| |
| OF 1 all the ships upon the blue, | |
| No ship contained a better crew | |
| Than that of worthy Captain Reece, | |
| Commanding of The Mantelpiece. | |
| |
| He was adored by all his men, | 5 |
| For worthy Captain Reece, R. N., | |
| Did all that lay within him to | |
| Promote the comfort of his crew. | |
| |
| If ever they were dull or sad, | |
| Their captain danced to them like mad, | 10 |
| Or told, to make the time pass by, | |
| Droll legends of his infancy. | |
| |
| A feather-bed had every man, | |
| Warm slippers and hot-water can, | |
| Brown Windsor from the captain’s store, | 15 |
| A valet, too, to every four. | |
| |
| Did they with thirst in summer burn, | |
| Lo, seltzogenes at every turn, | |
| And on all very sultry days | |
| Cream ices handed round on trays. | 20 |
| |
| Then currant wine and ginger pops | |
| Stood handily on all the “tops:” | |
| And, also, with amusement rife, | |
| A “Zoetrope, or Wheel of Life.” | |
| |
| New volumes came across the sea | 25 |
| From Mister Mudie’s libraree; | |
| The Times and Saturday Review | |
| Beguiled the leisure of the crew. | |
| |
| Kind-hearted Captain Reece, R. N., | |
| Was quite devoted to his men; | 30 |
| In point of fact, good Captain Reece | |
| Beatified The Mantelpiece. | |
| |
| One summer eve, at half past ten, | |
| He said (addressing all his men), | |
| “Come, tell me, please, what I can do, | 35 |
| To please and gratify my crew. | |
| |
| “By any reasonable plan | |
| I ’ll make you happy if I can; | |
| My own convenience count as nil; | |
| It is my duty, and I will.” | 40 |
| |
| Then up and answered William Lee | |
| (The kind captain’s coxswain he, | |
| A nervous, shy, low-spoken man); | |
| He cleared his throat and thus began: | |
| |
| “You have a daughter, Captain Reece, | 45 |
| Ten female cousins and a niece, | |
| A ma, if what I ’m told is true, | |
| Six sisters, and an aunt or two. | |
| |
| “Now, somehow, sir, it seems to me, | |
| More friendly-like we all should be, | 50 |
| If you united of ’em to | |
| Unmarried members of the crew. | |
| |
| “If you ’d ameliorate our life, | |
| Let each select from them a wife; | |
| And as for nervous me, old pal, | 55 |
| Give me your own enchanting gal!” | |
| |
| Good Captain Reece, that worthy man, | |
| Debated on his coxswain’s plan: | |
| “I quite agree,” he said, “O Bill; | |
| It is my duty, and I will. | 60 |
| |
| “My daughter, that enchanting gurl, | |
| Has just been promised to an earl, | |
| And all my other familee | |
| To peers of various degree. | |
| |
| “But what are dukes and viscounts to | 65 |
| The happiness of all my crew? | |
| The word I gave you I ’ll fulfil; | |
| It is my duty, and I will. | |
| |
| “As you desire it shall befall, | |
| I ’ll settle thousands on you all, | 70 |
| And I shall be, despite my hoard, | |
| The only bachelor on board.” | |
| |
| The boatswain of The Mantelpiece, | |
| He blushed and spoke to Captain Reece: | |
| “I beg your honor’s leave,” he said, | 75 |
| “If you would wish to go and wed, | |
| |
| “I have a widowed mother who | |
| Would be the very thing for you— | |
| She long has loved you from afar, | |
| She washes for you, Captain R.” | 80 |
| |
| The captain saw the dame that day— | |
| Addressed her in his playful way— | |
| “And did it want a wedding-ring? | |
| It was a tempting ickle sing! | |
| |
| “Well, well, the chaplain I will seek, | 85 |
| We ’ll all be married this day week | |
| At yonder church upon the hill; | |
| It is my duty, and I will!” | |
| |
| The sisters, cousins, aunts, and niece, | |
| And widowed ma of Captain Reece, | 90 |
| Attended there as they were bid; | |
| It was their duty, and they did. | |
