The Princeton union., 1880-02-11
more broken and helpless everyday: and
this frightened me, and made me work

more broken and helpless everyday: and
this 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 I
know would break bis 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, l felt my cheeks begin
to burn as I leaned back against the till
er and would not turn my head because
| could hear a boat being sculled along
toward us, and knew it was coming
from the great leeboard lying astern. :
"He's coming to see father" said to
myself at lastin choking voice; and as
a 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 trewsers, blue Jersey
and scarlet cap, and as saw his sun
burnt face and brown arms and hands,
felt my heart beating fast, and knew he
was not coming to see father bat to see
me.
"We had hardly ever spoken, but had
known John Grove fo1 years now, and
we have nodded and waved to one another
often as we had passed up and down the
river. E
| "Heave us a rope, my lass" he SAID, as
he came close in; and did it dreaming
| ly, and as soon as I had done so began
to pull it back, but it was too late; he
had hitched it around the thwart of his
boat. and was up over the side before
could STIR; and be stood looking down
upon me, while felt sometimes hot and
sometimes cold, and as if I could not
speak.
"Do you want to see fathers" said at
last.
mo, my lass" he said quietly, 81 want
| to see YOU
"Me' faltered, with, my face burn
ing.
''Yes, you, my lass" he said; and his
handsome brown face lit up, and he
looked SO manly as he laid his hand on
my arm.
'Prudence, my gal,' he said, 'we're
| both young yet, for / m not SIX and twen
| ty, but I thought it was time 1 spoke to
you.
"Spoke to me2" I said, with my face
burning still.
Eyes, my lass, spoke to you, for we've
been courting now a matter Of four
years"
"Oh, John," I cried, bursting out
laughing and feeling more at my ease,
''#hy-why, we've hardly spoken to one
another
''That's NICE" he replied, drawing a
| long breath. "Call me John over again. -
"Well then, John," cried hastily.
"That's right; Prudence; but as was
going to say, not spoken to one another
Well now, how could we, always taking
turns at the tiller as we were2 But ali
the same my lass, I've been always
accounting of you, night and day, these
four years, and looking out and longing
for the time to come when the Prudence
would glide in sight and I could give
you hail and get wave OF the hand
| back"
could feel the color coming into nv
cheeks again as heard him speak, and
! knew then how anxiously I had looked
out for his barge coming up or down the
river; and then began to wonder what IT
all meant, and soon knew.
"Prudence, my lass" he said, "I've
saved ten ponnds, all my own, and our
owner has just given me command of a
new barge, with as pretty cabin in it as
you'd wish to see; and so, my lass, I
thought I'd ask you ifso be as now we've
been courting four years., you wouldn t
come to me and be my wife"
"Nor I said, NO., AMI shook nv
head; II belong to father, and I could
never leave him-never."
| "But you'll have to some day, Pru-
dence," he said, looking down-hearted
and miserable.
"No,''I said, II shall never leave HIM
he wants me more and more every day
and must stay.
prudence" he said, sharply, "you
amt playing with me, are you?''
"Playing with you2''
Yes; I mean you amt going to take up
with any one else, and 60 aboard any
other barge-ne, no. he cried, II won't
be so mean as to ask you that. But, Pru-
dence, dear, some day you may have to
leave him; and when you do, will you re-
collect as John Grove loves you better
than aught else in the wide world and is
waiting tor you to Gomez
eyes, john said simply.
"You mean it, Prudence2', he cried III
delight as he caught my hand.
Yes, John; I don't know anybody else
and there's no one as cares for me.'
Hundreds on the river, he said sharp
ly. ...
"Then don't care for them, john" I
said simply; "and If you like me, and
ever do-leave-oh, dear what am I
sayings ... ,..
| sat down on fender and covered
my face with coarse red hands, and be-
gan to cry; but he took my hands down.
and looked long and lovingly in my face,
with his great honest brown eyes; and
then he couldn't speak, but seemed to
choke. At last he gasped out:
''Thanky Prudence, thanky. I'm 60
ing away now to wait, for you'll come to
me some day, know" ~E
| I didn't answer him.
''For the time may come, my lass,
when you'll be all alone in the world
and when it does come, there's the cabin
cf the Betsey Ann, clean painted up, and
waiting for you, just as her master s
| ouoit;no %oO .....-