to her great-grandfather. I prefer Jack in his uniform, I
own, and he looks infinitely better in it than he does in top-boots and
a hunting-coat, when he is eclipsed by many of the young farmers who
have not two ideas to string together."

These remarks were made in the presence of Jack Rogers by his young and
pretty sisters, Mary and Lucy, soon after his return home from China, on
his promotion to the rank of Lieutenant, when one morning he entered the
breakfast-room, dressed in a bran-new uniform, which, with inward
satisfaction, he had put on at their request, that he might exhibit it
to them. It set off to advantage his manly, well-knit figure, at which
no one could look without seeing that he must possess ample strength of
limb and muscle. An honest, kind heart beamed through a somewhat broad,
very sun-burnt countenance. His features were good, though, and his
head was well set on a wide pair of shoulders, which made him look
shorter than he really was, not that he could boast of being a man of
inches. Take him for all in all, Jack Rogers was a thoroughly good
specimen of the British naval officer. Of course his sisters admired
him--what sisters would not?--but their admiration was surpassed by that
of his youngest brother, Tom, who was firmly of opinion that there never
had been and never could be anybody like him; yet Tom was Jack in
miniature, and the portrait of Jack, taken just before he went to sea,
was frequently supposed to be that of Tom. At school (Tom went to Eagle
House, which, though old Rowley had retired to enjoy a well-earned
"otium cum dignitate" in his native Cumberland, still kept up its
ancient character under an able master) his great delight was to talk of
the sayings and doings of "my brother Jack," and to read extracts from
the accounts of the latter, which from time to time came home. Tom's
schoolfellows knew almost as much about Jack's adventures as those who,
in subsequent years, read them in print, and they all agreed that he
must be a first-rate chap.

"I should think so, indeed," said Tom, in a tone of confidence. "If you
were just to see him once you'd say I am right, and my great wonder is,
that the Lords of the Admiralty don't make him a post-captain right off
at once. They couldn't help themselves if they knew him as well as I
do."

Thus admiring Jack, it was natural that Tom should have resolved to
follow in his footsteps. His whole heart was set upon being a sailor,