Emily, who was much less enthusiastic, gazed at her cousin with some surprise, asking, at last:
"Why do you love it, Milly?"
"Because it's so blue and so beautiful. Oh you don't know at all by seeing it now, how the water looks at sea! The waves are as high as mountains, and instead of looking quiet and blue like this, it is dark green. The ship goes up and down this way. You couldn't help loving the sea, if you had sailed on it as long as I have."
"Uncle George," whispered the happy child, catching him by the coat as he was helping her out last of all, "I've got a basket for mosses. Please, don't tell anybody when you see me picking them."
[CHAPTER XII.]
MILLY'S ESCAPE.
THE person to be thought of first of all was grandma, who was an old lady, and not very strong. Mrs. Morgan proposed that she should have a room in the public house close by the beach, and lie down while the gentlemen caught fish, and others made ready for the famous chowder. But she said the salt air strengthened her; and she wished to breathe all she could of it.
So, instead of having the horses taken out at the stable, Uncle George drove down to a great rock close by the high water mark, and then had the hostler unharness and lead the horses back.
Mr. Ward thought this a capital idea, and did the same. Then, with the cushions of both carriages, they made a most comfortable lounge on the back seat, where grandma could lie and watch everything that was going on.
Mr. Morgan and Mr. Ward then took their fish tackle, and started off for the rocks to catch rock perch, while the ladies unpacked the baskets, and the children gathered stones into a heap to set the kettle on, and plenty of sticks for the fire.