shells. They found quite a number of different kinds, all along the
shore. Some were large and coarse,--broken and worn by the water. Some
were so thin and delicate that he had to wrap them up carefully in a
paper, and put them into his waistcoat pocket, in order to get them home
safely. The children found several other curiosities besides shells.
They collected pebbles, and specimens of sand, of different colors. Mary
found an old iron spike, perhaps part of a vessel, with the sand and
gravel concreted around it. It looked like stone growing upon iron.
Rollo also found a small piece of wood, battered and worn by the
long-continued action of the waves, and he thought it was very curious
indeed. In fine, the children filled their baskets with wonders, and,
after about three quarters of an hour, they set out on their return
home. When Rollo went to get his shoes, he found the water almost up to
them. If he had staid away a little longer, they would have been washed
away again. The truth was, the tide was rising.
THE CLIFFS.
As the party slowly rode away from the beach, Rollo's mother asked if it
was too late to go to the cliffs. There was a splendid prospect from the
cliffs. They were rocky precipices overhanging the sea, at the extremity
of a point of land, about a mile from the beach where they had been. The
two girls wanted to go very much; but Rollo did not care so much about
it. He was in haste to get home and arrange his curiosities.
His father, however, after looking at his watch, said that he thought
there would be time to go. So he turned his horse's head in the right
direction, and they went to the cliffs.
The precipices were very high, and the swell of the sea dashed and
roared against them at their foot; and yet the water looked very smooth
at a little distance from the land. Rollo wondered why there should be
waves along the beach and against the rocks, when there were none out in
the open sea.
"I should think, father," said he, "that it would be calmer near the
shore, and more windy out upon the water."
"It is," said his father.
"Then, why are not the waves bigger?"
"They _are_ full as big."
"Why, father," said Rollo, "there are no waves at all out from the
land."
"You can't see them very well," said his father, "because we look down
upon them. When we are upon a mountain, the small hills below almost
disappear. Besides, the waves out in the open sea, in such a still time
as this, are in the form of broad swells; but these swells are broken
when they roll against the shore, and so this makes the surf."
"I mean to look over and see," said Rollo, and he walked cautiously
along towards the precipice.
"O Rollo," exclaimed Mary, "don't go so near!"
"Why, there is no danger," said Rollo.
"Rollo! Rollo!" exclaimed Mary again, as Rollo went nearer and nearer.
His father had turned away, just as he had finished what he said above,
and so had not observed what Rollo was doing. In fact, he did not go
near enough to the brink to be in any danger, though Mary was afraid to
have him so near.
His mother, hearing Mary's call, turned to see what was the matter, and
she, too, felt afraid at seeing Rollo so near. She called him to come
away; but Rollo told her that he was not near enough to fall.
"But I had rather that you would come away," said his mother; and she
looked very anxious and uneasy, and began to hurry along towards him.
"You see that large island off to the right," said Rollo's father,
directing her attention in the right quarter.
"Yes, I see it--Rollo!"
"Well, that is George's Island. There is a rock lying just about south
of it."
"Yes," said Rollo's mother, "I believe I see it," beckoning at the same
time to Rollo.
Her mind was evidently occupied with watching Rollo. She looked first
at the rock and island, where Mr. Holiday was pointing, and then back at
Rollo, until at length Mr. Holiday, perceiving that her mind was
disturbed by Rollo's motions, said to him,
"Rollo, keep outside of us."
"Outside, father!" said Rollo; "how do you mean?"
"Why, farther back from the brink than we are."
So Rollo walked reluctantly back until he was at about the same distance
from the brink with his father, and then began to take up some little
stones, and throw them over. His father and mother went on talking,
though Rollo's stones disturbed them a little. At length, Rollo came and
stood near his father to hear what he was saying about a large ship
which was just coming into view behind the island.
As he stood there, he kept pressing forward to get as near to the brink
as he could, without actually going before his father and mother. She
instinctively put out her hand to hold him back, and was evidently so
uneasy, that Mr. Holiday looked to see what was the matter. Rollo had
pressed forward so as to be a very little in advance of his father,
though it was only very little indeed.
"Rollo," said his father, "go and sit in the carryall until we come."
Rollo looked up surprised, and was just going to ask what for. But he
perceived at once that he was in advance of his parents, and that he had
consequently disobeyed his father's orders. He went away rather
sullenly.
