How A Dear Little Couple Went Abroad

  CHAPTER V.

  ON THE VOYAGE.

  THE morning slipped away rapidly, and by the time the bugle blew itssummons for luncheon the little couple had explored the steamer, underPapa's guidance, pretty thoroughly. You know children like to explore,and go scampering about to see all that can be seen, in a new place andamid strange surroundings, and Polly and Teddy made no exception to therule, you may be sure. They had looked wonderingly down from thefirst-cabin deck upon the steerage deck, and had taken note of the funnyand the too often sad scenes to be found in the steerage of a ship. Itwas all very interesting and very wonderful to see the emigrants ofdifferent nationalities all gathered on the deck: some stretched out inthe sun, some eating out of dishes which Polly and Teddy thought looked"very dirty and horrid"; some resting their tired heads on their hands,supporting their elbows on their knees; crowds of little bits ofchildren, babies, and untidy-looking men and women, mingling with otherswho were far more respectable in appearance, but too poor to be able topay more than the low steerage fare. Our children took everything inwith their bright, attentive eyes, and felt very sorry for those poorpassengers below their own clean, comfortable deck. They had madefriends with several of the sailors, and the "_little_ sailor" (thecaptain's boy), and had been stopped by so many of the passengers whowanted to have a chat with the dear little couple that they felt quitewell acquainted with everybody. They had--after the easy fashion of alllittle people--scraped acquaintance with the few other children onboard, and had finally gotten tired of racing about, and were reallyquite as hungry as little bears when luncheon was ready.

  The luncheon in the beautiful flower-decked dining-saloon was, I willadd, another most interesting event for them; and though they felt alittle shy at first, and afraid of the attentive stewards, and of somany strangers at a time all about them, yet I can assure you theybehaved like a little prince and princess, and nobody even guessed howshy they were (though everybody near them did notice, I will say justhere, what cultivated little _table manners_ "that dear little couple"possessed).

  Well, it was some time since luncheon was done with, and while Papa andMamma were lolling back in their steamer chairs reading, Teddy and Pollywere standing close by, looking over the rail. The wind had arisengreatly during the afternoon, and big rolling waves were chasing eachother over the water, making "soap-suds" white and foamy as Bridget andAnn at home used to make on washing-days.

  Teddy wore a little velvet traveling-cap, black, of course, to match hisvelvet knickerbockers and the little jacket he wore over his whitefrilled shirt with its broad white collar. Just now the wind had blownhis cap almost off his head (fortunately it couldn't blow it out to sea,for wise Mamma had secured it with a cord to a buttonhole in hisjacket), and it was tilted a little on one side of his brown, softcurls, and was giving his pretty face a very roguish expression. Pollywas wearing a dainty grey dress and little jacket, and a grey "Tam o'Shanter" cap upon her sunny head. The wind had a fine time blowing herlong wavy hair about her shoulders, but her cap was as safely secured asTed's, so they didn't mind the pranks of the wind, which seemed to blowharder every minute.

  Although Teddy's face looked, as I have said, quite roguish, andalthough Polly was chattering away, seemingly as merrily as possible,yet neither of them _felt_ very roguish or merry, and pretty soon Teddysaid, in a sort of subdued tone: "I--I don't really think decks are niceas gardens, do you, Polly?"

  "Polly and Teddy made friends with the captain's littleboy."]

  "Why, Teddy Terry!" was the surprised reply, "you said your own self,jus' a teenty time ago, that you liked decks lots better'n our gardens!"

  "Well, gar--gardens don't make you feel so--so sort of queer righthere!" said Ted, laying his chubby hand on his chest. "Don't you feelsomething funny inside?"

  "Well, I don't feel _real_ good, Teddy, but--let's--oh, let's--I must goand ask Mamma what makes me feel so queer." And suddenly turning fromthe rail, the little girl, who had never before had such strangesensations, staggered over to her mother's side, and with pale facebegged to go and lie down.

  Teddy followed her, equally white and fearful, and Mamma and Papa atonce led them down the stairs to the state-rooms.

  "Poor little tots!" said Papa; "you're only having your first experienceof sea-sickness! It won't last long."

  Teddy and Polly didn't care how long or how short things might last, ifonly they could _just that minute_ feel better. But the "funny feeling"relieved itself in the usual way very soon, and our little couple wereput into their berths and comforted and petted until they fell asleep,and as they slept poor Papa and Mamma had their little turn at the samekind of discomfort, and, when they were relieved, followed thechildren's example and took a long nap. They didn't care for dinner thatnight, either of the party, and in fact very few of the passengers wentto the dining-saloon, for the steamer was having such a wild frolic anddance on the waves that things were hardly comfortable on deck or in thesaloons, and the stewardesses and stewards were very busy all night, andfor all the next day, because the gale lasted so long and made so muchseasickness on board that nobody felt very happy, you see.