Getting back safe home at last, like many another sailor, I might have
sung--
"'Twas in the good ship _Rover_
I sail'd the world around,
For full ten years and over
I ne'er touch'd British ground.
And when at length I landed,
I could not long remain;
Found all my friends were stranded,
So went to sea again."
Jerry, the truest of them, who had at the Peace gone on shore, I could
nowhere hear of; my poor mother was dead, my brothers at sea, and my
sisters either married or in service. One of the youngest, my sister
Jane, I was told was living near Ryde with the family of a captain in
the navy, and on inquiry I found he was no other than my old commander,
Captain Leslie. I started at once with my pockets pretty well lined
with gold, for I had just received a good lumping share of prize-money,
which I was sorely puzzled to know what to do with. I was pleased at
the thought of again seeing my old captain, though I scarcely fancied he
would remember much about the little services I had done him. Who
should open the door but Jane herself! She did not know me, but I knew
her, though she had grown from a girl into a young woman, and I soon
persuaded her who I was. She asked me down into the kitchen; and after
we had had a talk, and she had told me all about those I cared for, she
said she would go and tell Captain Leslie and his lady, who had often
spoken to her about me, for they had found out that she was my sister.
I was sent for into the drawing-room, when the captain welcomed me
kindly, and told his wife and the young ladies--for there were two of
them, besides a number of small children, boys and girls--how I had
twice saved his life.
"I hope that you will stop as long as you like, and I will get you a
lodging close at hand," he said in his pleasant way. "I have often
wished that I could have shown my gratitude more than I have been able
to do."
I told him not to trouble himself about that, as it was a pleasure to me
to think that I had been of service; and as I had more money than I knew
what to do with, and never wished to be anything but what I was, I
didn't see how he could have done more than he had done.
"I like your independent spirit, Ben," he said, "but perhaps a time may
come, when I may be able to serve you as I should wish."
After a good talk of old times, I went back into the kitchen. I had
been sitting there for some time, when a young woman came in with the
sweetest face I ever set eyes on. I got up and made a sort of bow, with
a scrape of my foot and a pull at a lovelock I wore in those days, for
it was not for me, I felt, to sit in the presence of one like her; when
Jane, laughing, said--
"Why, Ben, don't you know Susan Willis?"
She was one of a lot of little girls I remember living next door to us,
and I used to take her on my knee and sing to her, and tell her about
Lord Hawke and the _Royal George_, when I was at home for the first time
after going to sea. Susan smiled, and put out her hand, and that moment
I felt I was not my own master; her voice was as sweet as her smile, and
had the true ring of an honest heart in it.
"She is the young ladies' own maid," said Jane; "and they are as fond of
her as everyone is who knows her."
"I am sure of it," says I; "and I am thankful that I am among them."
Susan looked down and blushed, and so I believe I did, though she could
not see my blush through the brown skin of my face as well as I could
see the rose on her lily cheeks.
Well, the long and the short of it is that day after day I went up to
the house, and at last--I couldn't help it--I knew that I should be
miserable if Susan wouldn't be mine, so I asked her to marry me. How my
heart did beat when she said yes. The captain and his lady were
agreeable, and when they heard that I had a matter of three hundred
pounds prize-money, or more, they observed that it was a prudent match;
and so I took a cottage and furnished it, not far off, that Susan might
go up and see Mrs Leslie and the children whenever they wished, and we
were married and were as happy as the day was long. I know I was, and
Susan seemed contented with her lot.
Susan was a prudent young woman, and one day she says to me, "We must do
something, Ben, to make a living."
"Why do you think that, Susan?" I asked; "I have got no end of
prize-money."
"It's just this," says she; "you may think there is no end, but it will
come to an end, notwithstanding: what with the rent, and furnishing the
house, and the new clothes you got me, and the weekly bills, we have
spent fifty pounds of it already. Now, if we could set up a shop, or
you could turn carpenter or gardener, or go into service with someone
living hereabouts, we could lay up the rest of the money till a rainy
day; and as we have a pretty spare room, I might take in a lodger to
help out the rent."
I had never before thought of that sort of thing; but I was sure that
Susan was right, and I began to turn in my mind what to do. I soon
found that I was not fit for anything Susan proposed. I never was much
of a carpenter, and I knew nothing about gardening. I tried my hand in
my own garden, and had got everything shipshape as far as the palings,
walks, and borders were concerned, but I could get nothing to come up.
Still I kept thinking of Susan's remark, and, seeing the wisdom of it, I
knew that there was only one thing I was fit for, and that was to go to
sea. I was loath to part from Susan, but there was no help for it.
