"It may be a turning-point in your fortune," I observed.
"There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads
on to fortune," he repeated. "You don't suppose that the flood will
ever set in for me. The current has been too long running the other way
for me ever to expect it to change. I am content to let it continue its
old course, and swim merrily with it."
Had Newman been left to himself, I do not know that he would have
altered his opinion; but soon after this the captain again sent to see
him.
"Well, Jack, I must needs go where the wind drives," he remarked, as he
came forward. "Our skipper is certainly a very good-natured fellow. He
not only insists on my going with him to the house of Mynheer Von
Kniper, but tells me that he has made arrangements for rigging me out in
full fig for the occasion. It will be very good fun, I daresay; and I
only wish that you could be there to enjoy it."
"If I saw you happy, I should be happy; but I could not enjoy such a
scene as that myself. I should feel so completely like a fish out of
water."
"Oh, nonsense!" he answered; "a man has only quietly to observe what
others do, and not to attempt to show himself off, or to broach any
subject, and he will generally pass muster as a well-behaved person.
However, as Mr Von Kniper did not ask you to come, of course you cannot
go. Well, I dare say that I shall have enough to make you laugh when I
come back."
I am not at all certain that Newman was right in his last observation.
Practice and experience are absolutely necessary to fit a person for any
station of life; and no wise man will ever wish to step into one for
which he is not fitted by education or habit, or to associate with those
with whom he has no ideas or associations in common. The great mistake
numbers of well-intentioned people make, is the wish to rise in the
world themselves, or that their children may rise in it to a superior
station to that in which they were themselves born. They forget that
the reason why they were sent into the world was to prepare them for
another and a better existence; that this world is no abiding-place; and
that, therefore, it is worse than folly to take toil and trouble to
climb up a few steps in the ladder which will enable us to look down on
our fellow-worms still crawling below us. There is one most important
thing parents should teach their children--one most important thing
children should desire--"To do their duty in that station of life in
which it has pleased God to call them." Their sole motive should be
love to their Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, who thus commanded them to
act. At the same time, they may be well assured that if they do their
duty with all their heart--if they do diligently whatever their hand
finds to do--they will not fail to be placed in those posts of honour
and responsibility which even worldly men are always anxious to get such
persons to fill. We see how Joseph was raised to honour in Egypt, how
Daniel was respected at the court of Babylon. The Bible is full of such
examples, and those examples were given for our instruction. Those men
rose, not because they wished to rise, but because they strove to do
their duty--to worship the Lord their God with singleness of heart.
Poor Newman! I saw that under his pretended indifference there was no
little satisfaction at the thought of occupying, even for a day, a
position in which he probably had once been accustomed to shine. My
only fear was, that when he got back to the forepeak, and our rough
manners and rougher conversation, he would remark the contrast, and
become discontented with the lot he had chosen.
The next day he and the captain went on shore to the dinner-party. As
he stepped into the boat, and took his seat in the stern-sheets, I could
not help remarking how completely the gentleman he looked. I must own
that I waited with no little anxiety for his return, to hear what had
occurred. I never before had been so intimate with any man as with
Newman. I told him without reserve all that was in my heart, and he
spoke freely to me, at the same time that he never once, even in the
most remote manner, alluded to his past history. It was merely
casually, when speaking of Mynheer Von Kniper, that he mentioned having
been educated in Germany, or probably he would never even have told me
that. On religious subjects, also, he never uttered an opinion; but
from his very silence I had reason to believe that he entertained
notions which were very far removed from the truth. Among all his books
he had no Bible, and no works bearing on religion. He appeared to have
studiously kept all such out of his library, as he did religion itself
out of his thoughts. If I ever alluded to it, even in the remotest
degree, he instantly turned the conversation; and whenever it was
mentioned in the berth, which was, indeed, very seldom, his countenance
assumed a look of cold, callous indifference, or a marked expression of
scorn, which indicated too plainly what were his real opinions on the
subject.
With regard to myself, I had always been a believer, though a sadly cold
and careless one, except when roused by some particular occurrences, as
I have mentioned in the course of my history. I still at this time
continued much in the same dangerous state, but in other respects a
great change had occurred. Deeply, indeed, was I indebted to Newman for
it. He had awakened my mind out of its long sleep, and if I could not
call myself an educated man, I at least had learned to prize the
advantages of education, and was endeavouring to improve myself, and was
greedy to gain knowledge wherever I could obtain it. No person could
have devoted himself more earnestly to my instruction than did my
friend. He seemed never to weary in helping me over difficulties; and
if I took a pleasure in learning, he certainly took a still greater in
teaching me. Without his aid I could not have made a tenth part of the
progress I had done. I now read fluently, and even wrote tolerably. I
had read through and mastered even more than the outlines of ancient and
modern history, and with several periods I was tolerably conversant. I
knew something of the past and present state of every country in the
world, though I could not boast of knowing much about the mere names of
the chief towns and rivers. I had read the lives of several men who had
stood forward prominently in the world, and I had mastered some of the
important facts of natural science. I need not further describe the
amount of my knowledge. I could not have attained half I have mentioned
had I not read on steadily, and carefully eschewed anything like
desultory reading--that is to say, as far as the limited library to
which I had access would allow. I did not always read the books I might
have desired, but I diligently read the best I could obtain. If I,
therefore, did so much in a short time with indifferent means, how much
might be done with all the advantages possessed by those on shore!
