Outward Bound Part 33

"I understand his position, precisely," said Mr. Lowington; "and I will not ask his name. The information proves to be painfully correct, and there appears to have been no malice in giving it."

"No, sir; I don't think there was: indeed, I know there was not," added Paul, when he considered that Wilton and the other gamblers were Shuffles' intimate companions.

"This is a very serious matter, Mr. Kendall," repeated the princ.i.p.al, thoughtfully.

"I think it is, sir; that is the reason why I came to you, instead of going to the captain."

"Perhaps it is better that you did so, on the whole," replied Mr.

Lowington. "It has enabled me to see the evil for myself. Have you any views in regard to what should be done, Mr. Kendall?"

The princ.i.p.al often asked the opinion of the officers concerning similar matters under discussion, perhaps in order to teach them self-respect, rather than with the expectation of obtaining valuable suggestions from them.

"I think there should be stricter discipline in the mess rooms, sir,"

replied Paul, blushing to have his opinion asked. "The fellows----"

"The students, you mean," interposed the princ.i.p.al.

"Excuse me, sir," added Paul, blushing deeper than before at this gentle rebuke.

The boys had a language of their own, which was not tolerated by the faculty when it ran into coa.r.s.eness and slang.

"What were you about to say, Mr. Kendall?" continued the princ.i.p.al, smiling at the confusion of the young officer.

"The students can now do anything they like in the mess rooms. They have plenty of money, and if they want to gamble, they can. They were playing last night when the first part of the starboard watch were on duty."

"You are right, Mr. Kendall," said Mr. Lowington "The students must be looked after in their rooms. Has there ever been any gambling among the officers in the after cabin?"

"I never saw any, or heard of any. I don't think there has been."

"I hope not; but we must grapple with this question in earnest," added the princ.i.p.al, as he led the way out of the state room into the main cabin.

The chaplain and the doctor were there, and Mr. Lowington wished to take their advice upon the serious matter before him; and before he permitted the second lieutenant to retire, he stated the case to them.

"Gambling!" groaned the chaplain.

"I detected them in the act myself," added Mr. Lowington. "You may retire, Mr. Kendall."

"Why, this is awful!"

"Boys will do almost anything that men will," said Dr. Winstock, the surgeon.

"Drinking and gambling!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the chaplain. "What are we coming to?"

"I fear there are other vices of which we know nothing yet," added the doctor.

"Why, I'm afraid the Academy Ship will prove to be a failure, after all," sighed Mr. Agneau.

"Not at all," argued Dr. Winstock. "We are in position here to treat these evils properly. There are no fond mothers and indulgent fathers to spoil the boys, when the discipline becomes sharp."

"What can we do?" demanded the chaplain. "Moral and religious influences seem to have no effect."

"Have faith in your own medicines, Mr. Agneau," said the doctor.

"I have full faith in the medicine, Dr. Winstock; but I fear I have not done my duty faithfully."

"You need not reproach yourself, Mr. Agneau. You have been earnest in your work," interposed the princ.i.p.al. "In a large community of young men, all these vices and evils will appear. It was to meet them that the keel of this ship was laid, and our inst.i.tution organized. I expect to find vice, and even crime, among the boys. They that be sick need a physician, not they that be whole. These boys certainly behave better on board the ship than they did on sh.o.r.e at the various academies they attended. Pelham, who is now fourth lieutenant, and has been first, was one of the hardest boys in the school to which he belonged in New York.

He has given us no trouble here, though he has been a little sulky since he fell from his former rank. Shuffles, who, in the Brockway Academy, was the worst boy I ever knew, without exception, behaved himself astonishingly well for a whole year. I am sorry to see that he has begun the second year badly."

"O, his is a very hopeful case!" said Mr. Agneau. "He is penitent for his folly, and I never saw so great a change in an individual as he exhibited on my second visit to him last evening."

"I hope he will not disappoint you. I only mentioned him to show what a benefit the ship had been to him; for if it keeps him out of trouble even a single year, it is so far a blessing to him, to say nothing of his intellectual progress, which has been more than satisfactory. The fact that there are gambling, and drinking and other vices on board, does not diminish my faith in the inst.i.tution."

"It certainly ought not to do so," added Dr. Winstock, who was not so sanguine a reformer as the chaplain and was willing to wait till the medicine had time to produce an effect. "Here is an evil: we must meet it, and we needn't stop to groan over it. What's to be done? that's the question."

"The officer of the watch must be required to visit every room during the first watch at least," said the princ.i.p.al.

"But those who are disposed to gamble will find abundant opportunities to do so," suggested the doctor. "A couple of them up in the maintop, or even in the cross-trees, could shake props, 'odd or even,' and play other games of chance, without being seen. I don't think you have hit the nail on the head yet, Mr. Lowington."

"The utmost vigilance we can use will not entirely prevent evil. We depend upon moral influences, as well as discipline, for the prevention and cure of vice and error," added the princ.i.p.al.

"I'm afraid a lecture on gambling wouldn't do much, good while the means of play were still in the hands of the students. It would influence some; but others are not to be influenced in any way: a strong arm alone will meet their case."

"We can take the props from them," said Mr. Lowington.

"You must go a step farther than that; you must search the berths and lockers for cards, dice, or other gambling implements. Even then you will not have struck at the root of the evil."

"What is the root of the evil?" asked the princ.i.p.al.

"Money, sir!" replied the doctor, with unusual energy.

"That is said to be the root of all evil," added Mr. Lowington, with a smile.

"Among boys, money does more injury than we can comprehend. A college friend of mine was wholly spoiled by his allowance of money. His purse was always full, which made him the prey of dissolute persons. He always had the means of gratifying his appet.i.tes, and is now a sot, if he is living. He began to drink, gamble, and dissipate generally, before he entered college: he was expelled in a year. Without money, as a boy, he would have been saved from a score of temptations. Every boy on board this ship has a pocket full of sovereigns for his European expenses.

They are all young nabobs, and if you ever let them go ash.o.r.e, you will have your hands full, Mr. Lowington. They will drink beer and wine, visit bad places, gamble and carouse. While they have plenty of money, you can hardly prevent them from being a nuisance to you and to themselves."

"There is a great deal of force in what you say, Dr. Winstock."

"Money will be the root of all evil to these boys, most emphatically.

Those who are disposed to gamble will do so while they have money."

"The inference to be drawn from your remarks is, that the students should not have pocket money."

"Most decidedly that is my opinion. If I had a son, I wouldn't allow him a penny of pocket money."

"That would be rather hard," said the chaplain.

"I know it, but it would be the best thing in the world for the boy. I don't mean to say that I would never permit him to have money; but he should have no stated allowance; and when he had a dollar, I should want to know how it was to be expended."

"This question of money allowances has been under serious consideration with me."