Chapter 1. The Family Party
_ CHAPTER ONE. THE FAMILY PARTY
"Harry, my boy； another slice of beef?" said Major Shafto, addressing his fine young sailor-son, a passed midshipman, lately come home from sea.
"No, thank you, since I could not, if I took it, pay due respect to the mince-pies and plum-pudding； but Willy here can manage another slice, I daresay. He has a notion, that he will have to feed for the future on ‘salt junk‘ and ‘hard tack.‘"
Willy Dicey was going to sea, and had just been appointed to Harry Shafto‘s ship, the "Ranger."
Among the large party of family friends collected at Major Shafto‘s house on that Christmas Day not many years ago, was Lieutenant Dicey, a friend and neighbour of the Major‘s, who had served with him in the same regiment for many years. The Lieutenant had lost a leg, and, unable to purchase his company, had retired from the army. His eldest son, Charles, and two of his daughters, Emily and May, had arranged to go out and settle in Ne

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