Page:The Pinafore Picture Book.djvu/63

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H.M.S. "PINAFORE"

And they gave three of the heartiest cheers you ever heard. After this pretty little ceremony (which might with advantage be more generally adopted throughout the Navy), the officers and sailors employed themselves with a variety of easy little tasks suited to rather lazy people on a very fine warm day. Captain Corcoran (who was never idle) was about to retire to his cabin to arrange the figures of a minuet which he intended to teach his men to dance, when his attention was arrested by Josephine, who at that moment came on deck. The poor young lady was very sad, and sang a remarkably beautiful song of her own composition.

It ran like this:

Sorry her lot who loves too well,
Heavy the heart that hopes but vainly,
Sad are the sighs that own the spell
Uttered by eyes that speak too plainly!
Heavy the sorrow that bows the head
When Love is alive and Hope is dead!

The good Captain was distressed to see his dear daughter in this bilious frame of mind.

"My child," said he, "I grieve to see that you are a prey to melancholy."

"There's another verse, Papa," said Josephine, who rather resented interruption.

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