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and malicious with those members; or to be troubled with a similar

uneasiness in our elbows; attended with fistic consequences to our

neighbours; or to carry two pounds of lead in the chest; four

pounds in the head; and several active blue…bottles in each ear。

Yet; for certain; we suffered under those distresses; and were

always charged at for labouring under them; as if we had brought

them on; of our own deliberate act and deed。  As to the mental

portion of them being my own fault in my own case … I should like

to ask any well…trained and experienced teacher; not to say

psychologist。  And as to the physical portion … I should like to

ask PROFESSOR OWEN。'



It happened that I had a small bundle of papers with me; on what is

called 'The Half…Time System' in schools。  Referring to one of

those papers I found that the indefatigable MR。 CHADWICK had been

beforehand with me; and had already asked Professor Owen:  who had

handsomely replied that I was not to blame; but that; being

troubled with a skeleton; and having been constituted according to

certain natural laws; I and my skeleton were unfortunately bound by

those laws even in school … and had comported ourselves

accordingly。  Much comforted by the good Professor's being on my

side; I read on to discover whether the indefatigable Mr。 Chadwick

had taken up the mental part of my afflictions。  I found that he

had; and that he had gained on my behalf; SIR BENJAMIN BRODIE; SIR

DAVID WILKIE; SIR WALTER SCOTT; and the common sense of mankind。

For which I beg Mr。 Chadwick; if this should meet his eye; to

accept my warm acknowledgments。



Up to that time I had retained a misgiving that the seventy

unfortunates of whom I was one; must have been; without knowing it;

leagued together by the spirit of evil in a sort of perpetual Guy

Fawkes Plot; to grope about in vaults with dark lanterns after a

certain period of continuous study。  But now the misgiving

vanished; and I floated on with a quieted mind to see the Half…Time

System in action。  For that was the purpose of my journey; both by

steamboat on the Thames; and by very dirty railway on the shore。

To which last institution; I beg to recommend the legal use of coke

as engine…fuel; rather than the illegal use of coal; the

recommendation is quite disinterested; for I was most liberally

supplied with small coal on the journey; for which no charge was

made。  I had not only my eyes; nose; and ears filled; but my hat;

and all my pockets; and my pocket…book; and my watch。



The V。D。S。C。R。C。 (or Very Dirty and Small Coal Railway Company)

delivered me close to my destination; and I soon found the Half…

Time System established in spacious premises; and freely placed at

my convenience and disposal。



What would I see first of the Half…Time System?  I chose Military

Drill。  'Atten…tion!'  Instantly a hundred boys stood forth in the

paved yard as one boy; bright; quick; eager; steady; watchful for

the look of command; instant and ready for the word。  Not only was

there complete precision … complete accord to the eye and to the

ear … but an alertness in the doing of the thing which deprived it;

curiously; of its monotonous or mechanical character。  There was

perfect uniformity; and yet an individual spirit and emulation。  No

spectator could doubt that the boys liked it。  With non…

commissioned officers varying from a yard to a yard and a half

high; the result could not possibly have been attained otherwise。

They marched; and counter…marched; and formed in line and square;

and company; and single file and double file; and performed a

variety of evolutions; all most admirably。  In respect of an air of

enjoyable understanding of what they were about; which seems to be

forbidden to English soldiers; the boys might have been small

French troops。  When they were dismissed and the broadsword

exercise; limited to a much smaller number; succeeded; the boys who

had no part in that new drill; either looked on attentively; or

disported themselves in a gymnasium hard by。  The steadiness of the

broadsword boys on their short legs; and the firmness with which

they sustained the different positions; was truly remarkable。



The broadsword exercise over; suddenly there was great excitement

and a rush。  Naval Drill!



