Frank, the Young Naturalist | Page 3

whose rigging or hull the most

particular tar could not find fault. The other represents a "scene at sea."
It is inclosed in a box about two feet long and a foot and a half in hight.
One side of the box is glass, and through it can be seen two miniature
vessels. The craft in the foreground would be known among sailors as a
"Jack." She is neither a brig nor a bark, but rather a combination of
both. She is armed, and the cannon can be seen protruding from her
port-holes. Every sail is set, and she seems to be making great exertion
to escape from the other vessel, which is following close in her wake.
The flag which floats at her peak, bearing the sign of the "skull and
cross-bones," explains it all: the "Jack" is a pirate; and you could easily
tell by the long, low, black hull, and tall, raking masts that her pursuer
is a revenue cutter. The bottom of the box, to which the little vessels
are fastened in such a manner that they appear to "heel" under the
pressure of their canvas, is cut out in little hollows, and painted blue,
with white caps, to resemble the waves of the ocean; while a thick,
black thunder-cloud, which is painted on the sides of the box, and
appears to be rising rapidly, with the lightning playing around its
ragged edges, adds greatly to the effect of the scene.
At the north end of the room stands a case similar to the one in which
Frank keeps his books, only it is nearly twice as large. It is filled with
stuffed "specimens"--birds, nearly two hundred in number. There are
bald eagles, owls, sparrows, hawks, cranes, crows, a number of
different species of ducks, and other water-fowl; in short, almost every
variety of the feathered creation that inhabited the woods around
Lawrence is here represented.
At the other end of the room stands a bed concealed by curtains. Before
it is a finely carved wash-stand, on which are a pitcher and bowl, and a
towel nicely folded lies beside them. In the corner, at the foot of the
bed, is what Frank called his "sporting cabinet." A frame has been
erected by placing two posts against the wall, about four feet apart; and
three braces, pieces of board about six inches wide, and long enough to
reach from one post to the other, are fastened securely to them. On the
upper brace a fine jointed fish-pole, such as is used in "heavy" fishing,
protected by a neat, strong bag of drilling, rests on hooks which have
been driven securely into the frame; and from another hook close by

hangs a large fish-basket which Frank, who is a capital fisherman, has
often brought in filled with the captured denizens of the river or some
favorite trout-stream. On the next lower brace hang a powder-flask and
shot-pouch and a double-barrel shot-gun, the latter protected from the
damp and dust by a thick, strong covering. On the lower brace hang the
clothes the young naturalist always wears when he goes hunting or
fishing--a pair of sheep's-gray pantaloons, which will resist water and
dirt to the last extremity, a pair of long boots, a blue flannel-shirt, such
as is generally worn by the sailors, and an India-rubber coat and cap for
rainy weather. A shelf has been fastened over the frame, and on this
stands a tin box, which Frank calls his "fishing-box." It is divided into
apartments, which are filled with fish-hooks, sinkers, bobbers, artificial
flies, spoon-hooks, reels, and other tackle, all kept in the nicest order.
Frank had one sister, but no brothers. Her name was Julia. She was ten
years of age; and no boy ever had a lovelier sister. Like her brother, she
was unyielding in perseverance, but kind and trusting in disposition,
willing to be told her faults that she might correct them. Mrs. Nelson
was a woman of good, sound sense; always required implicit obedience
of her children; never flattered them, nor allowed others to do so if she
could prevent it. The only other inmate of the house was Aunt Hannah,
as the children called her. She had formerly been a slave in Virginia,
and, after years of toil, had succeeded in laying by sufficient money to
purchase her freedom. We have already spoken of Frank's dog; but
were we to allow the matter to drop here it would be a mortal offense in
the eyes of the young naturalist, for Bravo held a very prominent
position in his affections. He was a pure-blooded Newfoundland, black
as jet, very active and courageous, and there was nothing in the hunting
line that he did not understand; and it was a well-established saying
among the young