Rollo on the Atlantic

St

ll romantic people, and those who particularly enjoy what is grand and sublime. To passengers on board an Atlantic steamer, a storm at sea-that spectacle which has, in former times, been so often des

everal reas

upon them. Any one who has ever ascended a mountain knows very well what the effect is upon the apparent height of all smaller hills, when they are seen from an elevation that is far higher than they. In fact, a country that is really

he surface near it. Now, in a first-class Atlantic steamer, there are two full stories, so to speak, above the surface of the sea, and a promenade deck above the uppermost one. This brings the head of the spectator, when he stands upon the promenade dock and surveys the ocean around him, to the height of twenty-five or thirty feet above the surface of the water. The elevation at which he stands varies considerably, it is true, at different portions of the voyage. When the ship first comes out of port

levation. On the contrary, to one going to sea in vessels as small as those with which Columbus made the voyage when he discovered America, the loftiest billows would rise and swell, and toss their foaming crests far above his head, as he clung to the deck to gaze at them. They would seem at times ready to overwhelm him with the vast and towering volumes of water which they raised

owers above and overtops them in position. The billow can now no longer toss her up so lightly to the summit of its crest; nor, when the crest of it is passed, will she sink her so fearfully into the hollow of the sea. The spectator, raised above all apparent danger, a

or be driven-wherever the fury of the tempest may impel her. In such cases, she goes bounding over the seas, away from her course, toward rocks, shoals, breakers, or any other dangers whatever which may lie in the way, without the least power or possibility of resistan

play. The steamer goes steadily on, pointing her unswerving prow directly toward her port of destination, and triumphing easily, and apparently without effort, over all the fury of the wind and the shocks and concussions of the waves. The worst that the storm can do is to retard, in

the terrific power which he sees raging around him, and that they are all entirely at its mercy,-that it is sweeping them away over the sea, perhaps into the jaws of destruction, without any possible power, on t

s steadily forward in her course; and so far as any idea of danger is concerned, the passengers in their cabins and state rooms below pay no more reg

rm at sea, as witnessed by the pass

rth. This night he was in his berth, and he found himself rolling from side to side in it, very uneasily. The croaking of the ship, too, seemed to be much more violent and incessant tha

rt of cord, with large knobs upon it, at different distances, which was hung like a bell cord from the back side of the berth. Rollo had observed this cord before, but he did not know what it was for. He now, however, discovered what it was for, as, by

cribed. Then, when the ship rolled the other way, it would come to, and strike again upon its frame and sill. Rollo endured this noise as long as he could, and then he resolved to get up and shut the door. So he put his feet out of his berth upon the floor,-which he could easily do, as the berth that he was in was the lower one,-and sat there watching for a moment wh

minutes afterwards, he heard a thumping sound, and, on turning over to see what the cause of it was, he found that the little door was loose again, and was swinging backward and forward as before. The fact was, that, although the door had shut in tight at the moment when Rollo had close

m violently from side to side, and thus wake him up again. He tried to brace himself up with pillows, but he had not pillows enough. He climbed up to the upper berth, and brought down the bolster and pi

d along the front side of it, and which was higher somewhat than the one forming the front of the berth. This board was made movable, so that it could be shifted from the front to the back side, and vice versa, at pleasure. By putting this side board bac

n of the ship; and then, when he thought that the right time had come, he ran across. It happened, however, that he made a miscalculation as to the time; for the ship was then just beginning to careen violently in t

from side to side, the lower ends of them were continually swinging to and fro, directly over Rollo's face. He tried for a time to get out of the way of them, by moving his head one way and the other; but they seemed

d also, at intervals, a mewing sound. He listened. The door between the two state rooms was always put open a little way every night, and secured so by the chambermaid, so that either of the c

id she, "ar

said

kitten. Here she is, shut up in her cage

room. The violent motion of the ship had upset the cage, and it was now rolling about from one side of the state room to the other-the poor kitten mewing piteously

e his way into Jennie's state room. There was a dim light shining there, which came through a pane of glass on one side of the state room, near the door. This light was not sufficient to enable Rollo to

"It is the cage, and Tiger is in it. Poor thing! she

She'll only be rolled a

n with her claws, I sh

e cage, and put the cage in some s

was dreadfully alarmed at the sound of a terrible concussion upon the side of the ship, succeeded by a noise as of something breaking open in his state room, and a rush of water which seemed to come pouring in there like a torrent, and falling on the floor. Rol

me! what

," said Rollo, "unless

en ceased, and nothing was heard in Rollo's room but a sort of washing sound, as of water dashed to and fro on

me in with a light in her hand

ng or other has happened in Rollo's

nt in, and exclaim

a go

?" said Rollo,

etting to screw up your light. But go b

irectly under the window, was completely drenched, and so was the floor; though most of the water, except that which was retained by the bedding and the carpet, had run off through some unseen opening below. When Rollo got where he could see, the chambermaid was busy screwing up his window

p upon the couch any more, it is so wet. You must get into your ber

d the chambermaid left him to himself. Presently, howev

p pitch and toss ab

y sea," said the cham

o Jennie's state room, on her way to her own place of repose.

chambermaid, "a

be before mornin

ter not get up when the morning comes. You'll only be knocking about

ent away, and, left the chil

limbs cramped and benumbed from the confined and uncomfortable positions in which he was obliged to keep them. In fact, when Jennie on one occasion, just after four bells struck, being very restless and wakeful

relief to his misery; for the storm still continued with unabated violence. At length, when breakfast time came, the chambermaid brought in some tea and t

on the next deck above this, and walk along the passage way that leads aft, and

is aft?"

lied the chambe

ard with his knees, as the ship lurched to and fro, he contrived to dress himself, though he was a long time in accomplishing the feat. He then told J

cceeded in getting up upon the main deck, where he went into the enclosed space which has already been described. This space was closely shut up now on all sides. There were, however, two doors which led from it out upon the deck. In order to go up u

d steps behind him as of some one comi

llo! Are yo

as clinging to the side of the doorway.

ficer of the ship. A terrible gust of wind came in with him. The officer

good sailors, to be about th

the promenade dec

o such thing. You will get pitched into the

re we can look out and

long that passage way, and you will find a do

ficer went away d

nd Rollo did not know what the lee quarter could be. He however determined to g

pers or any other scuppers, and he was going up on the promenade deck.

and then against the other, so heavily that he was every moment obliged to stop and wait until the ship came up again before he could go on. At length he came into a small room with several doors opening from it. In the back side of this room was the c

now on the sheltered side of the ship, he could open the door and look out without exposing himself to the fury of the storm. He gazed for a time at the raging fury of the sea with a sentiment of profound admiration and awe. The surface of the ocean was covered

ompartment where the landing was, from the stairs, he heard a sound as of some one in distress, and on drawing near he found Hilbert coming in perfectly drenched with sea water. He was moaning and crying bitterly, and,

just forward of the paddle box. A portion of the wave, and an immense mass of spray, dashed up on board the ship, and a quantity equal to several barrels of water came down upon the stairs wh