The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-15
THE DAILY STAR
PRUDENCE GRAY.


the Prudence, and if was called the
same he was sure there would never be
better girl.
Poor fatherl He was always very fond
of me, and my earliest remembrances are
of sitting on the tiller and having a 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 foaming and bubbling by us as we
ran up the river toward the big city,
where the ships lay close together in dock
and against the wharves, emptying their
loads or waiting for others before going
away across the seas.
l used to think our barge, which was
very small billy-boy, if you know
what that is-if you don't I must
tell you that its barge built
with rounded ends andd low bull
warks meant for carrying loads up rivers,
but built alse to be able to 60 out to sea
a little while, running along the coast-I
used to think our barge a, I say, very,
very large ship, till l grew old enough to
compare it with those that passed us 60
ing up or down the river, and then it
used to seem to me that it would be won
derfully fine to go on board one of those
great ships and go sailing away-far away
across the ocean, instead of just coast
ing along to Sheerness and up the Med
way, as we used to year after year, load
ing deep down in the water.
l can't tell you how my child-life
slipped away, living with mother and
father on board that barge, in little bit
of cabin, with tiny stove; all / know
is that | was very happy, and that I
never, hardly, went ashore, and when /
did was frightened and wanted to get
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 |, and came back
from the funeral and were sitting on the
cabin hatch before could believe it was
any thing but terrible dream, and that
should not wake and find that she was
alive once more, as blithe and cheerv as
ever, ready to take the tiller or a pull at
rope, the same as / did when father
wanted any help.
Father was changed man after that,
and as a couple of years slipped by the
work on the barge fell more and more
into my hands, and ] used to smile to
myself as i saw how big and strong they
had grown. For father grew quiet and
dull day by day, and used to have 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 small barge and once started,
with fair wind, could manage her we'll
enough; while when we had to tack back
wards and forwards across the river
mouth, | could always lock the tiler by
the rope that hung on to the Delaying
pin, and give it hitch on this side OF
that side, till | had taken pull at the
sheet and brought the barge round on the
other tack.
/ must have passed half of 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, passing buoy
here and light there, giving other barges
and smacks wide berth, and listening
to the strange squealing noise of the gulls
as they wheeled and hoyered and swept
by me, so closely sometimes that | could
almost have touched them with my hand.
Our barge was well known all about the
mouth of the river and far up beyond the
bridge; and somehow, | don't know how
it was the men on the different boats we
past had always kind hail or wave of
the hand for us, as we glided by, if we
we're too far of for the friendly shout to
reach us.
Sometimes I'd run the barge pretty
close to the great ships and steamers, in
ward and 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 / looked on
seemed to be so different to mine that /
felt as if was another kind of being, and
it used to set me wandering and make
me think; and at such times I have leaned
against the tiIler and dreamed and
dreamed in waking fashion of how /
would like to read and write and work,
as had seen ladies sitting and reading
and working on the decks of the big
ships under the awnings; and then | had
10 set my dreams aside and have pull at
the sheat or take reef in the sail, be-
cause the wind freshened, and my dreams
all passed away.
don't think poor father meant it un,
indy, but he seemed to grow more and
:,ore broken and helpless every day; and
chis frightened me, and made me work to
keep the barge clean and ship-shape, lest
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 gIidcd 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
n