However, though I looked with no
little pleasure on the idea of becoming a sailor, I had still greater
satisfaction in the anticipation of visiting strange and far-distant
lands, in meeting with adventures, and in becoming acquainted with the
various tribes of the human race.

With the absorbing passion which now possessed me ruling every thought,
I could no longer properly fix my attention on my Latin and Greek books
and usual school-lessons; and as for nonsense, and even sense verses, I
abandoned all attempts at making them. I am ashamed to say that I
allowed others to do the work which passed as mine; and even though I
managed to present the required written exercises, I was constantly in
richly-deserved disgrace for the neglect of those tasks which no one
else could perform for me. I was decidedly wrong; I ought to have had
the right feeling and manliness to perform to the best of my power those
lessons which it was the master's duty to set me, and then I might with
a clear conscience have indulged freely in my own peculiar tastes. As
it was, when the Christmas holidays arrived, I was sent home with a
letter from the master containing severe complaints of my inattention
and negligence of my duties, while my brothers were complimented on the
progress they had made in their studies. The master told me he should
write, but our father received us all in the same affectionate way; and
as he said nothing on the matter, I hoped that he was not going to take
notice of it.

The first joyous days of getting home had passed over, and New-Year's
Day come and gone, before he broached the subject. From his love and
kind heart, he would not before mar my boyish happiness. He then,
summoning me into his study, spoke seriously to me about my past
conduct. I frankly owned my fault, and confessed to him the true cause
of my idleness. From his answer I found, to my very great satisfaction,
that Captain Frankland had already talked to him about my wish to go to
sea, and had expressed his readiness to take me.

"I cannot, however, allow you, my dear Harry, to leave school under the
present circumstances," said my father. "You must learn to obey your
superiors, and to command yourself, before you will be fit to go into
the world. Whatever course of life you pursue, you will have many
things to do which you will dislike, or in which you may from
inclination take no interest; but this will afford you but a poor excuse
for not