Late in the evening Newman came back. The first thing he did on getting
on board was to go below and shift his clothes. He then sat himself
down on the windlass, with his arms folded across his bosom; and when I
went up to him, he burst into aloud fit of laughter.
"I thought it would be so!" he exclaimed, when he recovered himself.
"Mynheer Von Kniper was very polite, and so was his wife; and they
introduced me to all their company. I believe the governor-general was
there, or some great person. They paid me much more attention than they
did the captain, who, if he had not been a right honest, good-natured
fellow, might have been not a little jealous. First one person talked
to me in one language, then another would come up with a different
tongue in his mouth, and I had to show off in great style. Then I was
asked to exhibit my drawings, and they were handed about and held up to
the light, and admired by all hands as wonderful productions of art. In
fact, I saw clearly I was the lion of the evening. I thought that sort
of thing was only done in civilised, polite England; but I suppose lion
hunters and lion exhibiters are to be found in all parts of the world.
To do Mynheer Von Kniper justice, I must say that he had no hand in the
work. During dinner nothing could be pleasanter or kinder than his
conversation and manner; and certainly I had reason to believe that he
wished me well. At length people got weary of hearing me roar, and all
had had a look at the wonderful common sailor, and so the skipper seemed
to think that it was time to be off; but our host would not allow us,
and insisted that after the rest of the guests were gone, we should stop
to have some supper. During the meal, Mynheer Von Kniper introduced the
subject of drawing, and telling me that he longed to have all the scenes
of whale catching and killing fully illustrated, asked if I would
undertake to do a set of drawings for him on that subject. I could not
refuse to do as he wished, after all the civilities he had shown me; so
I told him that I should be very happy; but he then gently hinted that
he wished me to undertake the task as a regular commission, and he
begged that I would put what price I thought fit on my productions. I
have made up my mind, at all events, to do them. I think every man has
a perfect right to make a profit of his talents, especially if he
requires money. I do not. I have now got a profession--a right noble
one too! I am now a more independent man than had I been toiling on for
years at a desk, or dancing attendance in some great man's ante-chamber
for some of the patronage he may have to bestow. You think that I have
benefited you by teaching you to read and write. Now, in reality, I
have merely given you the implements of a trade--the means of gaining
knowledge. You have given me knowledge--you have taught me a trade
itself. Therefore, Williams, you see that I am still your debtor."
For some time he talked on in this strain. I clearly saw that he was
pleased with the attention shown him, in spite of his belief to the
contrary. I would not for one moment exhibit Newman as an example, or
hold him up as a fine character. He had very great faults and many
weaknesses. I do not know that he had strength of character. He had an
independent spirit in some respects, a clear perception, and
considerable talent. His greatly superior education raised him much
above the associates among whom he had thrown himself.
Soon after this the ship was ready for sea, and as we had not above a
couple of hundred barrels to fill, we hoped soon to be on our homeward
voyage. It was the winter season, and we were bound for the coast of
Japan. We were, however, several months before we got a full ship; and
then, with joyful hearts to most on board, we once more made sail for
Old England.
During all the time, Newman was busily employed in finishing up the
sketches of whale catching, and very beautiful productions they were.
Nothing could be more correct or truth-like. Very different they were,
indeed, from the drawings I have since often seen, where the whale has
had its flukes put on the wrong way, and boats are represented as being
tossed high up in the air, some thirty feet, at least, and broken in
two, while the crews are seen tumbling down like snowflakes, with arms
and legs sprawling out right over the whale. I have seen many a boat
smashed, but never one sent up in that fashion into the air. Newman was
anxious to send these sketches to Mynheer Von Kniper; but as no
opportunity occurred, he was afraid that he would be compelled to wait
till another voyage to present them himself. Captain Carr promised, as
soon as the ship could be refitted, to return on another voyage to those
seas.
We had a quick passage home. I remained, as I had often before done, to
look after the ship. Newman, when he had received his share of profits,
which was very considerable, went on shore. What became of him I do not
know. Not seeing anything of him, I was afraid that he was not going to
return. Something there evidently was very mysterious about his
history. I had a great desire to discover it; still, I saw no chance of
doing so.
Hitherto I had always squandered away my money in the most foolish
manner. I now got Captain Carr to invest some of it for me, and,
retaining a little for pocket-money, with the rest I purchased the best
books I could find, and other articles which I thought likely to be
useful to me in a three years' voyage. At last the ship was ready again
for sea. Tom Knowles and most of the other old hands had joined; for,
being wise men, when they had found a good captain they liked to stick
by him. We hauled out into the stream; but still, greatly to my
disappointment, Newman did not appear.