[Dear Dick]
Dublin Core
Title
[Dear Dick]
Creator
Unknown
Source
http://addison.vt.edu/record=b1775388~S1
Publisher
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Date
June 1876
Contributor
Nathan Blake, Arian Katsimbras
Language
English
Type
letter
Identifier
LD5655.V8 L4, ser.1, v.1, no.8 (June 1876), p.2-4
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
The author of the following letter is unknown, but from the numerous nautical terms it contains, we suppose it was written by an old sea Captain. Many thanks to a lady friend for it.,-Eds.
Dear Dick: Now, as my nevy is to be my heir, I think it my duty to lay down a sort of chart—or call it what you like—by which I would wish him to shape his future conduct. I am glad to hear that his head is of the right sort, but let us have none of your fiddle ornaments about it. A lofty prow is not always the best for a storm, and looks bad enough with a Dutch stern. Beware, also, how you let him go to sea before his vessel is fairly rigged, caulked, and waterproof; or, if you do, then look out for his growing top-heavy and capsizing in the turn of a handspike. If you set him off with a bare allowance of ballast, and without a simple letter of credit, do you expect him to bring home a cargo? It is stuff, Dick, arrant stuff! All your boy exhibitions are downright swindling. Prodigies, forsooth! Why, parrots can speak, and jackdaws chatter. Or, to render myself intelligible to your agricultural senses, a tree blossoms in its first year, and a selfish deluded idiot plucks it up, exhibits it in the market place; the bud perishes, and the tree withers, while gaping lubbers wonder that it did not bear fruit! Now, Dick, this is exactly the case with all your fast sailing miracles. Give a boy the helm, and get him to the drudgery of the cabin again, if you can.
As to his love affairs, provided the girl of his choice be virtuous and tolerably pretty, though neither very rich, nor very intelligent, see that you don't strike off at a tangent, and, like one of your own stupid cattle, run counter to his will. If you do, it will only hasten what you wish to prevent, or render a marriage certain, which the young couple thought sufficiently doubtful. Besides, your opposition might spoil a poor girl's reputation; and I have always found that imputations of a certain class, upon a man, are like marks left upon the sand within a tide-mark; but to a woman, a lovely, helpless woman, they adhere like a limpit to the rock. Besides this, Dick, I am certain the most powerful impression of moral rectitude you can imprint upon his heart will be like a pistol fired from a cock-boat, compared to the glorious and irresistible broadside of a seventy-four, when you contrast its influence upon its action, with the delightful and conquering emotions of love and esteem which he entertains for an amiable woman. Don't preach to me, Dick, for I know when the devil, the world, and the flesh, was against our better principles; and when early instructions, counsels, and all those sort of things are fairly run down and drop astern. Why, if a fellow just think for a moment of the beautiful being, whose soul is as pure as the blue sea in a summer day; if he just thinks of her, or of her last words, don't forget me! Belay! is the word; about goes the helm; head round from the lee-shore of inconsistency, and he is again quietly moored in the fairway of virtue. When he begins to shape into manhood, Discretion is the watchword; and whatever he or others may think of his abilities, let him donse Presumption and stow it below, hoist a desire to please at the fore-top, place Perseverence at the helm, and Civility and Moderate Ambition upon the watch. People say they like a plain spoken, honest fellow, who says what he thinks. But it is all fudge. Just speak in the jack-blunt manner, which they praise, respecting themselves, and mark me, they will march off to another tune. Let any man practice this for a time, and he will soon be hated by every soul on board. I don't mean to advise dissimulation, but a man can get enemies enough without making them; therefore, when he has no good to say of a person, though they may have injured him, let him hold his tongue.
Another thing, and an important one for him to remember is, he who is the king of good fellows, and a "good soul" amongst his associates, is styled by the public a thoughtless man and by his enemies a drunkard. Now, Dick, in the world of business a good fellow simply means a good-for-nothing. Therefore, see to it and put my nevy on the lookout, for, not to speak of the growing influence of habit, just attribute unsteadiness to a man and you bring him a wind ahead; stop his credit and hurl him to ruin headlong. Sobriety is his compass; sobriety is his passport.
