The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1899-04-27


l their son. Brixton
" then was not what
Brixton is now; there was more country
about, more fields and trees, though
there are pretty bits to be found there
today, il you search for them. The old
cottage stands there still, mellowed by
age, and prettier by contrast with its
newer fellows that have grown round
about it; but Beecroft, Mariners,
CHEEKY "Yo, heave, hov is no longer
heard within or without its walls. For
a sufficient reason: he rests in another
kind OF habitation. His bones lie at
the bottom of the Atlantic. But L,
Amos Beecroft, live there at this day,
surrounded by memorials OF Beecroft,
Mariners, love.
Now, il you want me to describe our
cottage, and to describe II briefly, / can
dc so in one word: Shells. 1t seemed
to be built almost entirely Of shells;
they met you whichever way you
turned, whichever way you looked.
About the mantelpiece, on the walls,
in the center of the ceiling Qrom which
sometimes one would drop down with
bang), in frames, under glass shades,
and skirting my mothers work-box
and the looking-glass in her bedroom.
Even the tiny plot of ground in front
OF our cottage-the little plot of garden
that was cut off from the footpath by
IN
wooden gate-even that was decorated
with them. The shells that met your
eye in every corner Of the cottage had
been gathered north, south, cast, and
west of the globe; and, so that there
west, Of the globe; and, so that there
should be no mistake as to whose resi-
dence it was, "Beecroft, Mariner" was
woven outside in shells from various
shores, directly above the low window
which looked into our little front par
Tor. 1t may be well understood, there
fore, that Beecroft, Mariners, cottage
was pretty we'll known round about. 1t
served, indeed, as kind of landmark
in the neighborhood, and my father, as
understand. was looked upon as a
character. Not by any means as an
Objectionable character, for everybody
had smile for him, for the simple
reason, / expect, that he himself had
a smile and good word for everybody.
1t was my greatest delight, as young
ster, to walk by his side through the
Brixton streets, with my little hand
In his big one, and to initiate his walk,
the roll Of his body, and the very ex-
preston on his face, to let the people
know that was Beecroft, Mariners,
son. His shells were my delight as
boy; and on some Of the few evenings
In the year he spent at home with us.
he would take me between his knees,
and tell me stories Of the sea in con-
nection with these pets Of his.
"YoH, see. my son." he said-he al
ways addressed me thus, and OCCASION
ally my mother took after him-"you
see. my son. when am away your
mother can't help but think Of me.
And why? Because of these shells.
She puts one OF 'em to her ear, and she
says, Now I'm on the sea with Bee
croft, Mariner, the father OF my boy
She follows me about to different
have different voices. They tell you
almost everything about the sea you'd
like to know. Listen to this" and he
put shell to my ear. Cant you hear
a storm brewing? And here's the wind
bowling through a pitch-black night
and here's mermaid singing; and
here's the soft Tapping Of the sails as
we lay becalmed, praying for breeze;
and here-shut your eyes, my son
here we are surrounded by great white
ghosts-icebergs, my son, with sea-
voices all about U.S."
lisened in kind OF rapture to such
utterances as these, and saw and heard
in the shells all that my father de-
scribed with rough and eloquent
tongue. II he could have found and
brought home shell large enough for
us all to live in, believe he would
have been the happiest man alive.
Sitting at home with us one evening,
he said, half in jest, half In earnest,
Il should like to be buried in a she'll
coffin, In a grave lined with shells"
Now, 1t was a circumstance to be
superstiuously remembered In after
days, that, as he uttered these words
In the little parlor at Brixton, shell
fell from the ceiling and grazed his
hand.