Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-10-03
PRTDENCE GRAY.

pPT-DEVCE IP1y
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lint my haule' lot lA'her h"lu tntre
wasn't better bargain on the river than the
Prudence, and if l was called the same he
was sure there would never be "A better girl.
Poor father He was always very fond of
me, and my earliest rememOrances are of sit
ting on the tiller and having ride. when he
stood there of an evening steering the barge.
with the great cinnamon.red sail filed out by
the wind and the water foaming and bub-
bling by us as we ran mn the river toward the
big city. where shius Law close together in
dock and against the wharyes. emptyinp their
londs or waiting for others before going away
across the sons
used to think our barge. which WIS n very
small billv-bov. if Won know what that is-if
Won don't | must tell Won TINT it's n barge
built with rounded ends and low bulwarks
meant for carving loads up rivers but built
also to be able to 20 out to sea a little while,
running along the coast-I used to think our
barge, say, very, very large ship, till I
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 it would
be wonder rfully fine to 20 on board one of
those great ships and 90 sailing away-far
away-across the ocean, instead of lust coast
ing along to Sheerness and up the Midway.
as we used to 20 year after year, loaded deep
down in the water with pottery or hops or
even bricks.
I can't tell YOU how my child life slipped
away, living with father and mother on board
that barge in little bit of IL cabin with
tiny stove all l know is that | was very
happy, and that | never hardly went ashore,
and when did was frightened and wanted
to get back and at last | seemed to have
grown at once into great girl. and father
ard 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 l could believe it was anything
but terrible dream aud that should not
wake and find that she was alive once more
as blithe and CHEEKY as ever, ready to take
the tiler or pull at rope, the same as
did when father wanted any help.
Father was changed man after that and
as a couple of wears siippedby the work on the
barge fell more and more into my hands, and
I used to smile to myself as saw how big
and red and strong they had grown. For
father grew quiet and duh day by day, and
used to have stone bottle filed 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 a
fair wind. l could manage her well enough :
while when we had to tack backwards and
forwards across the river mouth, could al
vovs loci, the filler by the rome that hung on
10 the behaving pin. and give it n hitch on
This side or that till | had taken a 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 q great acorn, and
the name of the old barge, Prudence, cut
deep in the side. There Id stand looking
out ahead as we glided along over the smooth
sea, passing buoy here and light there,
giving other barges and smacks a wide berth,
and listening to the strange squealing noise
of the gulls as they wheeled and hovered and
swept by me, 30 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, l don't know how it
was, the men on the different boats we passed
had always a kind hail or a 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, inward OF
outward bound, so hh 10 LOOK NJ lht lhules
saw on board; not that cared to do so very
often, because it seemed to make me sad, foI
the faces | looked on seemed to be so differ
ent TO mine that felt as if l was another kind
of being, and it used to set me wondering and
| make me think and at such times I've leaned
against the tiller and dreamed and dreamed
in a waking fashion of how l would like to
read and write and work, as had seen la
dies sitting and reading and working, on the
decks of the big ships, under the awning +;
and then 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 passed away
don't think poor father meant it unkind,
" but he seemed to grow more and more
Lroken and HELPLESS every day; and thil
friobtened me. and made me work to keep
tbe barge clean and ship-shape. lest the own,
ers sho1ld come on board and see things
siovenIv and find fault with father and dis
miss him. and that knew would break his
heart So worked on. and in dull heavy
way father used to thank me and the time
Dlided on. till one day, as we were lying of
Southend, with the sea CLASSY and not wind