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.