Again, Dick, I would niether wish to see him a booby nor a maw-worm; but I must tell you that the opinion the world forms of us is often cast upon very trivial circumstances. A headlessly committed action, which we forget in half an hour, others will remember to our disadvantage for twelve months. There is nothing like being well braced with circumspection; let him always look well to his bearing and distance, or he will soon find himself out of his latitude. No man of any ambition, or whether he was ambitious or not, ever loved a man who presumed to be in all thing wiser than himself. I don't wish to lecture upon humbug humility, but diffidence and good breeding should never be under the poop. Let him take heed, also, how he dabbles in politics or religion. Both concern him, and he must think and act upon both, but he must do so as becomes a man. I hate all your noisy boatswain politicians, both aboard the Commons and out of it. The moment I see a lubberly fellow swinging his arms about and blowing a hurricane, whether he be endeavoring to blow a nation or a tavern in agitation, there rages a grand rascal, say I; his patriotism and the froth which he scatters from his mouth, are of a piece. Now, as to his religious principles, of all things, let him keep them to himself. Every man is as much in the right, in his own estimation, as he is. Nothing will procure a man more enemies than a real or affected singularity in matters of religion. For though there is a great deal of good sense afloat in the world, yet there is such a fry of feverish, canting, small craft, always skulking about and peeping into our pees and ques, which, though they cannot sink your character they annoy it with their sparrow-hail. In a word, Dick, every intelligent being's religion lies between his own conscience and his maker. Give my nevy a bible, with a father's best blessing; in it he will find the ennobling hopes of eternity, and learn to do unto others as he would wish others to do unto him; and this, from the bottom of my heart, is the advice of his uncle.
A sterling, upright, moral character, is absolutely indispensable. If the heart be well-built, and kept in good sailing trim, he will have a tell-tale there which will keep right aloft. As well set a seaman upon a voyage of discovery without a compass, as a young fellow upon the world without a character.
In conversation, too, I hate to see a smooth-water puppy running at the rate of twelve knots, as if no vessel in the fleet could sail but his own. I have seen fellows of this sort showing off like gilded pinnaces at a regatta, while they were only showing how little they had on board. Two things in particular, I wish my nevy to avoid; namely: argufying in company, and speaking about himself. There is a time and a place for everything; and, though argument be well enough in its way, he who is always upon the lookout for one, is just as sure as he finds it, to find an enemy; and as to speaking of one's self, independent of its ill-breeding, it is like a dose of saltwater served round the company. The grand secret of conversation is to say little in a way to please, and the moment you fail to do so it is time to shove your boat off. Whenever you see a person yawn in your company, take your hat.
Independent of these things, let him look well to his tide-table. Without punctuality, the best character becomes a bad one. The moment a man breaks his word, or becomes indifferent to his engagements, why, the confidence of his commodore is at an end, and instead of being promoted to the quarter-deck, he may slave before the mast till the boatswain's last whistle pipe all hands to his funeral. Punctuality, Dick—systematical, methodical punctuality—is a fortune to a fellow, ready made. Let him once listen to the syren voice of delay—neglect to weigh anchor with the tide, and if he don't drift back with the current, go to pieces on a sand-bank, or be blown to sticks by a foul wind, my name's not Harry. Let him keep a sharp eye upon the beginning, the middle and the end of everything he undertakes. He must not tack about like a fellow on a cruise, or a roving commission, but whatever wind blows, maintain a straight course, keeping his head to the port —— ——, 'tis a misfortune to be without an aim, but we must not only have an object to steer to, but it must be a reasonable object; our anticipations must be likelihoods; our ambitions probabilities, and when we know we are right, then down with despondency and stick to perseverance. I don't mean a beggarly, servile, propelling perseverance, but the unsubdued determination of an unconquerable spirit riding out the storm, and while small craft sink on every side, disdaining to take in a single reef, send him out with patched canvas, and the verriest punt that ever disgraced the water will clear out before him. A patch upon his coat will be an embargo on his prospects. People effect to despise tailors, but it is base ingratitude, or shallow dissimulation. Not that I would for the world see my nevy an insignificant dandy, but remember the moment the elbows or your coat open, every door shuts.
