He was to come bearing no congressman’s brand, and no partisan motive had prompted the President to appoint him as a “cadet midshipman-at-large.” The reason of his appointment was what had leaked out through this mysterious “some one.” The rumor afloat had it that the newcomer had done some meritorious act which deserved recognition from the government, and he had received his orders to report at the naval academy. What this gallant service was no one seemed to know, but, of course, all would discover as soon as the honored youth arrived at the academy, as he would be only too anxious to tell of his deeds of heroism. The rumor also had it that the youth was a specimen of the _genus homo_ from the coast of Maine, and a fisher lad from the State which in the past has so justly won the title of “Nursery of the Navy.” Of course the blue bloods among the cadet midshipmen had their opinions as to what a fisher lad from the coast of Maine would be like. Hardly setting him down as being like the earlier Florida coasters, half-horse, half-alligator, they still supposed that he must be a long-pointed, two-headed, web-footed, uncouth specimen of a youth who, if he passed the surgeon for height, chest measure and perfect health, would do so through a hope that he could in time be built up into a man, while, when the examining committee ran afoul of him with what the old farmer called the Three R’s--“Reading, ’Riting and ’Rithmetic”--the youth from Maine would haul down his colors at the first fire. Human nature is said to be the same the world over, and certainly boy nature is. The only safety-valve a boy has for his extra flow of spirits is mischief, and young tars and soldier lads are certainly no exception to the rule, but, on the contrary, more given to pranks than other youths, on account of their severe training, for their fun must break forth when discipline unbends for hours of leisure. With this homily upon my young friends, gleaned from having been “one of the same,” I will state that there were great expectations among the boy tars at the naval academy as to the newcomers in their midst, especially regarding the lad from Maine. They longed to have him pass the doctors and the examining committee, for that would give them a chance, and several regretted that they did not know where to find him, that they might post him a little, “get the moss off his back,” as one mildly expressed it. There were other appointees to arrive, of course, but the interest of these ancient mariners who had already served one or more years at the academy centered in the youth who was to come under circumstances out of the usual routine, a simple appointment by the congressman of his district.