|The ship "Ocean Queen" sailed into Finnport harbor and anchored a
little way from the wharf. It looked very grand with its tall masts.
[Illustration: 9090]
A boat rowed to the wharf, bringing Uncle Robert. He was master of the
ship, and a nice man he was. All the boys liked Uncle Robert. He always
brought them queer things from China and Japan.
One day Freddie climbed up on his uncle's knee and asked if he would not
take him to sea. Uncle Robert stroked the little boy's curly head and
said, "Yes, Freddie boy, you shall go some time." Every night Freddie
dreamed he was sailing on the water. Every morning he would look to see
that the "Ocean Queen" had not gone and left him.
One day Freddie thought he must get his baggage ready. So he took his
mamma's rag-bag and emptied all the rags under the sewing-machine. He
took his little nightdress from under his pillow and put it into
the bag. Then he put in a ball of knitting-cotton. That was for
fishing-lines. He took some pins and bent them into hooks. Lastly he put
in his little Testament.
Then he started for the wharf. He called at several stores on the way,
and said lie was going to "ship to sea." The men laughed, but Freddie
went along all the same.
[Illustration: 8091]
On the way he met his uncle, to whom he said, "I'm all ready; here is my
baggage, nighty and Testament, and a whole lot of string and pin-hooks
to catch fish."
Uncle Robert looked into the bag, and sure enough Freddie was "all
packed."
"Well, Freddie," said his uncle, "I am not going now. When you are older
you shall go."
Freddie did not at first want to give up the idea. Uncle Robert talked
kindly, and gave him a gold dollar. So Freddie behaved like a good
little boy, and waited until he was older.
--ELIZABETH ORR WILLIAMS.