Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1878-10-17
PRUDENCE GRAY.

| N
That's my name, for father said
there want better barge on the
river than the Prudence, and if l
was called the same he was sure
there would never be better girl.
Poor father He was always
very fond of me, and my earliest
rememberances are of sitting on the
| tiller and having tide, when he
stood there of an evening steering
the barge, with the great cinnamon.
red sail filled out by the wind, ard
the wafer toaming and bnbbling by
us as we ran up the river towards
the big city, where the ships lay
close together il dock and against
the wharves, empting their loads or
waiting for others before going away
across the seas.
used to think our barge, which
was very small billy-boy, if you
know what that is-if you don't, l
must tell you that it barge built
with rounded ends and low bull
warks, meant for carrying loads up
rivers, but bull. also 10 be able TO
90 ont to sea little willie, running
along the coast used to think
our barge, l say, very, very large
ship, till [ grew old enough to com.
pare 1t with those that passed us
going NIB or down the river, and
then it used TO see,h To me that it
would be wonderfully tine to go on
board one OF those great ships ard
go sailing away far away-across
the ocean, Instead Of just Uoastiiis
along to Sheerness, and up the
Medway, as we used to go year af-
ter ear, loaded deep down in the
water, with pottery, or hops, or
even bricks.
can't tell you how my child
life slipped away, living with moth
er and father on that barge in a lit
tie bit of cabin with tiny stove ;
all [ know is that | was very hap
py, and that | never hardly went
ashore, and when did was fright
cned and wanted to get back !; and
at last | seemed to have grown all
at once into a great girl, and father
and | were alone.
Yes, quite alone; fer mother had
left us very Suddenly, and we had
been ashore AT Sheerness, father
and l, and had come back from til,
funeral, and were sitting on the
cabin-batch before | could believe
it was anything but terrible
dream, and that I should not Hake
and find that she was alive once
more, as blithe and CHEEKY as ever
ready to take the tiller or pull a
the rope, the same as I did whe1
father wanted any help.
Father was changed man afte
; that, and as couple of years slip
ped by, the work on the barge tel
+, more and more into my lands; an,
I. | used 20 sn1ile to myself as l say
how big and red and strong the
: had grown. For father grew quie
ard dull day by day, and nseo t
have a-stone bottle filled wheneve
he went ashore and then sit with
|. in the cabin all alone till | calle
\ him to come and help me with tn
r sail.
J; Not that I wahted much hell
te for ours was only small barg
err and once started, with tair win,
e; | could manage her well enough
b. while when VIE had to tack back
wards and forwards across the ti>
er-moath ! could always luck u
tiller 10y the rope that hung on
the bclayihg-Pfb, and give 1t
;, hitch on this or that side; till | hi
IS, taken pull at the sheet and hroug
ee the barge round on the other iacl
-. | must have passed half my i
al, in those dave leaning back agar
the tiller; with its end carved
nj look like great acorn, and t
name of the old barge, Prndth,
. cut deep in the side There
stand looking out ahead as we 9
! ded along over the smooth s
6. passing a bnoy here and a II.
= there, giving other barges a
. smacks wide berth, and listeni
aeey. aae.y to the strange sqnealing noise