She had some experience of good work in the army before she took to the navy. The 2nd Somerset Militia a.s.sembled every year for drill; and for their benefit coffee and reading rooms were started and entertainments arranged, Miss Weston taking an active part in their promotion. The soldiers" Bible cla.s.s which she conducted was well attended; and altogether, as one of the officers remarked, "the men were not like the same fellows" after they had been brought under her influence.
The way Agnes Weston was first introduced to the sailors was singular.
She had written to a soldier on board the troopship _Crocodile_, and he showed the letter to a sailor friend, who remarked: "That is good: we poor fellows have no friend. Do you think she would write to me?"
"I am sure she will," replied the soldier; "I will write and ask her."
The good news that there was a kind friend willing to write to them gradually spread; and sailor after sailor wrote to Miss Weston, and their correspondence grew so large that at length she had to print her letters.
Even in the first year she printed 500 copies a month of her letters ("little bluebacks" the sailors called them, on account of the colour of their cover); but before many years had pa.s.sed as many as 21,000 a month were printed and circulated.
Then the sailor boys wanted a letter all to themselves, saying they could not fully understand the men"s bluebacks. Miss Weston could not refuse; so she printed them a letter too; and many a reply she had from the boys, telling her of their trials and difficulties, and the help her letters had been to them.
Before Miss Weston had been long at work she thought it would be useful if she went on board the vessels, and had a chat about temperance with the men.
But there was a good deal of difficulty in the way to begin with. A man would have been allowed readily enough, but a _woman_ to invade her Majesty"s ships,--it was not to be thought of!
At length Admiral Sir King Hall became interested in the subject. He determined to hear what Miss Weston had to say to the men, and, if he was satisfied that her teaching would benefit them, to a.s.sist her in her object. He got together a meeting of dockyard workmen, and asked her to speak to them.
So pleased was he with her address that the word went abroad to all the ships in the harbour: "Don"t be afraid to let Miss Weston come on board and speak to your ship"s company. I"ll stand security for her."
She had some grand audiences on the ships, those she addressed sometimes numbering as many as 500.
One day when she went out to the _Vanguard_ that vessel was getting up steam ready to go away, having received sudden orders to put out to sea. But, when the captain heard Miss Weston was there to keep an appointment, he put out the accommodation ladder, took her on board, had the notice piped that she had come to give an address; and soon a crowd of sailors was swarming round her in the upper deck battery, standing, sitting, lying, kneeling--all earnestly listening.
Then the pledge book was brought out and placed on one of the big guns, and about forty signed.
On H.M.S. _Topaze_ the grog tub was used as a table for signing the pledge book, one sailor remarking (to the tub): "Sixty odd nails in your coffin to-day, old fellow! If they all hold firm I would not give much for your life."
At the present day on board every ship in the service there is a branch of the Royal Navy Temperance Society, and thus our sailors are being encouraged to become sober as well as gallant men.
Having seen to Jack"s welfare afloat, the next thing was to look after him on sh.o.r.e; for though the song says:--
If love"s the best of all that can a man befall; Then Jack"s the king of all--for they all love Jack;
yet as a matter of fact there are always sharks on the look-out to cheat and rob Jack whenever he has money in his pocket.
Miss Weston took counsel with some officers in the service, and engaged a room for meetings at Devonport. The first Sunday one boy alone came, and next Sunday not a solitary lad made his appearance; so Miss Wintz, in whose house she was staying, offered a kitchen as more homely, and tea and cake as an attraction. Soon the audience reached a dozen; then all the chairs were filled, and very soon the meetings became so large that the kitchen would not contain all who came; and then a bigger building was provided.
Of course money was needed to enable Miss Weston to develop her scheme to such an extent. But she just asked in the right way; and before long, from one source and another, a sum of nearly 6000 was subscribed, which bought and fitted up a Sailors" Inst.i.tute and Rest.
Great was the rejoicing of Jack ash.o.r.e to have a place where he could thoroughly enjoy himself without fear of being plundered or getting drunk. In fact, so great was the enthusiasm that, the night before the house was to be opened, three sailors presented themselves, and said they had asked for special leave to be ash.o.r.e that night, that they might be the first to sleep in the building.
It turned out that they were the right sort of jacks; for, when the attendant went round to see if all was safe for the night, he found the three seated together, one of them reading aloud the Bible.
Not only has this home prospered, but similar homes have been founded in other places. In Portsmouth Miss Weston"s Sailors" Rest is one of the most noted buildings in the town; whilst the principle that Jack, who fights our battles at sea, and keeps our country prosperous by his labours aboard ship, needs to be made happy when he is ash.o.r.e is far more fully acknowledged than it used to be.