There came about this time a hot press at Portsmouth; and as more than
once the pressgangs had landed in the Isle of Wight, I was very sure
that unless I got stowed away securely I should be picked up. Now,
thinks I, it's better to enter as a free man; and hearing that my old
ship, the _Royal George_, which was lying at Spithead, was in want of
hands, after a talk with the captain and poor Susan, whose heart was
well-nigh ready to break, though she could not help acknowledging that I
was right, I went on board and entered. Captain Leslie had given me a
note to Captain Waghorn, her commander, and I was at once rated as
quartermaster. The flag of the brave Admiral Kempenfelt, who had a year
before been appointed Admiral of the Blue, flew aboard her. We sailed
shortly afterwards with a strong squadron for Brest, to look after a
French fleet which had just left that port, conveying a large number of
merchantmen bound for the East and West Indies. On the 12th of December
we had the good fortune to discover the enemy's fleet about thirty-five
leagues to the westward of Ushant, we being a long way to leeward of the
convoy. I heard the admiral talking to the captain.
"We will cut off the merchantmen first, and fight the enemy afterwards,"
says he.
What he had determined on he was the man to carry out, and before
evening we had picked up twenty merchantmen, laden with provisions and
naval and military stores, two or three regiments of soldiers, and a
large number of seamen. The _Royal George_ had to heave-to for the rest
of the squadron, which was a long way astern.
Next morning the French fleet was increased by a number of other ships
appearing to leeward. The admiral was a prudent as well as a brave man,
and considered that it would be wiser not to engage them, and so with
our prizes we sailed back to Portsmouth. I could almost see my cottage
from the maintop, but I could not get leave to go on shore; and as to
having Susan off to see me, that I would not think of, for she would
have had to see and hear things such as I did not wish my wife to
witness. We again sailed for a cruise down Channel, and, after putting
into Torbay, once more returned to Portsmouth. Admiral Kempenfelt, we
had heard, had been appointed to the command of the fleet in the
Mediterranean, and we expected to sail again in a week or less. This
was in August 1782. Lord Howe's fleet was also lying off Spithead,
among them the _Victory_, _Barfleur_, _Ocean_, and _Union_, all
three-deckers, close to us, and numerous other men-of-war and merchant
vessels; indeed, the people who came off from Portsmouth declared they
could hardly see the Isle of Wight on account of the masts and spars of
the ships. In consequence of going foreign we had been paid in golden
guineas. As soon as I had received my pay, I got leave to go on shore
to spend a couple of days, to be off again on the evening of the 27th.
I had no difficulty in getting a boat, for there were hundreds pulling
backwards and forwards. I found Susan bright and well, and looking out
for me, for I had written to say I hoped to come. We went up to see
Captain Leslie and the ladies, who had sent word that they wished us to
pay them a visit. They were as kind as ever. The hours went by a great
deal too fast.
A sailor's wife has a hard trial to bear, to have her husband at home
for two or three days, and then away for as many years or more; however,
I hoped to be at home again in less time than that, and so I cheered up
Susan, and promised for her sake to take the best care of myself I
could. She had not given up her notion of taking in a female lodger.
We were standing in the porch of the cottage on the last day, when we
saw a young lady in black, leading a little boy, coming along the road.
The little chap had a sailor's hat and jacket on, though he did not seem
much more than three years old.
"She is some officer's widow," I remarked to Susan as we watched her.
"She seems almost too young to be the mother of that child; she is his
sister, more likely," answered Susan.
The young lady had stopped, and was looking about her; presently she
came on to us.
"Can you tell me if I am likely to find a lodging hereabouts for a few
days?" she asked in a sweet voice; "I have left my luggage at the inn in
the village, but I do not wish to remain there, and I feel very tired
with walking about."
"Will you like to walk in, miss, and rest yourself?" said Susan, "for
you do look tired and ill too."
The young lady's cheek was very pale.
"I shall indeed be thankful if you will let me do so," she answered, and
coming in she sank down in a chair.
Susan got tea ready; it seemed to revive her a little; the child, I
observed, did not call her mother; and as I saw no wedding ring on her
finger, I began to think that Susan was right about her not being the
child's mother. Susan was evidently taken with the young lady, and,
calling me out, she said that she would ask her to stop, as she did not
seem fit to walk back to the village. I offered to go to the inn and
fetch her things, but she had a bag in her hand which she said contained
sufficient for the night, and she would send for them the next morning.
I soon afterwards had to go off to the ship, so I saw no more of the
young lady, who had gone to her room with the little boy.