The seal was broken, and there was the cherry-stone in a blank
envelope.
"And what, sir, am I to understand by this?" inquired the aggressor.
"You will understand, sir, that my friend forgives you--he is dead."
THE MIDSHIPMAN'S FUNERAL.
BY BARLEY DALE.
"Years ago, when I was quite a young man, I was appointed chaplain to
H.M.S. _Octopus_, then on guard at Gibraltar. We had a very nice time
of it, for 'Gib.' is a very gay place, and that winter there was
plenty of fun somewhere nearly every night, and we were asked to most
of the festivities. Now, on board the Octopus was a young midshipman,
whom I will call Munro. He was a handsome young fellow, but rather
delicate, and he had been sent to Gibraltar for the sake of the
climate, in hopes that the sea-air and warm winter might set him up.
He was the life of the ship, and wherever he went he was popular; and
it is possible he might have outgrown his weakness, for I don't think
there was any organic disease at this time, but he got a low fever,
and died in a week. This low fever was very prevalent, and at the
same time that poor young Munro died, an admiral, one of the leading
members of society at 'Gib.,' died of the same disease. As it was
considered infectious, the two bodies were placed in their coffins
and carried to the mortuary till the funeral.
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