The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1878-05-18
OUR STORY TELLER.
JOHN GROVES COURTSHIP.

WASH better barge on the river than
the Prudence, and if | was called the
same he was sure there would never be
a be ter girl.
Poor tatherl He was always very
fond of me, and my earliest remem-
brances are of sitting on the til'er and
and having a ride, when he stood there
of an evening steering the barge, with
the grea cinnamon-red sail filled up by
the wind, and the water foaming and
bubbling by us as we ran on up the
river toward the big city, where the
ships Law c'ose together in dock and
wharves emptying their loads or wait
ing 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 must tell
you that it's barge built with rounded
ends and low bulwarks, meant for carry
ing loads up rivers, but built al o to be
able to go out to sea a little while, run
ming along the COAST used to think
our barge, say, very very large ship,
till grew old enough to compare it with
those that passed us going up or down
the river, and then it used to seem to me
that itwould be wonderfully fine to go
ON board one of those great ships and 60
sailing away-far away-across tue
ocean, instead of just coasting along to
Sheerness and up to Midway, as we used
to go year after year, loaded down deep
in the water with pottery or hops, or
even bricks.
/ can't tell you how my child-life slip
ped away, living with mother and
father on board that barge, in little
bit of a cabin with tiny stove; all |
know is that / was very happy, and
that never hardly went ashore, and
when did l was frightened and wanted
to get back and at last seemed to have
grown all at once into great girl, and
father and were alone.
Yes, quite alone, for mother had left
us very suddenly, and we had been
ashore at Sheerness, father and l, and
came back from the funeral and were
sitting on the cabin hatch, before |
could believe it was anything but a ter
rible dream, and that | should not
wake and find that she was alive once
more, as blithe and CHEEKY as ever,
ready to take the tiller or pull at a
rope, the same as / did when father
wanted any help.
Father was changed man after that,
and as couple of years slipped by the
work on the barge fell more and more
into my hands, and l used to smile to
myself as | saw how big and red and
strong they had grown. For father
grew quiet and dull day by day, and
used to have stone bottle filled when
ever he went ashore, aud then sit with
it in the cabin all alone till called him
to come and help with the sail.
Not that | wanted much help, for
ours was only small barge, and once
started, with fair wind, | could man.
age her well enough; while when we
had to tack backwards and forwards
across the river mouth, l could always
lock the tiller by the rope that hung on
to the Delaying pin, and give it hitch
on this side or that side, till had taken
pull at the sheet and brought the barge
round on the other tack.
l must have passed half my life in
those days leaning back against that
tiller, with its end carved to look like a
great acorn, and the name of the old
barge, Prudence, cut deep in the side
There I'd stand looking out ahead as we
glided along over the smooth sea, pass
ing buoy here and light there, Civ
ing other barges and smacks wide
berth, and listening to the strange
squealing noise of the gulls as they
wheeled and lowered and swept by me-
SO closely sometimes that could almost
have touched them with my hand.
Our barge was well known all about
Of ri 70 H.
yond the bridge; and somehow, / don't
know how it was, the men on the differ
ent boats we passed had always a kind
hail or a wave of the hand for us, as we
glided by, if we were too far off for the
friendly shout to reach us.
Sometimes I'd run the barge pretty
close to the great ships and steamers, in
ward or outward bound, so as to look at
the ladies l saw on board; not that
cared to do so very often, because it
seemed to make me sad, for the faces |
looked on seemed to be so different to
mine that l felt as if was another kind
of being, and it used to set me wonder
ing and make me think; and at such
times I've leaned against the tiller and
dreamed and dreamed in waking fash
ion of how | would like to read and
write and work, as had seen ladies sit
ting and reading and working, on the
decks OF the big ships, under the avn
ing; and then | had to set my dreams
aside and have pull at the sheet or take
reef in the sail, because the wind fresh
ened and my dreams all passed away.
don't think poor father meant it I'M
kindly, but he seemed to grow more and
more broken and helpless every day !;
and this frightened me, and made me
work to keep the barge clean and ship
shape, less the owners should come on
board and see things slovenly and find
fault with father and dismiss him, and
that knew would break his heart. So
/ worked on, and in dull heavy way
father used to thank me; and the time
glided on, till one day, as we were lying
off Southend, with the sea CLASSY and
not wind enough to fill the sails, / felt
my cheeks begin to burn as ] leaned
back against the tiller, and would not
turn my head, because l could hear
boat being sculled along toward us, and
knew it was coming from the great lee
board barge lying astern.
He's coming to see father" / said to
myself at last in choking voice; and
as hail came was obliged to turn, and
there stood up in the little boat he was
sculling with an oar over the stern John
Grove, in his dark trousers, blue Jersey
and scarlet cap; and as l saw his sun
burnt face and brown arms and hands /