In the corner of the ground stood a decked mimic ship; with real

masts; yards; and sails … mainmast seventy feet high。  At the word

of command from the Skipper of this ship … a mahogany…faced Old

Salt; with the indispensable quid in his cheek; the true nautical

roll; and all wonderfully complete … the rigging was covered with a

swarm of boys:  one; the first to spring into the shrouds;

outstripping all the others; and resting on the truck of the main…

topmast in no time。



And now we stood out to sea; in a most amazing manner; the Skipper

himself; the whole crew; the Uncommercial; and all hands present;

implicitly believing that there was not a moment to lose; that the

wind had that instant chopped round and sprung up fair; and that we

were away on a voyage round the world。  Get all sail upon her!

With a will; my lads!  Lay out upon the main…yard there!  Look

alive at the weather earring!  Cheery; my boys!  Let go the sheet;

now!  Stand by at the braces; you!  With a will; aloft there!

Belay; starboard watch!  Fifer!  Come aft; fifer; and give 'em a

tune!  Forthwith; springs up fifer; fife in hand … smallest boy

ever seen … big lump on temple; having lately fallen down on a

paving…stone … gives 'em a tune with all his might and main。  Hoo…

roar; fifer!  With a will; my lads!  Tip 'em a livelier one; fifer!

Fifer tips 'em a livelier one; and excitement increases。  Shake 'em

out; my lads!  Well done!  There you have her!  Pretty; pretty!

Every rag upon her she can carry; wind right astarn; and ship

cutting through the water fifteen knots an hour!



At this favourable moment of her voyage; I gave the alarm 'A man

overboard!' (on the gravel); but he was immediately recovered; none

the worse。  Presently; I observed the Skipper overboard; but

forbore to mention it; as he seemed in no wise disconcerted by the

accident。  Indeed; I soon came to regard the Skipper as an

amphibious creature; for he was so perpetually plunging overboard

to look up at the hands aloft; that he was oftener in the bosom of

the ocean than on deck。  His pride in his crew on those occasions

was delightful; and the conventional unintelligibility of his

orders in the ears of uncommercial landlubbers and loblolly boys;

though they were always intelligible to the crew; was hardly less

pleasant。  But we couldn't expect to go on in this way for ever;

dirty weather came on; and then worse weather; and when we least

expected it we got into tremendous difficulties。  Screw loose in

the chart perhaps … something certainly wrong somewhere … but here

we were with breakers ahead; my lads; driving head on; slap on a

lee shore!  The Skipper broached this terrific announcement in such

great agitation; that the small fifer; not fifeing now; but

standing looking on near the wheel with his fife under his arm;

seemed for the moment quite unboyed; though he speedily recovered

his presence of mind。  In the trying circumstances that ensued; the

Skipper and the crew proved worthy of one another。  The Skipper got

dreadfully hoarse; but otherwise was master of the situation。  The

man at the wheel did wonders; all hands (except the fifer) were

turned up to wear ship; and I observed the fifer; when we were at

our greatest extremity; to refer to some document in his waistcoat…

pocket; which I conceived to be his will。  I think she struck。  I

was not myself conscious of any collision; but I saw the Skipper so

very often washed overboard and back again; that I could only

impute it to the beating of the ship。  I am not enough of a seaman

to describe the manoeuvres by which we were saved; but they made

the Skipper very hot (French polishing his mahogany face) and the

crew very nimble; and succeeded to a marvel; for; within a few

minutes of the first alarm; we had wore ship and got her off; and

were all a…tauto … which I felt very grateful for:  not that I knew

what it was; but that I perceived that we had not been all a…tauto

lately。  Land now appeared on our weather…bow; and we shaped our

course for it; having the wind abeam; and frequently changing the

man at the helm; in order that every man might have his spell。  We

worked into harbour under prosperous circumstances; and furled our

sails; and squared our yards; and made all ship…shape and handsome;

and so our voyage ended。  When I complimented the Skipper at

parting on his exertions and those of his gallant crew; he informed

me that the latter were provided for the worst; all hands being

taught to swim and dive; and he added that the able seaman at the

main…topmast truck especially; could dive as deep as he could go

high。



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