oldiers back, and his regimentals,
indicated that he belonged to the regiment just embarked; and I stated
my opinion, that as soon as he was a little recovered, he had better be
taken on board. As the boat which picked us up was one of the
men-of-war boats, the officer who had been embarking the troops, and had
been sent on shore again to know if there were any yet left behind,
consented. In a few minutes the soldier recovered, and was able to sit
up and speak, and I only waited to ascertain the state of the poor young
woman whom I had left on the wharf. In a few minutes she was led to us
by the warder, and the scene between her and her husband was most
affecting. When she had become a little composed, she turned round to
me, where I stood dripping wet, and intermingled with lamentation for
the child, showering down emphatic blessings on my head, inquired my
name. "Give it to me!" she cried; "give it to me on paper, in writing,
that I may wear it next my heart, read and kiss it every day of my life,
and never forget to pray for you, and to bless you!"

"I'll tell it you. My name--"

"Nay, write it down for me--write it down. Sure you'll not refuse me.
All the saints bless you, dear young man, for saving a poor woman from
despair!"

The officer commanding the boat handed me a pencil and a card; I wrote
my name and gave it to the poor woman; she took my hand as I gave it
her, kissed the card repeatedly, and put it into her bosom. The
officer, impatient to shove off, ordered her husband into the boat--she
followed, clinging to him, wet as he was--the boat shoved off, and I
hastened up to the inn to dry my clothes. I could not help observing,
at the time, how the fear of a greater evil will absorb all
consideration for a minor. Satisfied that her husband had not perished,
she had hardly once appeared to remember that she had lost her child.

I had only brought one suit of clothes with me: they were in very good
condition when I arrived, but salt water plays the devil with a uniform.
I lay in bed until they were dry; but when I put them on again, not
being before too large for me, for I grew very fast, they were now
shrunk and shrivelled up so as to be much too small. My wrists appeared
below the sleeves of my coat--my trowsers had shrunk halfway up to my
knees--the buttons were all tarnished, and altogether I certainly did
not wear the appearance of a gentlemanly, smart midshipman. I would
have ordered anoth