M'Calla and the Middy.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 12 September 1890, Page 3

M'Calla and the Middy.

— ♦-- "Wh- n I sailed wiih Commander M'Ca!la sjveral years ago, said a young naval officer, l.c had already made a reputation as a rigid disciplinarian. One day it chancrd that a midshipman whom he had sent ashore went a trifle beyond the instructions given him with relation to his errand Tbe matter was not of the least h_ro- tnnce, I ut M'Calla chided him sharply, saying : •• When you rective an ordeij sir, do simply what ycu are to d to do, and never a particle more nor less." The midshipman touched his hat ri-spectiully, but he thought the rebuke uncalled for, and bided his time for getting even. A few days later M'Calla summoned him and slid : — " You will take a boat, sir, and go ashore to the Post Office. See if there is a package there, for me." • Ay, ay, sir." The midshipman too 1 ? the boat and went ashore When he returned. M' ( 'a'la asked — '• Well, sir, was there a package for me at the Post Office ? " Yeß, sir," replied the midship man. touching his cap. " Where is it ?" " At the Post Office, sir." •• What ! you didn't bring it with you ?" " No, sir." " Why not, sir ?" •• Because I had no orders to do so, sir." " Beg pardon, sir, but I understood you to toll me merely to see if there was a package for you at the Post Office, and I could not vent me to do a particle more nor less than my instructions indicated." M'Calla looked just then as if he would have liked to eat up that midshipman, but it was impossible for him to say anything. The midshipman got square, for the moment, but I am afraid his smartness did not do him much good in the long run.