he had found the activity he needed; and he may not be blamed for
believing, all the time, that he was laboring for his country and his
race.

If it has been inferred from what has been said of Mr. Lowington, of his
domestic afflictions, and of his views on the subject of discipline,
that he was an austere, cold, and unsympathizing man, a wrong impression
has been conveyed. The boys of the Brockway Academy, when they came to
know him, loved him as much as they respected him. He was not the man
needlessly to abridge the harmless enjoyment of youth, or to repress its
innocent hilarity. He watched the sports of the students with interest
and pleasure, and encouraged them by all the means in his power. He was
fond of humor, enjoyed a harmless joke, and had a keen appreciation of
juvenile wit. He was a good companion for the boys, and when they
understood him, he was always welcome to the play-ground.

The new ship had been duly christened Young America at the launching, by
Miss Josey Martyn--a name which was rapturously applauded by the boys.
She was one hundred and eighteen feet in length, and of about four
hundred tons burden. She had been built as strong as wood, iron, and
copper could make her. For a ship, she was small, which permitted her to
be light sparred, so that her juvenile crew could handle her with the
more ease. She had a flush deck; that is, it was unbroken from stem to
stern. There was no cabin, poop, camboose, or other house on deck, and
the eye had a clean range over the whole length of her. There was a
skylight between the fore and the main mast, and another between the
main and mizzen masts, to afford light and air to the apartments below.
There were three openings in the deck by which entrance could be
obtained to the interior of the ship: the fore hatch, the main hatch,
and the companion-way, the two former being used by the crew, and the