All Aboard | Page 2

some circumstances.
But it must be remembered that Captain Sedley had been a sailor
himself; that he had followed the seas from early youth; and that he had
made his fortune and earned his reputation as a wise, good, and
respectable man, on the sea. So, of course, he could not sympathize
with the general opinion that a ship must necessarily be a "sink of
iniquity," a school of vice, and that nothing good can be expected of a
boy who is sent to sea. He believes that the man will grow out of the
boy; and to his parental duty he applies the apostolic maxim,
"Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."
The club boat and the boat club, as means of instruction and discipline,
as well as of amusement, were suggested by an accidental occurrence.
The "Bunkers of Rippleton," a set of idle and dissolute boys, had

constructed a rude raft, upon which they paddled about on the lake, and
appeared to enjoy themselves very much. Captain Sedley, who had
forbidden his son to venture upon the lake on the raft, or even in a boat,
without permission, overheard Charles Hardy, the intimate friend of
Frank, remark that the "Bunkers" had a much better time than they had,
and that boys who did not obey their parents often enjoyed themselves
more than those who did.
A few days after, the boys discovered the club boat, the light and
graceful Zephyr, resting like a fairy shell upon the lake, and in its use
the argument of Charles was effectually refuted. A club was formed of
the boys in the neighborhood, and under the instruction of Uncle Ben,
an old sailor who lived with Captain Sedley, soon became very expert
in the management of the boat. A building was erected for the use of
the association, in which, besides the boat-house, was a club room
containing a library, and furnished with conveniences for holding
meetings for mutual instruction and recreation. A constitution for the
government of the club was adopted, in which the object of the
association was declared to be "the instruction and amusement of the
members, and the acquiring of good morals, good manners, and good
habits in general." It defined and prohibited a great many vices and bad
habits common among boys, so that the tendency of the organization
was to make them better, wiser, and happier.
Their experience upon the lake, while the influence of the association
stimulated them to the strict performance of their ordinary duties, was
both varied and useful. Inasmuch as it reduced their recreation to a
system, the laws of the club acting as a salutary check upon the
waywardness of youth, it afforded an excellent discipline for the mind
and heart, as well as for the muscles.
Among the members of the club was an honest, noble-hearted youth,
the son of a poor widow, by the name of Tony Weston. In an affray
upon Center Island, Tony had taken the part of Frank Sedley against
Tim Bunker, and had thus obtained the ill will of the leader of the
"Bunkers," and is accused of stealing a wallet, which is afterwards
proved to have been taken by the "Bunker" himself. The theft is proved
upon the graceless scamp, and he is sent to the house of correction,
while Tony is borne in triumph by the club to his home.
Near the close of the story, Tony's brother, who has long been mourned

as dead, returns home from California, with a large fortune in his
possession. The brother, George Weston, builds a fine house for his
mother, and, impelled by a warm admiration for Tony's noble character,
purchases a splendid club boat for him, of the size and model of the
Zephyr, which is named the Butterfly.
Tony is a boy whom all my readers will like, and though he is really no
better boy than Frank Sedley, the humble circumstances of his mother
before George returned required a great deal of sacrifice on his part,
and called into action a great many noble traits of character. His life
was a struggle, and his character a triumph over the perils to which
poverty exposed him.
His experience seemed to exemplify the truths of Christianity. He could
forgive his enemy, as when, at the risk of his own life, he plunged into
the lake and rescued Tim Bunker from a watery grave, though Tim was
even then laboring to ruin him. He loved to sacrifice his own comfort to
that of others and found his greatest pleasure in making others happy.
He and Frank are the unconscious exemplars of the boat club--the "men
of character and influence" in their embryo world.
Charles Hardy is a boy of another stamp--one who does things "to be