Rollo's Museum

THE CLIFFS.

As the party slowly rode away from the beach, Rollo's mother asked if it was too late to go to the cliffs. There was a splendid prospect from the cliffs. They were rocky precipices overhanging the sea, at the extremity of a point of land, about a mile from the beach where they had been. The two girls wanted to go very much; but Rollo did not care so much about it. He was in haste to get home and arrange his curiosities.

His father, however, after looking at his watch, said that he thought there would be time to go. So he turned his horse's head in the right direction, and they went to the cliffs.

The precipices were very high, and the swell of the sea dashed and roared against them at their foot; and yet the water looked very smooth at a little distance from the land. Rollo wondered why there should be waves along the beach and against the rocks, when there were none out in the open sea.

"I should think, father," said he, "that it would be calmer near the shore, and more windy out upon the water."

"It is," said his father.

"Then, why are not the waves bigger?"

"They are full as big."

"Why, father," said Rollo, "there are no waves at all out from the land."

"You can't see them very well," said his father, "because we look down upon them. When we are upon a mountain, the small hills below almost disappear. Besides, the waves out in the open sea, in such a still time as this, are in the form of broad swells; but these swells are broken when they roll against the shore, and so this makes the surf."

"I mean to look over and see," said Rollo, and he walked cautiously along towards the precipice.

"O Rollo," exclaimed Mary, "don't go so near!"

"Why, there is no danger," said Rollo.

"Rollo! Rollo!" exclaimed Mary again, as Rollo went nearer and nearer.

His father had turned away, just as he had finished what he said above, and so had not observed what Rollo was doing. In fact, he did not go near enough to the brink to be in any danger, though Mary was afraid to have him so near.

His mother, hearing Mary's call, turned to see what was the matter, and she, too, felt afraid at seeing Rollo so near. She called him to come away; but Rollo told her that he was not near enough to fall.

"But I had rather that you would come away," said his mother; and she looked very anxious and uneasy, and began to hurry along towards him.

"You see that large island off to the right," said Rollo's father, directing her attention in the right quarter.

"Yes, I see it-Rollo!"

"Well, that is George's Island. There is a rock lying just about south of it."

"Yes," said Rollo's mother, "I believe I see it," beckoning at the same time to Rollo.

Her mind was evidently occupied with watching Rollo. She looked first at the rock and island, where Mr. Holiday was pointing, and then back at Rollo, until at length Mr. Holiday, perceiving that her mind was disturbed by Rollo's motions, said to him,

"Rollo, keep outside of us."

"Outside, father!" said Rollo; "how do you mean?"

"Why, farther back from the brink than we are."

So Rollo walked reluctantly back until he was at about the same distance from the brink with his father, and then began to take up some little stones, and throw them over. His father and mother went on talking, though Rollo's stones disturbed them a little. At length, Rollo came and stood near his father to hear what he was saying about a large ship which was just coming into view behind the island.

As he stood there, he kept pressing forward to get as near to the brink as he could, without actually going before his father and mother. She instinctively put out her hand to hold him back, and was evidently so uneasy, that Mr. Holiday looked to see what was the matter. Rollo had pressed forward so as to be a very little in advance of his father, though it was only very little indeed.

"Rollo," said his father, "go and sit in the carryall until we come."

Rollo looked up surprised, and was just going to ask what for. But he perceived at once that he was in advance of his parents, and that he had consequently disobeyed his father's orders. He went away rather sullenly.

"I was not more than an inch in advance of where they were," said he to himself; "and, besides, it was far enough from the brink. I don't see why I need be sent away."

However, he knew that he must obey, and he went and took his seat in the carryall. It was turned away from the sea, and he had nothing before him but the inland prospect.

"What dismal-looking rocks and hills!" said he to himself. They had appeared wild and picturesque when he first came in view of them, but now they had a very gloomy expression. He who is dissatisfied with himself, is generally dissatisfied with all around him.

Rollo waited until he was tired, and then he had to wait some time longer. At length his father and mother appeared, and Rollo jumped out, and asked his father if he might ride in the wagon, and drive the girls again.

"No," replied his father, "I have made another arrangement. Jonas," he continued, "you may get into the wagon, and drive on alone."

Rollo's father then helped Mrs. Holiday and Mary into the back seat, while he put Lucy and Rollo on before, and he took a seat between them. When they had rode on a little way, he said,

"I was very sorry to have to send you away, Rollo."