Dear Dick: Now, as my nevy is to be my heir, I think it my duty to lay down a sort of chart—or call it what you like—by which I would wish him to shape his future conduct. I am glad to hear that his head is of the right sort, but let us have none of your fiddle ornaments about it. A lofty prow is not always the best for a storm, and looks bad enough with a Dutch stern. Beware, also, how you let him go to sea before his vessel is fairly rigged, caulked, and waterproof; or, if you do, then look out for his growing top-heavy and capsizing in the turn of a handspike. If you set him off with a bare allowance of ballast, and without a simple letter of credit, do you expect him to bring home a cargo? It is stuff, Dick, arrant stuff! All your boy exhibitions are downright swindling. Prodigies, forsooth! Why, parrots can speak, and jackdaws chatter. Or, to render myself intelligible to your agricultural senses, a tree blossoms in its first year, and a selfish deluded idiot plucks it up, exhibits it in the market place; the bud perishes, and the tree withers, while gaping lubbers wonder that it did not bear fruit! Now, Dick, this is exactly the case with all your fast sailing miracles. Give a boy the helm, and get him to the drudgery of the cabin again, if you can.
As to his love affairs, provided the girl of his choice be virtuous and tolerably pretty, though neither very rich, nor very intelligent, see that you don't strike off at a tangent, and, like one of your own stupid cattle, run counter to his will. If you do, it will only hasten what you wish to prevent, or render a marriage certain, which the young couple thought sufficiently doubtful. Besides, your opposition might spoil a poor girl's reputation; and I have always found that imputations of a certain class, upon a man, are like marks left upon the sand within a tide-mark; but to a woman, a lovely, helpless woman, they adhere like a limpit to the rock. Besides this, Dick, I am certain the most powerful impression of moral rectitude you can imprint upon his heart will be like a pistol fired from a cock-boat, compared to the glorious and irresistible broadside of a seventy-four, when you contrast its influence upon its action, with the delightful and conquering emotions of love and esteem which he entertains for an amiable woman. Don't preach to me, Dick, for I know when the devil, the world, and the flesh, was against our better principles; and when early instructions, counsels, and all those sort of things are fairly run down and drop astern. Why, if a fellow just think for a moment of the beautiful being, whose soul is as pure as the blue sea in a summer day; if he just thinks of her, or of her last words, don't forget me! Belay! is the word; about goes the helm; head round from the lee-shore of inconsistency, and he is again quietly moored in the fairway of virtue. When he begins to shape into manhood, Discretion is the watchword; and whatever he or others may think of his abilities, let him donse Presumption and stow it below, hoist a desire to please at the fore-top, place Perseverence at the helm, and Civility and Moderate Ambition upon the watch. People say they like a plain spoken, honest fellow, who says what he thinks. But it is all fudge. Just speak in the jack-blunt manner, which they praise, respecting themselves, and mark me, they will march off to another tune. Let any man practice this for a time, and he will soon be hated by every soul on board. I don't mean to advise dissimulation, but a man can get enemies enough without making them; therefore, when he has no good to say of a person, though they may have injured him, let him hold his tongue.
Another thing, and an important one for him to remember is, he who is the king of good fellows, and a "good soul" amongst his associates, is styled by the public a thoughtless man and by his enemies a drunkard. Now, Dick, in the world of business a good fellow simply means a good-for-nothing. Therefore, see to it and put my nevy on the lookout, for, not to speak of the growing influence of habit, just attribute unsteadiness to a man and you bring him a wind ahead; stop his credit and hurl him to ruin headlong. Sobriety is his compass; sobriety is his passport.
