Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-04-07
PRUDENCE GRdY.
An Ensli III Girl,s story.

wasn't a better barge on the river than the
Prudence, and if I was called the same
he was sure there would be no better
girl.
Poor father! lie was always very fond
of me, and my earliest remembrances are
of sitting on the filler and having ride,
when he stood there of an evening steer
ing the barge, with the great cinnamon
red sail filled out by the wind, and the
water toaming and bubbling by us as we
ran on up the river towards the big city,
weere the ships lay close together in
dock and against the wharves, emptylng
their loads or waiting for others before
going away across the seas.
I used to think our barge, which was a
very small billy-boy, if you know what
that is--if you don't, I must tell you
that it's a barge built with rounded ends
and low bulwarks, meant for carrying
loads up rivers, but built also to be able
to 90 out to sea little while running
along the COAST used to think our
barge, say, a very, very large ship, till
1 grew old enough to compare it with
those that passed US going up or down
the riAer, and then it used to seem to me
that it would be wonderfully fine to go
on board one Of those great ships and go
sailing away-far away-across the ocean,
instead of just coasting along to Sheer
ness, and up the Midway, as we used to
go year after year, loaded deep down in
the water, whit pottery, or hops, or even
bricks.
1 can't tell you how my child-]ife slip
ped away, living with mother and father
on board that barge, in little bit of a
cabin with a tiny stove; all l know
is that was very happy. and that never
hardly went ashore, and when did l
was frightened and wanted to go back;
and at last seemed to have grown all at
once into great girl, and father and l
were alone.
Yes, quite alone, for mother had left us
very suddenly, and we had been ashore
at Sheerness, father and I, and came back
from the funeral, and were sitting on the
cabin-hatch, before I could believe it was
any thing but a terrible dream, and that
l 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 want
ed any help.
Father was changed man after that,
and as couple of years slipped by, the
work on the barge fell more and more in
to my hands, and used to smile to my
self as I saw how big and red and strong
they had grown. For father grew quiet
and dull day by day, and used to have q
stone bottle filled whenever he went
ashore, and 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 a small barge, and once started,
with fair wind, could manage her
we'll enough; while when we had to tack
backwards and forwards across the river
mouth, 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
must have passed half my life in those
days leaning back against that tiller, with
its end carved to look like great acorn
and the name of the old barge, Prudence,
cut deep in the side. There I'd stand
looking out mead as we glided along
over the smooth sea, passing buoy here
and light there, giving other barges and
smacks 6. 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 l could al
most have touched them with my hand.
Our barge was we'll known about the
mouth of the river, and far up beyond the
bridge; and somehow, don't know how
1t was, the men on the different boats we
passed had always kind hail, or 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 saw on board; not that cared
to do so very often, because it seemed to
make me sad, for the faces I looked on
seemed to be so different to mine that
felt as if was another kind of being, and
1t used to set me wondering and make me
think; and at such times I've leaned
against the tiller, and dreamed and dream
ed in waking fashion of how would
like to read and write and work, as had
seen ladies sitting and reading and work
ing, On the decks Of the big ships, under
the awning; and then I had to set my
dreams aside and have pull at the sheet,
Or take reef in the sail, because the
wind freshened, and my dreams all pass
ed away
don't think poor father meant it un-
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 shipshape,
lest the owners should come on board
and see things slovenly, and find fault
with father and dismiss him, and that I
knew would break his heart. So worked
on, and in dull heavy way father used
to thank me; and the time glded 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 |
could hear boat being sculled along
towards us, and I knew it was coming
from the great leeboard barge lying
astern.
"He's coming to see fatller,' said to
myself at last in a. chnkino voico. ord 90