Dave Darrin's Fourth Year at Annapolis: Headed for Graduation and the Big CruiseHancock, H. Irving (Harrie Irving)
General
Dave Darrin's Fourth Year at Annapolis: Headed for Graduation and the Big Cruise
Hancock, H. Irving (Harrie Irving)
United States Naval Academy -- Juvenile fiction
There were exhibitions of expert boat-handling, and less picturesque
performances at the machine shops and in the engine and dynamo
rooms. There were other drills and exhibitions---enough of them
to weary the reader, as they doubtless did weary the venerable
members of a Board of Visitors appointed by the President.
On Wednesday night came the class german. Now our young first
classmen were in for another thrill---the pleasure of wearing
officers' uniforms for the first time.
On graduation the midshipman is an officer of the Navy, though
a very humble one. The graduated midshipman's uniform is a more
imposing affair than the uniform of a midshipman who is still
merely a member of the brigade at the Naval Academy.
On this Wednesday evening the new uniforms were of white, the
summer and tropical uniform of the Navy. These were donned by
first classmen only in honor of the class german, which the members
of the three lower classes do not attend.
All the young Women attending were also attired wholly in white,
save for simple jewelry or coquettish ribbons.
Dave Darrin, of course, escorted Belle Meade with all the pride
in the world. Most of the other midshipmen "dragged" young women
on this great evening.
Dan Dalzell did not. He attended merely for the purpose of looking
on, save when he danced with Belle Meade.
On the following evening, after another tiresome day spent in
boring the Board of Visitors, came the evening promenade, a solemnly
joyous and very dressy affair.
Then came that memorable graduation morning, when so many dozens
of young midshipmen, since famous in the Navy, received their
diplomas.
Early the young men turned out.
"It seems queer to be turning out without arms, doesn't it?" grumbled
Dan Dalzell.
But it is the rule for the graduating class to turn out without
arms on this one very grand morning. The band formed on the right
of line. Next to them marched to place the graduating class,
minus arms. Then the balance of the brigade under arms.
When the word was given a drum or two sounded the step, and off
the brigade marched, slowly and solemnly. A cornet signal, followed
by a drum roll, and then the Naval Academy Band crashed into the
joyous march, consecrated to this occasion, "Ain't I glad I'm
out of the wilderness!"
"Amen! Indeed I'm glad," Dave Darrin murmured devoutly under
his breath. "There has been many a time in the last four years
when I didn't expect to graduate. But now it's over. Nothing
can stop Dan or myself!"
Crowds surrounded the entrance to the handsome, classic chapel,
though the more favored crowds had already passed inside and filled
the seats that are set apart for spectators.
Inside filed the midshipmen, going to their seats in front. The
chaplain, in the hush that followed the seating, rose, came forward
and in a voice husky with emotion urged:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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