ther's wardroom, where, despite the fact that she
sometimes has great difficulty in collecting the sums due at the end of
the month, she allows them to obtain meals, drinks, and tobacco.
Lastly, she gets up periodical kinematograph or variety shows to which
all are invited, free, gratis, and for nothing.... What more could her
children want? She is a very good mother to them. Her greatness has
not departed.

OUR HAPPY HOME

Compared with that of a "27-knotter" of twenty years ago the wardroom
of a modern destroyer is a palatial apartment.

Imagine a room about 15 ft. long, 25 ft. wide--the whole beam of the
ship--with about 7 ft. headroom.

It has white enamelled sides and ceiling. A table, long enough to seat
ten people at a pinch, runs athwartships, and ranged round it are
various straight-backed chairs.

On the after bulkhead is a square mahogany cupboard with a railed top,
on which reposes a gramophone, while to the right, in the corner, is
another cupboard reaching to the deck above and divided into numerous
square lockers. It is really intended for stationery, but provides an
equally useful receptacle for bottled beer and stout.

To right and left along the ship's side, with its row of small
scuttles, are cushioned settees, and on the foremost bulkhead, to the
left of the door, is a bookcase with cupboard underneath. Except on
Sundays, when the latter is specially tidied up for the "rounds," it
will not bear close investigation. It may be found to contain half a
Stilton cheese (rather fruity), pats of butter, two bottles of
Worcester sauce, fruit, one tin of Bluebell polish, and a large lump of
oily waste. No wonder our butter sometimes tastes peculiar!

To the right of the door is a sideboard, a solid mahogany affair, with
racks for glasses and tumblers, and cupboards for wine. In the centre
of it is a mirror which, on sliding down into a recess, reveals a small
square hatch communicating with the pantry outside.

Overhead, secured to the beams, are various pipes, electric light
fittings, brass curtain rods, and a couple of swinging oil lamps.
Several more oil lamps are in the bulkheads or walls. They are used
when steam is down and the dynamo is not running. The furniture and
fittings are completed by a comfortable-looking, well-padded armchair,
a couple of steam radiators of polished, perforated brass for warming
purposes when the ship is at sea, a red and blue carpet, curtains, a
le