All discipline
seemed for a moment relaxed.
"What's that, Mr. Brown?" said the cook, putting his head out of the
galley- "California come?"
"Aye, aye! you angel of darkness, and there's a letter for you
from Bullknop 'treet, number two-two-five- green door and brass
knocker!"
The packet was sent down into the cabin, and every one waited to
hear of the result. As nothing came up, the officers began to feel
that they were acting rather a child's part, and turned the crew to
again and the same strict discipline was restored, which prohibits
speech between man and man, while at work on deck; so that, when the
steward came forward with letters for the crew, each man took his
letters, carried them below to his chest, and came up again
immediately; and not a letter was read until we had cleared up decks
for the night.
An overstrained sense of manliness is the characteristic of
seafaring men, or, rather, of life on board ship. This often gives
an appearance of want of feeling, and even of cruelty. From this, if a
man comes within an ace of breaking his neck and escapes, it is made a
joke of; and no notice must be taken of a bruise or cut; and any
expression of pity, or any show of attention, would look sisterly, and
unbecoming a man who has to face the rough and tumble of such a
life.
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