"Why, father, I was not more than an inch before you."

"That's true," said his father.

"And I don't think I was in any danger."

"I don't think you were myself," said his father.

"Then, why did you send me back?"

"For two reasons. First, you disobeyed me."

"But I don't think I came before you more than an inch."

"Nor I," said his father; "very likely it was not more than half an inch."

"And was that enough to do any harm?"

"It was enough to constitute disobedience. I told you to keep back, outside of us, and by coming up even as near as we were, you showed a disposition not to obey."

"But I forgot," said Rollo. "I did not observe that I was so near."

"But when I give you a direction like that, it is your duty to observe."

Rollo was silent. After a short pause, he added,

"Well, father, you said that there were two reasons why you sent me away."

"Yes, the other was that you were spoiling all the pleasure of the party. You kept Mary and mother continually uneasy and anxious."

"But I don't think I went into any danger."

"Perhaps not; that is not what I charge you with. I did not send you away for going into danger, but for making other persons anxious and uneasy."

"But, father, if there was not any danger, why need they be uneasy?"

"Do you suppose that persons are never made uneasy and anxious, except by actual danger?"

"Why-I don't know, sir."

"If you observe persons carefully, you will see that they are."

"Then they must be unreasonable," said Rollo.

"Not altogether," said his father. "If you were lying down upon the ground, and I were to come up to you with an axe, and make believe cut your head off, it would make you very uneasy, though there would be really no danger."

"But this is very different," said Rollo. "That would have been as if I had made believe push mother off."

"That would have been more like it, I confess. But I only meant to show you that it does not always require real danger, to make any one uneasy and anxious. When we see persons in situations which strongly suggest the idea of danger to our minds, it makes us uneasy, though we may know that there is no actual danger in the case. Thus it is painful to most persons to see a carpenter upon a very lofty spire, or to go very near a precipice, or see any body else go, even when there is a strong railing; and so in all other cases. Therefore, our rule ought always to be, when we are in company with others, not only not to go into actual danger, but not to go so near as strongly to bring up the idea to their minds, and thus distress them."

"I never thought of that before," said Rollo.

"No, I presume not. And I had not time to explain it to you when we were upon the cliffs, and so I simply directed you to keep back of us. That would have prevented all trouble, if you had only obeyed."

Rollo was silent and thoughtful. He was sorry that he had disobeyed.

"However," continued his father, "I am very glad I have had this opportunity to explain this subject to you. Now, I want you to remember, after this, that the best way, in all such cases, is to consider, not what the actual danger is, but what the feelings and fears of those who are with you may be. It is not your own safety, but the comfort of others, that you have to look out for."

"Yes, sir," said Rollo, "I will."

"Once there were two young men," continued his father, "taking a ride in chaises. Each had his sister with him. They came to an old bridge that was somewhat decayed, and it led across a very deep ravine which looked very frightful, though in reality the bridge was perfectly strong and safe. Now, when the first chaise came near, the girl who was in it cried out,

"'O brother, what a bridge! O, I must get out and walk over it. I don't dare to ride over such a bridge.'

"'Poh, nonsense!' said Henry. Her brother's name was Henry. 'The bridge is strong enough for a four-ox team. I have been over it a dozen times.' So he drove on. His sister looked very much terrified when they came upon the bridge, but they went over safely.

"'There,' said Henry, when they had got over, 'I told you it was safe.'

"When the other chaise came down, the young lady said the same thing to her brother, whose name was Charles. She said she was afraid to ride over.

"'Very well,' said Charles. 'The bridge is safe enough, but I think, perhaps, it may be pleasanter for you to walk over. It will rest you to walk a little, and besides, you can stop to look at the pleasant prospect, up and down the river, from the middle of the bridge.'

"So his sister got out, and he drove the chaise over carefully, while she walked behind. Now, which do you think took the best course, Charles or Henry?"

"I-don't know," said Rollo.

"The way to determine," said his father, "is to apply the Savior's rule, 'Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.'"

"Well, I think," said Rollo, "that I should rather get out and walk."

"I am sure I should," said Lucy.

* * * * *

The whole party, after this, got safely home, though it was too late, that night, to arrange their curiosities. They, however, looked them all over the next day, and they made a very large and valuable addition to their cabinet. The specimens of sand of different colors they arranged in little, square, pasteboard boxes, which Mary made, covering them neatly with blue paper upon the outside, and with white paper within.