Rollo on the Atlantic

ide

able. Rollo and Jane, however, felt for the most part quite well. Sometimes, for a short period, one or the other of them looked pale, and seemed dispirited. At such times they would lie down upon the couch in their state room, or upon a sofa in one of the saloons, and remain quietly there an hour at a time. Jennie usually in such cases was accustomed to lie on the couch in her state room, on account of the seclusion of it; while Rollo, on the other hand, seemed to prefer the saloon. He, being a boy, did not care so much about the seclusion. On the contrary, it amused him to see the people going to and fro, and to

, and thus produced the most wonderful effects. Long passages were seen running off in all directions, and cabin beyond cabin, in an endless perspective. So bright and distinct, too, were the reflections, that it was difficult to tell whether what you were looking at was real, or only an imaged reflection

a sofa in the saloon, feeling very miserably, and extremely disinclined to speak or to move, two young men came along, talking in a lou

y, and drive about. Don't lie moping here like a landlubber.

little reply to them, only saying that he did not wish for any dinner. In fac

and punching him, and teasing

the gong should sound. When they saw Rollo lying upon the sofa, they went up to him, but did not speak. Rollo opened his eyes and looked at them. Ma

s hearing, "he feels a little sick, and when persons feel seasick

let me go and ask him

any thing about it, when he tastes it perhaps he will like it. In fact, when people are sick, it is always better not to ask them too much about

ambermaid to the dining saloon to bring a bowl of chicken broth to her. The chambermaid went out, and presen

two or three spoonfuls of it, but on tasting it he found that he liked it very much. He at

he pleased; adding, that she and Jennie were going to dinne

e rose from his recumbent position, and began to sit up. Presently he said to

y and light headed; and he concluded, therefore, that, instead of going to dinner, he would go up on deck and see how the wind was. He acco

en resorted to by passengers who were sick, and who wished for more fresh air than they could have below. There was a row of settees on one side of this space, and, at the time that Rollo came up there, there was a lady lying o

e her, attempting to persuade her to get up. He did this, how

ever will be well if you lie here. C

that she could not get up, and th

her husband,

d the lady. "I feel very anxious about him. I am afraid

disturb yourself about him. He's s

the gentlem

immediately down into the cabin again, and thence followed the long passages which led to the dining saloon, until he came to the door of it. He looked in, and saw that the peop

immediately went to get the broth. When

r let me take

n take it myself. I kno

hout much difficulty, for it was not by any means full. Bowls of bro

a moment holding the bowl in his hand, without speaking, as he thought the lady was asleep;

wl of broth, lady? I hav

ously and with doubt; but presently, finding that she liked it, she took spoonful after spoonful with evident pleasure. Rollo was extremely delighted at the success of his experiment. The lady said nothin

nd you with that b

llo, "I broug

o your head to do th

sick," replied Rollo, "and it did me goo

re with an earnest gaze, and then

pened them a mo

now my so

ship," said Rollo, "not quite

jacket?" sa

llo, "and a bo

and find out where he is, and ask him to com

ch disposed to form an acquaintance with him. The boy had a bow and arrows, with which he had often amused himself in shooting about the decks. He did this with so little consideration, that at last, one of the officers of the ship told him that he must not shoot any more in thos

d aft, he finally went down into the dining saloon, and there he found Hilbert seated at t

sitting, and in a timid and cautious manner i

ated Hilbert, loo

tell you. But I suppose that she can wa

"I can't go at all. Go

t receiving such a message as

very stern and threatening mann

g and whining tone. "No. If I do, she'l

at," said his fat

ove, but went on

"you must go immediately wh

He was not at all inclined to go back to the lady and inform her what Hilbert had said; but he thought that he ought at least to go and tell her that he had found Hilbert, as he had been taug

y about coming to m

st come as soon as he had finis

aid the lady,

ead away and shut her eyes

withheld a very important part of what the lady must have desired to know. It is undoubtedly sometimes right for us to conceal or withhold the truth. Sometimes, indeed, it is our imperious duty to do so. Rollo's motive for doing as he did in this case was to avoid giv

t that time, seated near the after part of the promenade deck, he came and sat down near them. Rollo had a great desire to get up and go away, taking Jennie with

e you seen the

laimed the child

on. "He belongs in Nova Scotia, I suppose. That is the n

from which they could look down upon the forward deck. There they saw the little bird perched upon a coil of rigging. He

expect he is tired flying so far. I

r the poor bird was from home. The surgeon was not there, but he saw that both Jennie and Hilb

Rollo, "where

fact, it was evident that they had both been seized with some new idea,

own where the bird is, to see

Rollo hurri

kitten. The instant that she saw the bird she was reminded of Tiger, having sometimes seen Tiger run after little birds in the yards and gardens at home. They could escape from her by

, waking her up very suddenly by so doing, and hurried her off at once to her

t stay in there. There is somethin

om. She pushed aside the curtains of the lower berth, and, putting the cage in, she deposited it upon a small shelf in

o see if it was fast, "you are safe; and you mu

e curtains, in an attitude of great astonishment; then, knowing well, from past experience, that it was wholly useless for her to spec

little bird. He found them on the seat where he had left them. He seized them hastily, and ran up by the forward gangway, which brought him out upon the forward deck not very far from where the bird was resting upon the coil of rigging. He crept softl

of my arrows into tha

. "You pop an arrow into that bi

molest or harm in any way the birds

tone of contempt and defiance. "Yo

his arrow, and, creeping up to

had passed the bow and arrow to the next, assumed a careless air, and went on with his work with a very grave and unmeaning face, as if he had not been taking any notice of the transaction. The last man who received the charge was very near the side of the ship, and as he stood there, leaning with a careless air against the bulwarks, he slyly dropped the bow and arrow overboard. They fell into the water just in advance of the paddle wheel. As the ship was advancing through the water all this time with tremendous speed, the paddle struck both the bow and the arrow the

ack my bow

your bow and arr

th hands, by way of proving

say, and then he looked at the other sailors who were near, first a

ehind you," said Hilbert

aid he.

let Hilbert see that the bow

bert; and saying this, he turned away and walked off, see

him, to complain in very bitter and violent language of the treatment that he had

quietly, "you had been doing so

"I had not been doin

some mischief with them,

"I was only going to

ted his father, surpri

oard from Nova Scotia, they said,"

ather, in a tone of surprise. Then, after pau

ich, as it happened, was on the opposite side of the cabin from that which Jennie occupied. When he reached the

in t

rt we

ng as that bird sees fit to remain on board. It wo

te room door, and locked it; and then, p

n or the boy. He went on reposing quietly at the resting-place which he had chosen on the coil of rigging, until at last, when his little wings had become somewhat reinvigorated, he came down from it, and went hopping about the deck. Jennie and Maria then went down below and got some bread for him. This they scattered in crums before him, and he came and ate it w

ng boat on the Banks. He was not molested at either of his resting-places; and so in due time he safely reached the shore, and joined his mate at the nest, in a little green valley in Nova Scotia.

nt at all; for her conscience being quiet, she did not trouble herself about it in the least, but slept nearly the whole time. It was, ho