"I was not more than an inch in advance of where they were," said he to
himself; "and, besides, it was far enough from the brink. I don't see
why I need be sent away."
However, he knew that he must obey, and he went and took his seat in the
carryall. It was turned away from the sea, and he had nothing before him
but the inland prospect.
"What dismal-looking rocks and hills!" said he to himself. They had
appeared wild and picturesque when he first came in view of them, but
now they had a very gloomy expression. He who is dissatisfied with
himself, is generally dissatisfied with all around him.
Rollo waited until he was tired, and then he had to wait some time
longer. At length his father and mother appeared, and Rollo jumped out,
and asked his father if he might ride in the wagon, and drive the girls
again.
"No," replied his father, "I have made another arrangement. Jonas," he
continued, "you may get into the wagon, and drive on alone."
Rollo's father then helped Mrs. Holiday and Mary into the back seat,
while he put Lucy and Rollo on before, and he took a seat between them.
When they had rode on a little way, he said,
"I was very sorry to have to send you away, Rollo."
"Why, father, I was not more than an inch before you."
"That's true," said his father.
"And I don't think I was in any danger."
"I don't think you were myself," said his father.
"Then, why did you send me back?"
"For two reasons. First, you disobeyed me."
"But I don't think I came before you more than an inch."
"Nor I," said his father; "very likely it was not more than half an
inch."
"And was that enough to do any harm?"
"It was enough to constitute _disobedience_. I told you to keep back,
_outside_ of us, and by coming up even as near as we were, you showed a
disposition not to obey."
"But I forgot," said Rollo. "I did not observe that I was so near."
"But when I give you a direction like that, it is your duty to observe."
Rollo was silent. After a short pause, he added,
"Well, father, you said that there were two reasons why you sent me
away."
"Yes, the other was that you were spoiling all the pleasure of the
party. You kept Mary and mother continually uneasy and anxious."
"But I don't think I went into any danger."
"Perhaps not; that is not what I charge you with. I did not send you
away for going into danger, but for making other persons anxious and
uneasy."
"But, father, if there was not any danger, why need they be uneasy?"
"Do you suppose that persons are never made uneasy and anxious, except
by actual danger?"
"Why--I don't know, sir."
"If you observe persons carefully, you will see that they are."
"Then they must be unreasonable," said Rollo.
"Not altogether," said his father. "If you were lying down upon the
ground, and I were to come up to you with an axe, and make believe cut
your head off, it would make you very uneasy, though there would be
really no danger."
"But this is very different," said Rollo. "That would have been as if I
had made believe push mother off."
"That would have been more like it, I confess. But I only meant to show
you that it does not always require real danger, to make any one uneasy
and anxious. When we see persons in situations which strongly suggest
the idea of danger to our minds, it makes us uneasy, though we may know
that there is no actual danger in the case. Thus it is painful to most
persons to see a carpenter upon a very lofty spire, or to go very near a
precipice, or see any body else go, even when there is a strong railing;
and so in all other cases. Therefore, our rule ought always to be, when
we are in company with others, not only not to go into actual danger,
but not to go so near as strongly to bring up the idea to their minds,
and thus distress them."
"I never thought of that before," said Rollo.
"No, I presume not. And I had not time to explain it to you when we were
upon the cliffs, and so I simply directed you to keep back of us. That
would have prevented all trouble, if you had only obeyed."
Rollo was silent and thoughtful. He was sorry that he had disobeyed.
"However," continued his father, "I am very glad I have had this
opportunity to explain this subject to you. Now, I want you to
remember, after this, that the best way, in all such cases, is to
consider, not what the actual danger is, but what the feelings and fears
of those who are with you may be. It is not your own safety, but the
comfort of others, that you have to look out for."
"Yes, sir," said Rollo, "I will."
"Once there were two young men," continued his father, "taking a ride in
chaises. Each had his sister with him. They came to an old bridge that
was somewhat decayed, and it led across a very deep ravine which looked
very frightful, though in reality the bridge was perfectly strong and
safe. Now, when the first chaise came near, the girl who was in it cried
out,
"'O brother, what a bridge! O, I must get out and walk over it. I don't
dare to ride over such a bridge.'
"'Poh, nonsense!' said Henry. Her brother's name was Henry. 'The bridge
is strong enough for a four-ox team. I have been over it a dozen times.'
