m, which rose almost up
to his knees. Rollo was frightened. He started to run; but so much water
confused and embarrassed him. He staggered.

"Stand still, Rollo," said his father.

Rollo then stood still; but by this time the water was receding, and his
eyes fell upon his two shoes, which had been taken up by the wave, and
were now running rapidly down from the shore, each loaded with its
stocking. Rollo ran to seize them, and had just time to get them before
the next wave advanced and was ready to dash over them. He ran up upon
the sand, and put his shoes several yards from the highest place that
the water had come to.

"There," said he, looking back at the waves, "now get my shoes if you
can!" The waves said nothing, but went on breaking and then retreating,
just as before.

Rollo then went to where Mary and Lucy were, and began to collect
shells. They found quite a number of different kinds, all along the
shore. Some were large and coarse,--broken and worn by the water. Some
were so thin and delicate that he had to wrap them up carefully in a
paper, and put them into his waistcoat pocket, in order to get them home
safely. The children found several other curiosities besides shells.
They collected pebbles, and specimens of sand, of different colors. Mary
found an old iron spike, perhaps part of a vessel, with the sand and
gravel concreted around it. It looked like stone growing upon iron.
Rollo also found a small piece of wood, battered and worn by the
long-continued action of the waves, and he thought it was very curious
indeed. In fine, the children filled their baskets with wonders, and,
after about three quarters of an hour, they set out on their return
home. When Rollo went to get his shoes, he found the water almost up to
them. If he had staid away a little longer, they would have been washed
away again. The truth was, the tide was rising.

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