True Blue | Page 5

the Terrible encountered head winds, and light winds,
and calms, and baffling winds of every description, so that her passage
to the station was long delayed. It gave time, however, for the baby to
grow, and for the discussion of several knotty points connected with
him. The most knotty of them was the matter of his christening. Now,
the crew held very much the same opinion with regard to their Captain
that a certain captain held of himself, when one day he took it into his

head to make his chaplain a bishop, that of his own sovereign will he
could do all things. They knew that when there was no chaplain on
board, he could bury a grownup person, and so they thought that he
surely could christen a little infant. They accordingly, after due
deliberation, resolved to send a deputation to him, requesting him to
perform the ceremony.
After some discussion, it was agreed that it would be advisable to carry
the baby itself with them, to strengthen the force of their appeal. It was
thought better that the women should not appear; and Paul Pringle was
selected unanimously to be the bearer of the child. Now honest Paul
was a bachelor, and had literally never handled a baby in his life. He,
therefore, felt an uncommon awe and trepidation, as half unwillingly
and half proudly he undertook the office. However, at last, when coyly
led forward, with his head all on one side and a beaming smile on his
honest countenance, he found that his big paws, stretched out, made a
first-rate cradle; though, not being aware of the excessive lightness of
the little creature, he very nearly chucked it over his shoulders. Betty
and Nancy, after arranging the child's clothes, bestowing sundry kisses,
and giving several important cautions, let the party of honest Jacks
proceed on their errand.
"Well, my lads, what is it you want?" asked the Captain in a
good-natured voice, as the seamen, being announced by the sentry,
made their appearance at the door of the cabin.
Paul Pringle cleared his voice before speaking, and then he said, very
nearly choking the baby in his mechanical attempt to pull a lock of his
hair as he spoke:
"We be come for to ax your honour to make a Christian of this here
squeaker."
The good Captain looked up with his one eye, and now perceived the
small creature that Paul held in his hands.
"Ah, you mean that you want him christened, I suppose," answered the
Captain, smiling. "Well, I must see about that. Let me have a look at

the poor little fellow. He thrives well. See, he smiles already. He'll be a
credit to the ship, I hope. I'll do what I can, my lads. I don't think that
there's anything about it in the articles of war. Still, what can be done
I'll do, most assuredly."
While Captain Penrose was speaking, he was looking kindly at the
infant and playing his finger round its mouth. He had had children of
his own, and he felt as a father, though little indeed had he seen of them,
and they had all long since been taken from him.
"Now you may go, my lads, and I'll let you know what I can do for
you," he said after some time.
On this the deputation withdrew, well pleased with their interview.
As soon as the men were gone, Captain Penrose turned to the articles of
war, and all the rules and regulations of the service with which he had
been furnished, and hunted them through, and turned them over and
over again, but could find nothing whatever about the baptism of
infants. Most assiduously he looked through his Prayer-Book: not a
word could he discover authorising captains in the navy to perform the
rite. He pulled down all the books on his shelves and hunted them over;
there were not many, certainly, but they made up by their quality and
toughness for their want of number: not a word on the subject in
question could he find. For many an hour and for many a day did he
search, for he was not a man to be baffled by a knotty point or by an
enemy for want of exertion on his part, though at last he had to confess
that in this matter he was beaten. He therefore sent for Paul Pringle, and
told him that though he could bury all the ship's company, and could
hang a mutineer at the yardarm, or could shoot him on the quarterdeck,
he had no authority, that he could find, for christening a baby. Much
disappointed, Paul returned to his shipmates. In full conclave, therefore,
it was settled, with poor Will Freeborn's consent, that as soon as