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Page 15
It was Mr. Lowington's task to repress the mischief in these boys, to
keep them occupied with work and play, and to develop their moral and
mental capacities. He had doubtless taken a heavy load upon himself but
he felt that he was to labor for his race and his country. At least one
half of his students were too wild to attend the ordinary public or
private schools, or to profit by them if admitted. With such material,
his work could not be a sinecure. But he had a taste for it, and he gave
his whole heart and soul to the performance of his duties.
When the students were gathered on board the Young America, they were
mostly strangers to him, though he had communicated personally or by
letter with the parents of all of them. He had read and listened to the
stories of their pranks and peccadilloes, but when they came together,
he hardly knew one from another, and was not prejudiced against any
individual by the terrible accounts of him related by parents,
guardians, or teachers. He purposed to give them the opportunity to
select their own officers at first, in order to win a more cheerful
obedience from them, and because the students knew each other better
than he knew them.
After the announcement of the principal that the voting would commence
on the following morning, nothing else was talked of on board. The
qualifications of various members of the school were discussed by groups
of excited voters; and we must do them the justice to say that most of
them considered the matter unselfishly and with a single eye to the
public good. Perhaps it is a little remarkable that not a single
student, outside of the little group of wire-pullers that gathered in
the steerage, thought of Shuffles for the position of captain; and the
"log-rollers" were likely to have up-hill work in electing themselves to
the six principal offices. But they went to work, and labored very
diligently till bed-time in carrying their point.
While none thought of Shuffles in connection with the highest position,
many mentioned the dignified young gentleman, who had made one voyage up
the Mediterranean--Richard Carnes. He had been on board a fortnight, and
had won and retained the respect of all his companions.
Before the little band of wire-pullers in the steerage had made up the
"slate" to suit their minds, the crowd on deck had agreed upon Richard
Carnes for captain, and were busy in discussing the qualifications of
others for the subordinate offices, when the log-rollers separated, and
went to work upon their mission.
"How are you going to vote for captain, Kendall?" said Wilton, stopping
up to the young gentleman who had proposed so many questions to the
principal, and who had been so honest in confessing his ignorance of
nautical matters.
"For Carnes, of course."
"Humph! I wouldn't vote for him," sneered the wire-puller.
"Why not?"
"He's too stiff; he'll put on airs, and be a tyrant over us."
"No, he won't."
"You see if he don't. I say, Kendall, are you up for any office?"
continued Wilton, with a certain appearance of slyness which the
straightforward young gentleman did not exactly like.
"Am I?"
"Yes, you. Wouldn't you like a room in the after cabin?"
"Perhaps I would," answered Kendall, thoughtfully; and the place was
certainly very inviting to him.
"They say the after cabin is a perfect little palace."
"I dare say it is."
"You can just as well go in there, if you like."
"I don't see how that can be. I don't think I'm fit to be an officer. I
am from Cincinnati, and I never saw a ship till I came east three weeks
ago."
"None of the fellows know anything about a ship. All of us will have to
learn."
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