So he drove on. His sister looked very much terrified when they came
upon the bridge, but they went over safely.
"'There,' said Henry, when they had got over, 'I told you it was safe.'
"When the other chaise came down, the young lady said the same thing to
_her_ brother, whose name was Charles. She said she was afraid to ride
over.
"'Very well,' said Charles. 'The bridge is safe enough, but I think,
perhaps, it may be pleasanter for you to walk over. It will rest you to
walk a little, and besides, you can stop to look at the pleasant
prospect, up and down the river, from the middle of the bridge.'
"So his sister got out, and he drove the chaise over carefully, while
she walked behind. Now, which do you think took the best course, Charles
or Henry?"
"I--don't know," said Rollo.
"The way to determine," said his father, "is to apply the Savior's rule,
'Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.'"
"Well, I think," said Rollo, "that I should rather get out and walk."
"I am sure I should," said Lucy.
* * * * *
The whole party, after this, got safely home, though it was too late,
that night, to arrange their curiosities. They, however, looked them all
over the next day, and they made a very large and valuable addition to
their cabinet. The specimens of sand of different colors they arranged
in little, square, pasteboard boxes, which Mary made, covering them
neatly with blue paper upon the outside, and with white paper within.
THE THREE NORTHMEN.
The summer and autumn passed away, and the winter came on. Rollo was
having a new great-coat made. He had grown too big for the old one, and
so his mother had laid it aside, waiting for Nathan to grow up to it.
When Rollo's coat was done, he went out to show it to Jonas. It was
thick and warm, with large cuffs, and there was a good warm collar to
come up about his ears.
"And see," said Rollo, throwing the coat back, and slipping one of his
arms out, "see how easy it comes off and on!"
"Yes," said Jonas, "and that is a great convenience in a great-coat. It
is a very fine great-coat, indeed. I think, with that on, you will be
able to make your stand against all three of the Northmen."
"All three of the Northmen!" repeated Rollo. "Who are the Northmen?"
"Don't you know who the three famous Northmen are," said Jonas, "who do
so much mischief?"
"No," said Rollo, "I never heard of them before."
"Well," said Jonas, "I will tell you some time, but now I must go away
with the cart."
Jonas had been harnessing the horse into the cart, in the yard, while
Rollo had been talking with him, and now was about ready to go away.
Rollo determined to ask his mother to let him go with him.
"Where are you going, Jonas?" said he.
"Down into the woods," said Jonas.
"Wait a minute for me."
So away Rollo ran to ask his mother. She said, yes; and he accordingly
came out and took his seat, by the side of Jonas, upon a board which was
placed across the cart, from one side to the other.
Jonas was going down into the woods to bring up a load of wood which he
had obtained from the trimmings of the trees. It was a cold, frosty
morning, and the winter was near; and Jonas wished to get the wood in
before the snow should come and cover it up. Rollo was so much
interested in driving the cart down, and then in loading it with wood,
that he forgot to ask Jonas about the three famous Northmen.
About a month after this, there were a few very cold mornings. The ice
froze very hard in a tub of water before the pump, and Jonas had to cut
a hole in it with the axe, for the horse to drink.
Rollo saw him through the kitchen window, and he opened the door and ran
out a moment to see him. Jonas was cutting away very carefully all
around the sides of the tub, so as to get the whole mass of ice out
together. Rollo stood looking on, shivering. He had no hat on, and only
slippers upon his feet. He stood leaning a little forward, his arms
hanging off from his sides as if they were driven off by electric
repulsion.
"A'n't you cold?" said Rollo to Jonas.
"No," said Jonas, "not at all."
"I am; and I can't stay out here any longer, I am so cold."
"You are not prepared for it; that is the difficulty. Go and put on your
boots, and your cap, and your mittens, and button up your jacket, and
come out here and go to work with me, and you won't be cold."
Rollo ran in and got his boots; and after warming them by the kitchen
fire, he put them on. He also buttoned his jacket up to his chin, and
drew on his mittens, and put on his cap. He then went out again to find
Jonas.
He found him in the barn, pitching down hay.
"Now," said Rollo, as he came up the stairs, "what shall I do?"
"Ah, you have come out to work, have you?" said Jonas. "Well, take this
pitchfork, and mount up upon the loft there, and pitch me down some
hay."
