The Rovers Secret | Page 6

short
time, I felt equal to a renewed effort to sound the depths of the well of
knowledge.
On this momentous occasion--momentous to me, at least, for I am
convinced that it exercised a very material influence on my eventual
choice of a career--I chanced upon an illustrated volume of Travels by
Land and Sea. I opened it at the title-page, down which I patiently and
conscientiously waded; then on to the preface--which, luckily, was a
short one--and so into the body of the book. I of course encountered a
great deal that I could only imperfectly understand; and I detected
within myself a rapidly-growing disposition to skip all the hard words;
but, notwithstanding these drawbacks, I contrived to catch a
glimmering, if not something more, of the author's meaning. It was
hard work, but I struggled on, down page after page, fascinated, my
imagination vividly depicting the various scenes of which I read. I saw
the deep blue tropic sea heaving and sparkling in the joyous sunshine,
and the stout ship, with her gleaming wide-spread canvas, sweeping
bravely over its bosom. I stood upon the deck of that ship, among the
seamen, peering eagerly ahead, and saw a faint grey cloud gradually
shape itself in the midst of the haze on the far western horizon. I heard
the joyous shout of "Land ho!" break from the lips of the lookout at the

mast-head; and watched the cloud gradually hardening its outlines and
changing its tints until it assumed the unmistakable aspect of land; saw
the distant mountains steal into view, and the trees emerge into distinct
and prominent detail along the shore; saw, at length, the strip of sandy
beach, dazzlingly white in the blazing sunlight; heard the deep hoarse
roar of the breakers, and saw the flashing of the snow-white foam as
the rollers swept grandly on and dashed themselves into surf and
diamond spray upon the strand. Then I saw the natives launching their
light canoes and paddling off through the surf to the ship; or leapt
eagerly into the boat alongside; reached the strip of dazzling
beach--strewn now with beautiful shells; plunged into the grateful
shade of enticing groves rich with the prodigal luxuriance and fantastic
beauty of tropical growth, ablaze with flowers of gorgeous hues, alive
with birds whose plumage flashed like living gems, and breathed an
atmosphere oppressive with perfume.
From that hour forward the entertainments of the servants' hall paled
their ineffectual fires before the superior effulgence of those delightful
visions which I now possessed the power of summoning at will; books
or stories of travel and adventure alone had now any charm for me; and
these I devoured with an appetite which grew by what it fed on. The
natural consequence of all this will readily be foreseen: a desire sprang
up, which steadily ripened into a resolve, that, when I should become a
man, I too would be a traveller, and--like those of whom I was never
tired of reading--would make my home upon the pathless sea.
Thus matters went on until the arrival of the eighth anniversary of my
birthday, on the morning of which, soon after I had finished my
breakfast, I was summoned to my father's studio. I was received
somewhat coldly; and, after indicating to me the chair which he had
placed for my occupation, my father resumed his work and continued it
for some time without taking the slightest further notice of me.
A silence of perhaps half an hour ensued; when, laying down his brush,
he said:
"I am glad to learn from Mrs Wilson that you are making very
satisfactory progress with your studies; that, in fact, you are exhibiting

a marked disposition to acquire knowledge. This is well; this is as it
should be; and, to mark my appreciation of your conduct, I have
resolved to further your desires and give you increased facilities for
study, by sending you to school, where you will have the advantage of
such guidance and assistance as only trained masters can give; and
where you will also enjoy the companionship and association of lads of
your own age. I hope the prospect is a pleasant one to you."
As this last remark seemed to partake somewhat of the form of a
question, I replied that the prospect was pleasant, and that I felt very
much obliged to him for his kind and thoughtful intentions. I wanted to
say a great deal more by way of thanks; I wished him to understand
how delightful to me would be the change which this arrangement
involved; how I had longed for some one to take me by the hand, to
guide my erratic footsteps and lead me by the shortest way to that
fountain of knowledge for the waters of which I