A gallant ship, some three feet in length, with full equipment of white
sails and sturdy masts, rigging, pennon, and figurehead; but it had never
seen the sea--never! It had "cast anchor" nearly a year before my story
begins in the Leslies' nursery--a very pleasant, airy room, with nice
pictures on the wall and a good many toys scattered about, but certainly
not the very least resembling the sea. In fact, I don't think Mrs.
Leslie would have liked if it had resembled it; for she was very much
afraid of the children being near a lake or a pond even, on account of
the dangers of damp feet and catching cold--two evils which always
haunted her mind more or less. She was rather a delicate creature, often
ailing,--which, perhaps, was the reason of these nervous fancies; and
most of the children resembled their mother in this, that there was sure
to be something the matter with one or other of them most days of the
week. The doctor was seldom long out of the house. Fortunately, Dr.
Hammond lived just next door, so he was easily sent for; and Walter
Hammond, the doctor's eldest boy, was Harry Leslie's dearest and most
intimate friend. The two boys were about eight years old, went to the
same school, spent most of their play-hours together, and intended both
to go to the sea together when they were old enough. For Harry Leslie,
though he had never once seen the sea any more than his ship had done,
had heard and read a great deal about sailor life and adventures, and had
inspired Walter with the same admiration for these as he himself felt.
Besides, his uncle Jack, Mr. Leslie's brother, who had made the ship for
his little nephew, had often told him stories about the sea which he
treasured in his heart all the more, perhaps, because he was so often
mured up by his nursery walls, or even in his little iron bed, on account
of colds, coughs, measles, chicken-pox, etc.
Walter Hammond, unlike his friend, was a strong, bright, merry little
fellow, never a day in the house or away from school; but he was very
fond of Harry all the same. Walter had only two sisters and then a baby-
brother, all of whom were rather young for him to play with, so he spent
a great deal of his leisure time in the Leslies' nursery. What scores of
times had Harry and Walter studied and examined the _Rover_! They had
taken down its sails and its rigging and its masts over and over again.
They knew every inch of its planks, every nail and screw about its
framework. And how often they had spoken about the delight of launching
it in "real live water," in the wide blue sea perhaps! That would be
something worth living for.
Harry and Walter were in the same class at Dr. Grierson's Academy in
Rosehampton, and very good scholars both were. One or other was pretty
sure to be at the top most days, and if Walter was first, Harry would be
not far off, and _vice versa_.
One day, however, the rest of the boys were very much amused at some
strange mistakes made by these duxes. Harry having been told to mention
some chief towns in Asia Minor, rashly began with "Kingshaven," and then
corrected himself, blushing and looking very much ashamed, while Dr.
Grierson himself had some difficulty in subduing the bursts of laughter
all down the forms.
Then Walter, who had been called upon to stand up and give some account
of the appearance and structure of a steam-engine, astonished everybody
by saying it had "_two masts_!"
That day the inseparable friends were very much lower down in the class
than they were accustomed to be, and it required no little effort on
their part during the succeeding days to prevent their thoughts from
wandering, and to keep them fixed on the more dry and uninteresting
subjects of their lesson.
The younger Leslies were also much excited about going to the sea-side;
but visions of shell-gathering, digging in the sands, and such mild
pursuits, were quite enough for them; and, indeed, they knew so little
about the sea that they had no materials whereof to form any more
brilliant plans. As to bathing, they were rather frightened about that,
considering that it must be something like going into the green nursery
tub, but with very cold water to wash in!
Walter had been at Margate once with his father, and could describe the
sea to Harry in very lively terms. The sands, the bathing-coaches, the
rocks, the billows--nothing was forgotten in Walter's narratives. But,
alas! the little town of Rosehampton, where they lived, was very far away
from any part of this enchanting ocean, and for long there seemed no
chance whatever of Mrs. Leslie consenting to let her children brave the
perils of a month's residence near the sea.
"I like them to go to the country," she would say to her husband or the
doctor, who often recommended sea-air, "and to think of them running
about on the grass when it is dry and sunny; for it is very close and
airless sometimes here in Diamond Terrace in the long summer days. But
do let me keep to dry land. It makes me quite nervous to think of Harry
falling over the rocks or getting into boats, and Bobby and Frank getting
their feet wet constantly on the shore when they are _so_ subject to
bronchitis."
"Pooh, pooh, my dear!" her husband would say, "you are far too much
afraid of these children getting into danger. It makes them little molly-
coddles, indeed it does." But he was an easy-going man, who let his wife
do pretty much as she liked, and did not interfere with her management of
house or children.
"Mamma," said Harry one day, "how is it that Uncle Jack _never_ catches
cold?--and, besides, he has never been drowned."
"Hush, Harry; don't talk so rashly. You don't know what may happen to
your uncle yet. And I do wish he wouldn't tell you all those long
stories about the sea when he comes; they make me quite miserable."
"I like them _awfully_, mamma," cried Harry, "and so does Walter. And do
you know, mamma, Walter and I are both going to be sailors when we grow
big. Only I do wish we might sail the _Rover_ first in real sea-water;
it would look so splendid!"
"Well, Harry, be a good boy," said his mother, who did not like to
disappoint her boy more than was for his good, "and don't go on talking
about being a sailor, for that you shall never be. Your papa and I will
never hear of it. As to Walter, his father may do what he pleases; but
you are going to help your father in the warehouse when you grow big, so
you don't need to trouble your head about anything else. But, as I was
saying, if you are a good boy till next holidays, I promise to take you
all to Kingshaven, and you shall sail your ship as much as you like from
the little jetty or the rocks. It is a nice safe place with lovely
sands--if the sea ever can be said to be _safe_."
Harry listened in silent amazement to these words. The utter crushing of
his hopes as to sailor-life was for the moment completely forgotten in
the near and enchanting prospect held out to him in its place. But he
was a kind-hearted, affectionate boy, and even in this hour of excitement
he did not forget his friend.
"But Walter, mamma?" he cried, as his mother was leaving the room,--"how
can I sail it without Walter?"
"Well, you can ask Walter to come with us. I daresay he will be very
glad," said his mother, calling back from the staircase, for she was in a
hurry about some household affair.
Harry clapped his hands, and ran to tell Walter, who was equally
overjoyed at the idea of going to Kingshaven with Harry. So they set to
work and counted the weeks and days that must elapse until the holidays
came round, and then they once more thoroughly overhauled the "good ship
_Rover_" to see if it was water-tight and ready for its first voyage.
It would be literally its first voyage. Harry and Walter had tried the
green tub that belonged to the nursery, but in vain. It was not nearly
long enough. Cook would not let them try the fixed tubs in the laundry,
and it was very doubtful if even they would have held the _Rover_.
The bath would have done so easily, and longing eyes had often been fixed
on it with that idea. But Mrs. Leslie was inexorable--no such dabbling
among water, either hot or cold, was to be permitted; so the _Rover_
still stuck high and dry in the nursery window.