Rollo found it very hard to get up upon the loft. There were only some
pegs, driven into a post, to climb up by. However, with Jonas's help, he
got up, and then clambered over upon the hay; and Jonas threw the
pitchfork up after him.
"Now work moderately," said Jonas, "and I'll insure that the Northmen
can't touch you."
"O, there!" said Rollo, "you have never told me about the Northmen."
"Well," said Jonas, "I will tell you now, when you come down."
After pitching the hay down a little while, Rollo descended, though it
was not necessary for Jonas to help him, for he jumped down upon the
heap of hay which he had made. They then went together, attending to
Jonas's work about the barn, while Rollo stopped occasionally to look
out the open door or window, where the sun was shining in very
pleasantly. Rollo began to think it was a warm, pleasant morning.
"There is one of the Northmen," said Jonas, "that you are somewhat
acquainted with already."
"What is his name?" said Rollo.
"Captain Jack Frost," replied Jonas.
"O, yes," said Rollo, with a smile, "I have heard of that gentleman
before."
"Yes," said Jonas, "he is pretty well known. He is a great
mischief-maker. He lives in an ice castle at the North, and in the fall
of the year he comes creeping along in the still nights, and early in
the mornings. He builds bridges over the ponds, and brooks, and plants
little gardens of hoar frost; and where he sees a stone in the ground,
he stamps his foot upon it, and crowds it down a little way. Then it is
his great delight to go about pinching boys' toes and noses. He is a
sly rogue."
"And who are the other Northmen?" said Rollo.
"The next is General Boreas," said Jonas.
"General Boreas!" repeated Rollo; "and who is he?"
"O! he is a terrible fellow," replied Jonas. "He comes roaring and
thundering along the tops of the forests at midnight, in snowstorms and
hail. He buries up the whole country, he breaks down the trees, and
sometimes unroofs the houses. Then, if he finds any poor traveller out,
he whistles and roars about his ears, and tries to frighten him; and he
throws snow into his face, and heaps it up all about him in order to
bury him up if he can.
"Then, besides," continued Jonas, "the old stormer has another way of
making mischief. After he has got the valleys and streams covered and
filled with ice and snow, he brings on a tempest of wind and rain, and
fills the land with torrents, which raise the streams, and tear up the
ice, and carry it down in vast, broken, and jamming blocks, which break
down the bridges, and carry away dams, and spread all over the meadows,
frightening a good many families out of their beds at midnight."
"Is that the way that General Boreas acts?" said Rollo.
"Yes," replied Jonas, "that's the way."
"And who is the third Northman?" said Rollo.
"His name is Old Zero," replied Jonas. "He is more than threescore years
and ten, a great deal; his head is hoary, and his beard is long and
gray. He creeps softly along after General Boreas has worked himself out
of breath, and gone away. He curtains over all the windows with frost
work in the night. He likes the night, when it is calm and still, and
the stars are shining bright and cold all over the sky. And he kills
more people than Boreas does."
"Kills them?" said Rollo.
"Yes," replied Jonas. "He makes no blustering, but he stings bitterly,
and the poor traveller has his ears, and hands, and feet frozen before
he knows what a cruel enemy is around him. Captain Jack Frost you may
laugh at,--but as to Old Zero, you had better beware of him."
Rollo laughed a good deal at Jonas's account of the three Northmen, and
Jonas told him that they sometimes made some splendid curiosities, which
would be beautiful for a shelf in his museum, if they would only keep.
"What are the curiosities?" said Rollo.
"O, all kinds of stars, and spangles, and snow-flakes, of a great many
beautiful forms,--and icicles, and frost work. But they will not keep
very long, unless you make a cabinet expressly for them."
"_I_ can't make a cabinet," said Rollo.
"O, yes, you can,--a frost-cabinet," said Jonas.
"How?" asked Rollo.
"Why, you must go down near the brook, in the middle of the winter, and
make a little room of snow. Then you must get a large piece of thin,
clear ice from a still place in the brook, and fix it in for a window.
You must also get some sheets of white ice, or snow crust, for shelves,
and put your frost curiosities upon them. If you make it in a cold
place, they will keep for some time."
"I _will_ make a frost museum," said Rollo. "I mean to go down to-day
and look out a place."
"Yes," said Jonas, "and you can keep it a secret until it is done, and
then take your father and mother down to see it, and surprise them."
