en it
thundered by the jar he could feel. Everybody was kind to Freddy. Dotty
Dimple, with all her faults, was never known to be impatient with the
poor boy.

The children reached the sea-shore, which _was_ somewhere "near the
water," though Dotty had assured Prudy to the contrary. Shell-gathering
is more exciting work than picking strawberries in the country; for
strawberries are all very much alike, whereas shells present some
variety.

But in this instance it was very dull business, for the reason that
there were no shells to be found. They had all become weary of groping
about in the sand, when Johnny looked at the bay, and observed a boy
coming towards them, rowing a boat.

"Hilloa, there!" shouted the boy.

"Hilloa!" responded Johnny. "If that isn't Sol Rosenberg!" (This was
Mandoline's brother.) "Where you going, Sol?"

"Nowhere particular. Get in and go too?"

"Yes," said Johnny, "Fred Jackson and I. Fred can steer as straight's a
needle. I'll paddle, you know."

"Girls too," added Solomon, gallantly.

With one accord the children walked eagerly towards the boat, which, by
this time, Solomon had moored against the beach. All but Dotty.

"Are you old enough, Solly Rosenberg, old enough and know enough not to
drown us all to pieces?"

Young Solomon laughed.

"If I can't manage a small concern like this!"

"But four, and one more, make _five_, Solly!"

"You don't say so! Well, I could carry sixteen, if they were all such
little snips as you are!"

"Dot Parlin thinks she weighs as much as two tons," said Johnny, in an
irritating tone.

"I'm dreadful 'fraid," murmured the little Jewess, shaking the wayward
hair out of her magnificent eyes; "but I'll go if you will, Dotty
Dimple."

Dotty shoved her feet into the sand and reflected.

"My mamma is afraid of the water; but then she was upset in a scursion,
and that's why she's afraid."

"What kind of thing is a _scursion_?" asked Johnny.

"A Sabbath school picnic. And she wasn't upset either, only she 'xpected
to be."

"Come on!" called Solly. "All aboard!"

"But my mamma said it wasn't safe!"

"No, she didn't. She never saw this boat; she doesn't know whether it's
safe or not."

"Doesn't it leak a single speck, Solly Rosenberg? It looks wet."

"Pshaw! That's where the waves come in; it's as tight as the bark to a
tree."

Dotty was becoming very eager to go. It sometimes did seem, when she
really wished to do any particular thing, that