ing farewell to my grandfather and grandmother.

The old gentleman, indeed, wept bitterly as he was apt to do, especially
after his tenth tumbler of whisky and water, provided it was of the full
strength. I need not say anything more about him at present. We
reached Ballyswiggan Castle in safety, the small amount of property my
mother wished to retain following us in a cart. Mr Kilcullin was very
kind, and my aunt promised to write occasionally, and let us know how
the rest of the family got on. She was, indeed, the only one of her
sisters who was much practised in the art of penmanship, the others
having spent most of their time in gaining a knowledge of horseflesh, in
riding up and down the country, and in practising certain very useful
domestic duties. I certainly did feel very proud, and so I think did my
mother, when the boat from the frigate came to fetch us on board, and we
were seated in the stern sheets with our boxes in the bows, a young
midshipman in a fresh bright uniform steering. A short, somewhat stout
man pulled the stroke oar. He looked at my mother very hard. At length
a beaming smile came over his broad countenance, and he could no longer
help giving her a look of recognition. I thought I knew him. He was no
other than my old friend Toby Kiddle. Still, as the midshipman treated
us with so much respect, he evidently thought it did not become him to
address us. Our friends on shore, I should have said, saluted us with
loud shouts as we pushed off. "Long life to Ben Burton!" cried a voice.
"May he live to be an admiral, and an honour to old Ireland, and may he
never forget the land of his ancestors." My mother waved an adieu. Her
heart was too full with a variety of emotions to speak.

"Is Ben Burton your name?" said the midshipman, looking at me. "I
understand you are going to join us. You are a lucky chap, for our ship
is a happy one, and we are likely to see a good deal of service."

When we got on board, one of the first people I set eyes on was Pat
Brady.

"I could not help it, Ben," he said. "Some of the boys got round me and
talked of old times, and faith, though I was living on shore like a
gintleman, after all I could not resist the look of the trim frigate,
and the thoughts of the fighting and the fun on board. But, Ben, I hear
you are to be one of the young gintlemen, and I know my place too well
and your interests ever to be claiming relationship with you. You will
unde