Year: 1878

Ilat my name, 1Of tather SAID t1ere
wasn't better barge on the river than
the Prudence, and if 1 was called the
same he was sure there would never be
better girl.


Poor father! He was always very
fond of me, and my earliest remem-
brances are of sitting on the tiller and
having ride, when he stood there of an
evening steering the barge, with the
great cinnamon. red sail filled out by the
wind, and the water foaming and bub-
bling by us as we ran on 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.


used to think our barge, which was
very small billy-boy, if you know what
that is-if yon don't must tell you that
it's barge built with rounded ends and
low bulwarks, meant for carrying loads
up rivers, but built also to be able to go
out to sea o little while, running along
the coast used to think our barge, I
say, q 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 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
Sheerness and up the Medway, as we
used to go year after year. loaded deep
down in the water with pottery or hops,
or even bricks.


l can't tell you how my child-life
slipped away, living with mother and
father on board that barge, in a little
bit of a cabin with tiny stove all I
know is that was very happy, and that
never hardly went ashore, and when I
did / was frightened and wanted to get
back and at last I seemed to have
grown all at once into great girl, and
father and we're alone.


Yes, quite alone, for mother had left
us very suddenly, and we have been
ashore at Sheerness, father and I, and
came back from the funeral and were
sitting on the cabin hatch, before l
could believe it was anything but ter
rible dream, and that 1 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 rope, the
sama as l 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 I used to smile to
myself as l saw how big and red and
strong they had grown. For father
grew quiet and dull day by day, and
used to have stone bottle filled when
ever he went ashore, and then sit with
it in the cabin all alone till I called him
to come and help with the sail.


Not that wanted much help, for ours
was only small barge, and once start
ed, with a fair wind, I could manage her
well enough /; while when we had to tack
backwards and forwards across the river
mouth, I could always lock the tiller by
the rope that hung on 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.


I must have passed half my life in
those days leaning back against that
tiller, with it's end carved to look like q
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 lowered 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 ND be.
yond the bridge; and somehow, don't
know how it was, the men on the differ
ent boats we paased had always q kind
hail or wave of the hand for us, as we
glided by, if we were too far off for
kindly shout to reach us.


Sometimes I'd run the barge pretty
close to the great ships and steamers,
inward or outward bound, so as to look
at the ladies I 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 I 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 dream
ed and dreamed in O waking fashion of
how l would like to read and write
and work, as I had seen ladies sitting
and reading and working, on the decks
OF the big ships, under the awning; and
then l had to set my dreams aside and