ad been on the
tiptoe of expectation for the last hour, now bounded out of the room
as the front door was opened, and I cannot describe what transpired
in the lobby for the next few minutes. The tears of joy being wiped
away, we all sat down to supper, my companion--he who tasted the
leather strap in our school days--being invited to swell the number,
and to complete the welcome home. Supper ended, I was made the
recipient of various gifts from my parents and sisters. Amongst other
things which my mother gave me was a jersey which she had knitted--
every stitch of it. It happened one day that my sister took the work
in hand and did a little in the making of it, but when my mother
discovered this transgression, she lovingly unravelled the stitches,
for she said "she desired to make it all herself." Such is a mother's
love! Every winter since I have worn the jersey, and even now am
wearing it on this cold December day as I pen these lines.

Six weeks' leave were granted me for my absence of three years, which
is the naval scale--that is a fortnight for each year, and I carried
in my pocket the liberty ticket. Let me tell you what is written on
it: The bearer's name, his height; the complexion of his hair, the
colour of his eyes, his visible marks (if any) and the nature
thereof, also a statement to the effect that he is free from arrest
up to a given date which is specified--if not on board his ship at
the authorised hour on that date he is regarded as a leave-breaker
and punished accordingly.

The six happy weeks passed away all too quickly, and I returned to
the Royal Naval Barracks, or, as is understood in naval circles
H.M.S. 'Vivid' From here, I was drafted to the gunnery college,
H.M.S. 'Cambridge.' It was on this ship that I first saw our present
King, he having come on board to inspect the guns' crews at drill,
accompanied by his brother, the Duke of Edinburgh, who at the time
was Commander-in-Chief of Devonport. After passing through a course
of gunnery, which lasted eighteen months, I was sent back to the
'Vivid.' Being entirely out of touch with a seaman's life, I
requested to "see the captain" with a view of changing my rating to
that of a ship's writer. He granted my appeal conditionally, which
meant, that if I were in harbour when the next examination took
place, I should be allowed to sit, but if away on a foreign station,
of course it would be impossible. To qualify myself in order to
succeed in passing