One day I took advantage of my dear
mother's absence to make another effort; and, to my joy, I actually
succeeded in reaching the doorstep, over which I tumbled into a pool of
muddy water that lay before my father's cottage door. Ah, how vividly I
remember the horror of my poor mother when she found me sweltering in
the mud amongst a group of cackling ducks, and the tenderness with
which she stripped off my dripping clothes and washed my dirty little
body! From this time forth my rambles became more frequent, and, as I
grew older, more distant, until at last I had wandered far and near on
the shore and in the woods around our humble dwelling, and did not rest
content until my father bound me apprentice to a coasting vessel, and
let me go to sea.
For some years I was happy in visiting the seaports, and in coasting
along the shores of my native land. My Christian name was Ralph, and my
comrades added to this the name of Rover, in consequence of the passion
which I always evinced for travelling. Rover was not my real name, but
as I never received any other, I came at last to answer to it as
naturally as to my proper name; and as it is not a bad one, I see no
good reason why I should not introduce myself to the reader as Ralph
Rover. My shipmates were kind, good-natured fellows, and they and I got
on very well together. They did, indeed, very frequently make game of
and banter me, but not unkindly; and I overheard them sometimes saying
that Ralph Rover was a "queer, old-fashioned fellow.
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