"Yes," said Rollo, clapping his hands, "so I will."
[Illustration]
ROLLO BOOKS.
BY JACOB ABBOTT.
_Rollo at Work_, _Rollo at School_,
_Rollo at Play_, _Rollo's Vacation_,
_Rollo Learning to Read_, _Rollo Learning to Talk_.
BOUND IN UNIFORM STYLE.
The publishers request the attention of the friends of the young to this
popular series of books, which have been pronounced, by competent and
judicious persons, the best works for children published, not even
excepting the best English writers. Mr. Abbott's style is peculiarly
interesting to children, being natural and simple, and portraying the
trials and temptations of childhood, just as they occur in every day
life, and giving them clear and distinct ideas of the right and wrong in
their actions.
_From the Christian Examiner._
As a whole, they make the most important series of juvenile books that
have appeared, to our knowledge, since Miss Edgeworth. They are very
unlike those, and yet they resemble them in some prominent features;
especially in making it their chief object to be _pleasing_, and thus
gently and imperceptibly opening a way for _instruction_ to the mind and
morals, without obtruding or forcing it in the least. For this the books
before us are remarkable. They are entertaining throughout. The interest
never flags, and yet there is no seeming attempt to sustain it. There is
little continuous story, and no plot or romance, or grown-up folly, such
as fills half of the _young_ novels now made for children. Here is a
little boy, who is first induced to learn to _talk_; and in order to do
this, he is made to see objects for himself, and think about them, and
ask questions. Next he is taught to _read_; to effect this, he is
candidly told that learning to read is not play, but work, and at first
dry and hard work. It soon becomes easy, however, because it is
undertaken in earnest, and then it becomes pleasant; and parents may
take a hint from this, when they are afraid to allow letters and
learning to wear any form but that of playthings and pastime to their
children. In the third volume, Rollo is at _work_; in the fourth, at
_play_; and the morals of both play and work are as easily and
pleasantly insinuated as we have often seen. There is constant
occupation in both, and constant natural opportunities of learning the
duty and the advantage of feeling and doing right, and thus seeing the
evil of feeling and doing wrong; for Mr. Abbott fully carries out, in
these books, the great principle which we rejoice to see advanced in the
Preface to one of them, namely, "that it is generally better, in dealing
with children, to allure them to what is right by agreeable pictures of
it, than to attempt to drive them to it by repulsive delineations of
what is wrong." The fifth volume presents Rollo at _School_, and the
last his _vacation_. They keep up the interest, and advance in maturity
of thought and illustration, as the boy advances.
_From the Mother's Magazine, edited by Mrs. Whittlesey._
Mr. Abbott possesses, in a very high degree, the faculty of awakening
the interest of children. His writings have that absolute requisite for
securing permanent popularity--_truth to nature_. His boys and girls
talk and act _like_ boys and girls, not like miniature men and women.
There are a thousand minute touches in his descriptions, which are
evidently drawn from the life, and which betoken a habit of close and
accurate observation of the ways and manners of children. In reading his
books, you hardly believe that it is not your own little Charles or
Henry, whose doings and sayings he is reporting. It is this truth and
freshness in minute touches that constitutes _picturesqueness_ in
writing; a quality which renders Miss Edgeworth and Mr. Abbott
attractive not only to _little_ readers, but to some older persons that
we know. We have spoken of these books as _interesting_; we can also
recommend them as adapted to be exceedingly _useful_--and for the very
same reason. Instead of _general_ exhortations to certain things, and
dehortations from others, children here find vivid pictures of the very
faults they are to strive against, and are shown how to strive--of the
good habits they are to acquire, and _how_ they may be acquired. Parents
will find them a valuable aid in the instruction and amendment of their
children.
_In Press_,
ROLLO'S EXPERIMENTS.
ROLLO'S MUSEUM.
BOOKS FOR THE YOUNG,
PUBLISHED BY
WEEKS, JORDAN, & CO.
WEEKS, JORDAN, & CO. are engaged in publishing books for young persons,
in the preparing of which particular attention will be given to
furnishing reading which shall combine rational and innocent recreation
with good moral influence. Those published are,
CHARLES HARTLAND, or THE VILLAGE MISSIONARY. By the author of "The
House I live in." A work full of incident, illustrating Christian
principles in the young by example.