Miss Weston"s homes are as bright almost as the sunshine. Cheap and good food, tea and coffee both hot and fresh, plenty of light, lots of periodicals and games; and, for those who wish it, short meetings for prayer and praise.
There is a great deal more to tell about Miss Weston, but my s.p.a.ce is short; those, however, who wish to know more will find plenty of information in the little book called _Our Blue Jackets_.
A GREAT COMMANDER ON A FAMOUS BATTLEFIELD
THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON AT WATERLOO.
It was on Sunday, 18th June, 1815, that the famous battle of Waterloo was fought. The British army of 67,600 men and the French army of 72,000 lay on the open field the night before that memorable struggle.
It had been a wet and stormy night; at dawn the rain was falling heavily, the ground was saturated, and the troops in the rival armies were thoroughly drenched. About nine o"clock it cleared up, but on account of the rainfall no movement was made by the French till towards twelve o"clock.
On the night of the 17th the Duke of Wellington made every portion of his army take up the position it was to occupy on the following day.
He slept a few hours at the village of Waterloo and rose early in the morning to write letters, giving orders what was to be done in case the battle was lost: although he felt sure of winning.
Before leaving the village he saw to the preparation of hospitals for the wounded, and to the arrangements made for the distribution of the reserves of ammunition. Then mounting his favourite charger, Copenhagen, he rode to the positions where his men were posted, and made a careful and thorough inspection. The farm house of Hougoumont, where some of the most furious fighting of the day took place, received his special attention.
Having thus done all that a commander could do to ensure the success of the day, he rode back to the high ground from which he could command a full view of the battle, and with a face calm and serene waited for the French attack.
It was this serenity which had so great an effect on his troops. They knew their great commander, and had confidence in him, and this aided them during that eventful day in holding their positions with that stubborn courage which destroyed all the hopes of the Emperor Napoleon.
At Waterloo for the first time the two greatest commanders of the age met face to face. Here across the valley they watched each other in stern antic.i.p.ation as the church bells called worshippers together for prayer.
At about half-past eleven Napoleon"s troops advanced to the attack; and from this time till six or seven o"clock a series of terrific charges continued to be made by the French, resisted and defeated by the steady bravery of the British and Germans.
The duke was often in the thick of the fight, and in so great danger that his staff advised him for the good of the army to withdraw to a somewhat safer position. Pa.s.sing one of the squares of grenadiers a sh.e.l.l fell among them, and the duke waited to see the result. Several soldiers were blown to pieces by the bursting of the sh.e.l.l, but Wellington seemed quite unmoved either by the terrible sight or his own danger.
All day long the duke was cool as if he had been riding among his men in Hyde Park. Wherever he went a murmur of "Silence! stand to your front!" was heard, and at his presence men grew steady as on parade.
Again and again commanders told him of the fearful havoc made in the ranks of their brigades, and asked either for support or to be allowed to withdraw their men. They generally received this answer, "It is impossible; you must hold the ground to the last man".
When asked by some of his staff what they should do if he fell, he gave the same answer, "My plan is simply to stand my ground here to the last man".
The duke seemed to bear a charmed life. Every member of his staff but one was during the day either killed or wounded, whilst he escaped unhurt. Wherever the danger seemed greatest there was the duke to be found inspiriting his men, restraining them, or putting fresh heart into them.
"Hard pounding this, gentlemen!" he remarked to a battalion on which the French sh.e.l.ls were falling with destructive fury; "but we will try who can pound the longest." "Wait a little longer, my lads," was the duke"s reply to the murmur which reached him from some of his troops who had suffered heavily from the French fire and were anxious to charge, "and you shall have your wish."
Once when the fire was concentrated on the spot where he was with his staff he told them to separate a little, so as to afford a less conspicuous mark for the enemy.
At another time, when some German troops hesitated to advance against the French, the duke put himself at their head.
When Napoleon"s Old Guard was advancing up the hill, the only sight they could see was the duke and a few mounted officers, till a voice was heard, "Up, guards, and at them!" And the best men in the whole French army, the pick of the bravest of the brave, fell back before the onset of the British guards.
At about eight o"clock the duke gave the joyful signal for an advance all along the line. For nearly nine hours the British had been stormed at with shot and sh.e.l.l, had been charged again and again, and had stood firm though impatient. Now they received the signal with a fierce delight, and dashed forward against the enemy with a fury which nothing could resist.
The duke was amongst the first to advance, and spoke joyously to the men as he rode along. The bullets were whistling around him, and one of his staff ventured to point out to him the terrible danger he was running. "Never mind," said the duke, "let them fire away: the battle"s won, and my life is of no consequence now."
About 15,000 men out of Wellington"s army were killed or wounded on the day of this great battle. But Europe was saved.