357 MARRIAGE — if there is one in residence — do the lion's share of the entertaining, and the wives have a very good time indeed. The chmate is very good, and neither place is too far away from England to give the impression of exile. Children can live there without injury to their health. If it were not for the matter of education, there would be no need for that much dreaded ordeal, the separation of mother and child. The wives of officers are encouraged, and often asked, to live on the cadet training ships, because of the good influence it has upon the boys. These are the only ships on board of which wives of officers are allowed to live. Promotion in tlie Navy The proportion of lieutenants in the Navy is three times as great as that of any other rank. Joining at fourteen, they train as midshipmen and sub-lieutenants, usually becoming lieutenants between the ages of twenty-three and. twenty-six. They may hold this post for fifteen years, and at the end of that time, having reached the age ol forty-five, retire on a pension of ;^3oo a year. Promotion is by selection, not seniority, and consequently there is liable to be a httle jealousy among the wives. One man, by influence or sheer good luck, may be chosen to command a Royal yacht, or given the charge of a torpedo-boat, and in a very few years' time be promoted to commander. This means he will be in command of a
- cruiser or serve as second in command of an
ironclad, both of which posts are very much koveted. Another man may never even become a three-stripe officer." Commanders and captains are chosen by selection, and wives [often can do a great deal towards a husband's [success. A woman with influence or par- rticularly charming manners is an asset of [very great value to her husband. Flag officers, [all above the rank of captain, are chosen by seniority, and do not serve longer than five 'years after promotion. Thus, the time as ■admiral's wife is short, though there still remains the immense dignity (as wife) of [the Admiral of the Fleet. The question of pension is always a terribly ■ near one for the woman whose husband [serves on the sea. She never knows whether (She has seen her husband for the last time as she bids him good-bye, and the wives of
- submarine officers must at present feel con-
jStant fear. This matter of the pension is /exactly the same as in the Army. Every .widow with a small income may apply for a ■pension, but it is only given in cases where [the existing income is quite inadequate for jthe proper support of the widow and family iii the deceased officer. The amount of the pension, too, varies ^according to rank, an admiral's widow [receiving a considerably larger sum than the widow of a lieutenant. If there is a family, a little extra may be given to provide for them should the necessity for this, of course, be apparent But there are other officers serving on board ship beside those known as the " Executive." Chaplains and surgeons spend their lives aboard in exactly the same way as the lieutenants and captains. Chaplains, who are volunteers from the Church of England, pass through different ranks while tending their floating parish, which duty consists oflicially in taking prayers every day, and service on Sunday and any special occasion. There is a chaplain aboard every large man-of-war. The Chaplain of the Fleet arranges their time of service at home and abroad, and their wives have the same option of residence as those of the other officers. Chaplains' wives are regarded as naval officers' wives, for their husbands are not very well paid, and they endure the long absences and brief times of companionship, A junioi chaplain's pay usually does not exceed ^219 a year, and a senior chaplain of many years' standing does not receive more than ^410 los. Senior chaplains do not serve on board ship, but at the dockyards, hospitals, and marine divisions, and a few succeed to the appoint- ment of some wealthy half-dozen livings in the gift oi the Admiralty. The naval chaplain — the " padre " of the Army and Navy — and his wife receive the same respect as the captain of the ship ; they are important people, and their wishes are always con- sidered in every matter. The period of service of surgeons differs from all other officers. They have the option of leaving the Service after eight years, and returning to civil life. A gratuity of ;^i,ooo is given them on this retirement. On entering the Service they receive the sum of £209 17s. 6d. a year. After twelve years, this pay has increased to ^282 12s. 6d., and, on becoming staff surgeons, the pay rises still further t^ £313. A fleet surgeon on complet- ing his full term of service, receives a pension of about ;/^7oo. The officers of the Royal Marine Artillery and the Royal Marine Light Infantry — " his Majesty's Jollies, soldier and sailor too," as Rudyard Kipling so aptly designates them — receive promotion and pay according to the Army, but usually they are men without private means, and their wives mix more with naval than military society. Then there are the officers of torpedo-boats and submarines. These conform to the rules of the Navy, though there is a slight increase of pay in all ranks. Social Position of a Naval Officer's Wife The naval officer's wife has the entry, providing she is of good birth, into every rank of civilian society. She is usually presented at Court before or just after her marriage, and from that time, if she chooses, she can entertain or be entertained by Royalty or any of the titled famihes. A' before stated, much depends upon her personality, for she can, by her tact and savoir-faire, do much to smooth for her husband the thorny path to promotion. 77^/^ series will be continued.
