one, and whom nobody knows, would remain at the bottom of the tree.”