Again, Dick, I would niether wish to see him a booby nor a maw-worm; but I must tell you that the opinion the world forms of us is often cast upon very trivial circumstances. A headlessly committed action, which we forget in half an hour, others will remember to our disadvantage for twelve months. There is nothing like being well braced with circumspection; let him always look well to his bearing and distance, or he will soon find himself out of his latitude. No man of any ambition, or whether he was ambitious or not, ever loved a man who presumed to be in all thing wiser than himself. I don't wish to lecture upon humbug humility, but diffidence and good breeding should never be under the poop. Let him take heed, also, how he dabbles in politics or religion. Both concern him, and he must think and act upon both, but he must do so as becomes a man. I hate all your noisy boatswain politicians, both aboard the Commons and out of it. The moment I see a lubberly fellow swinging his arms about and blowing a hurricane, whether he be endeavoring to blow a nation or a tavern in agitation, there rages a grand rascal, say I; his patriotism and the froth which he scatters from his mouth, are of a piece. Now, as to his religious principles, of all things, let him keep them to himself. Every man is as much in the right, in his own estimation, as he is. Nothing will procure a man more enemies than a real or affected singularity in matters of religion. For though there is a great deal of good sense afloat in the world, yet there is such a fry of feverish, canting, small craft, always skulking about and peeping into our pees and ques, which, though they cannot sink your character they annoy it with their sparrow-hail. In a word, Dick, every intelligent being's religion lies between his own conscience and his maker. Give my nevy a bible, with a father's best blessing; in it he will find the ennobling hopes of eternity, and learn to do unto others as he would wish others to do unto him; and this, from the bottom of my heart, is the advice of his uncle.
A sterling, upright, moral character, is absolutely indispensable. If the heart be well-built, and kept in good sailing trim, he will have a tell-tale there which will keep right aloft. As well set a seaman upon a voyage of discovery without a compass, as a young fellow upon the world without a character.
In conversation, too, I hate to see a smooth-water puppy running at the rate of twelve knots, as if no vessel in the fleet could sail but his own. I have seen fellows of this sort showing off like gilded pinnaces at a regatta, while they were only showing how little they had on board. Two things in particular, I wish my nevy to avoid; namely: argufying in company, and speaking about himself. There is a time and a place for everything; and, though argument be well enough in its way, he who is always upon the lookout for one, is just as sure as he finds it, to find an enemy; and as to speaking of one's self, independent of its ill-breeding, it is like a dose of saltwater served round the company. The grand secret of conversation is to say little in a way to please, and the moment you fail to do so it is time to shove your boat off. Whenever you see a person yawn in your company, take your hat.
Independent of these things, let him look well to his tide-table. Without punctuality, the best character becomes a bad one. The moment a man breaks his word, or becomes indifferent to his engagements, why, the confidence of his commodore is at an end, and instead of being promoted to the quarter-deck, he may slave before the mast till the boatswain's last whistle pipe all hands to his funeral. Punctuality, Dick—systematical, methodical punctuality—is a fortune to a fellow, ready made. Let him once listen to the syren voice of delay—neglect to weigh anchor with the tide, and if he don't drift back with the current, go to pieces on a sand-bank, or be blown to sticks by a foul wind, my name's not Harry. Let him keep a sharp eye upon the beginning, the middle and the end of everything he undertakes. He must not tack about like a fellow on a cruise, or a roving commission, but whatever wind blows, maintain a straight course, keeping his head to the port —— ——, 'tis a misfortune to be without an aim, but we must not only have an object to steer to, but it must be a reasonable object; our anticipations must be likelihoods; our ambitions probabilities, and when we know we are right, then down with despondency and stick to perseverance. I don't mean a beggarly, servile, propelling perseverance, but the unsubdued determination of an unconquerable spirit riding out the storm, and while small craft sink on every side, disdaining to take in a single reef, send him out with patched canvas, and the verriest punt that ever disgraced the water will clear out before him. A patch upon his coat will be an embargo on his prospects. People effect to despise tailors, but it is base ingratitude, or shallow dissimulation. Not that I would for the world see my nevy an insignificant dandy, but remember the moment the elbows or your coat open, every door shuts.