Haste and Waste; Or, the Young Pilot of Lake Champlain. A Story for Young PeopleOptic, Oliver
General
Haste and Waste; Or, the Young Pilot of Lake Champlain. A Story for Young People
Optic, Oliver
Steamboats -- Juvenile fiction
Lawry gave one of these berths to the first fireman, and
appropriated the other to the use of the second and the two deck-hands.
The second boy was gaping fearfully on the forward deck, and
was quite delighted when the captain told him he might turn in. On
the starboard side of the steamer, forward of the wheels, were two
very cunning little staterooms, the corresponding space on the port
side being occupied by the kitchen and storerooms. One of these was
for the engineer, and the other for the captain. Abaft the wheels, on
each side, was a small stateroom, one of which had been designed for
the captain. Both of these rooms had been appropriated to the cook
and the two waiter girls. Mrs. Light, in the apartment of the
commander, was quite delighted with her accommodations; but Mr.
Sherwood declared that she deserved a princely couch for the good
dinner she had served that day.
The two staterooms to be occupied by the passengers were taken out
of the space that would otherwise have been park of the saloon, and
were entered by doors on each side of the passageway leading to it.
They were beautiful little rooms, though ladies in full crinoline
might have been somewhat perplexed at their contracted dimensions.
They were elegantly furnished, and Miss Fanny declared that her room
made her think of the fairy palaces for little people, of which she
had read in her childhood. There were twelve berths in the lower
cabin, but these were not needed.
Having disposed of his crew for the night, Lawry returned to the
wheel-house, where he was soon joined by his passengers, who spent an
hour with him before they retired. At half-past ten they went to
their rooms, and Lawry was alone. Not a sound was to be heard except
the monotonous clang of the engine, and the lake was as silent in the
gloom as though the shadow of death was upon it. There was a
solemnity in the scene which impressed the young pilot, even
accustomed as he was to the night and the silence. He was worn out by
the labors and the excitement of the day, but he could not resist the
inspiration which came from the quiet waters and the gloomy shores.
The _Woodville_ sped on her way, and at midnight she was
approaching the steamboat wharf at Burlington. Lawry rang to "slow
down," and informed Ethan that the boat was close to the wharf. The
"fires were drawn," and in a few moments more the steamer was made
fast to the wharf. After satisfying himself that everything was
secure on board, the exhausted pilot went to his stateroom, and was
soon fast asleep. Ethan followed him, after instructing the first
fireman to get up steam early in the morning.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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