Bessie at the Sea-Side

by Joanna H. Mathews

  II.

  OLD FRIENDS AND NEW.

  After breakfast they went out again. Mr. Bradford and his little girlswere standing in the porch waiting for mamma who was going with them,when Mr. Jones came up from the shore. He had been fishing, and lookedrather rough and dirty, but he had a pleasant, good-natured face.

  "Mornin' sir," he said to Mr. Bradford; "folks pretty spry?"

  "Pretty well, thank you," said Mr. Bradford; "you have been out earlythis morning."

  "Yes, I'm generally stirrin' round pretty early; been out since aforeday-light. S'pose these are your little girls. How are you, MissBradford?" he said, holding out his hand.

  But shy Maggie hung her head and drew a little away behind her father.

  "Why, Maggie," said Mr. Bradford, "you are not polite; shake handswith Mr. Jones, my daughter."

  "Not if she hain't a mind to," said Mr. Jones. "I see she's a bashfulpuss, but she'll feel better acquainted one of these days."

  "Yes, she will;" said Bessie, "and then she won't be shy with you; butI'm not shy now, and I'll shake hands with you."

  Mr. Jones took the tiny little hand she offered him with a smile.

  "No, I see you ain't shy, and I don't want you to be; you, nor yoursister neither. Goin' down to the shore, eh?"

  "Yes, when mamma comes," said Bessie.

  "Well, you see that big barn out there; when you come back you bothcome out there. You'll find me inside, and I'll show you something willsoon cure all shyness; that is, if you like it as much as most youngfolks do."

  "What is it?" asked Bessie.

  "It's a scup."

  "Will it bite?" said Bessie.

  "Bite! Don't you know what a scup is?"

  "She knows it by the name of a swing," said Mr. Bradford.

  "Oh, yes! I know a swing; and I like it too. We'll come, Mr. Jones."

  "Is it quite safe for them?" asked Mr. Bradford.

  "Quite safe, sir. I put it up last Summer for some little people whowere staying here; and Sam, he's my eldest son, he made a seat withback and arms, and a rung along the front to keep them in,--a fall onthe barn floor wouldn't feel good, that's a fact; but it's as safe asstrong ropes and good work can make it. I'll take care they don't getinto no mischief with it; but come along with the little ones and seefor yourself." And then with a nod to Maggie, who was peeping at himout of the corners of her eyes, Mr. Jones took up his basket of fishand walked away to the kitchen.

  "Bessie," said Maggie, as they went down to the beach, "do you likethat man?"

  "Yes, I do," said Bessie; "don't you?"

  "No, not much. But, Bessie, did you hear what he called me?"

  "No," said Bessie, "I did not hear him call you anything."

  "He called me Miss Bradford," said Maggie, holding up her head andlooking very grand.

  "Well," said Bessie, "I suppose he was mad because you wouldn't shakehands with him."

  "No," said Maggie, "it was before that; he said, 'how do you do, MissBradford;' and, Bessie, I like to be called Miss Bradford; and I guessI'll like him because he did it, even if he _does_ smell of fish. Ithink he only wanted to be _respectable_ to me."

  They found a good many people upon the beach now, and among them weresome ladies and gentlemen whom Mr. and Mrs. Bradford knew, and whilethey stopped to speak to them, Maggie and Bessie wandered off a littleway, picking up shells and sea-weed and putting them into a basketwhich their mother had given them.

  Presently a boy and girl came up to them. They were the children of oneof the ladies who was talking to Mrs. Bradford, and their mother hadsent them to make acquaintance with Maggie and Bessie.

  "What's your name," said the boy, coming right up to Maggie. Maggielooked at him without speaking, and, putting both hands behind her,began slowly backing away from him.

  "I say," said the boy, "what's your name? My mother sent us to makefriends with you; but we can't do it, if you won't tell us what yourname is."

  "Her name is Miss Bradford," said Bessie, who wanted to please hersister, and who herself thought it rather fine for Maggie to be calledMiss Bradford.

  "Oh! and you're another Miss Bradford, I suppose," said the boy,laughing.

  "Why! so I am," said Bessie; "I didn't think about that before. Maggiewe're two Miss Bradfords."

  "Well, two Miss Bradfords, I hope we find you pretty well this morning.My name is Mr. Stone, and my sister's is Miss Stone."

  "'Tain't," said the little girl, crossly, "it's nothing but Mary."

  "Sure enough," said her brother; "she's just Miss Mary, quite contrary;whatever you say, she'll say just the other thing; that's her way."

  "Now, Walter, you stop," said Mary in a whining, fretful voice.

  "Now, Mamie, you stop," mimicked her brother.

  "I think we wont be acquainted with you," said Bessie. "I am afraid youare not very good children."

  "What makes you think so," asked Walter.

  "'Cause you quarrel," said Bessie; "good children don't quarrel, andJesus won't love you if you do."

  "What a funny little tot you are," said Walter. "I won't quarrel withyou, but Mamie is so cross I can't help quarrelling with her. I likegirls, and I want to play with you, and your sister, too, if she'llspeak. I have a splendid wagon up at the hotel and I'll bring it andgive you a first-rate ride if you like. Come, let us make friends, andtell me your first name, Miss Bradford, No. 2."

  "It's Bessie, and my sister's is Maggie."

  "And don't you and Maggie ever quarrel?"

  "Why, no," said Maggie, coming out of her shy fit when she heard this,"Bessie is my own little sister."

  "Well, and Mamie is my own sister, and you see we quarrel for all that.But never mind that now. I'll go for my wagon and give you a ride; willyou like it?"

  "I will," said Bessie.

  In a few minutes Walter came back with his wagon. Maggie and Bessiethought he was quite right when he called it splendid. They told himit was the prettiest wagon they had ever seen. He said he would giveBessie the first ride, and he lifted her in and told Maggie and Mamieto push behind.

  "I sha'n't," said Mamie; "I want a ride, too; there's plenty of room,Bessie's so little."

  "No, it will make it too heavy," said Walter. "You shall ride when yourturn comes."

  Mamie began to cry, and Bessie said she would get out and let her ridefirst; but Walter said she should not.

  "There comes Tom," said Mamie; "he'll help you pull."

  The children looked around, and there was a boy rather larger thanWalter coming towards them.

  "Why, it's Tom Norris!" said Maggie; "do you know him?"

  And sure enough it was their own Tom Norris, whom they loved so much.He ran up to them and kissed Maggie and Bessie, as if he were very gladto see them.

  "Why, Tom," said Bessie, "I didn't know you came here."

  "I came night before last, with father," said Tom. "We came to takerooms at the hotel, and I wanted to stay; so father left me with Mrs.Stone, and he has gone home for mother and Lily, and the whole lot andscot of them; they're all coming to-morrow."

  "Oh! I am so glad," said Maggie.

  "Tom! can't I ride?" asked Mamie.

  "You must ask Walter," said Tom; "the wagon is his; what are you cryingabout, Mamie?"

  Walter told what the trouble was.

  "Come, now, Mamie, be good, and you shall ride with Bessie, and I willhelp Walter pull." Mamie was put into the seat by Bessie, and then Tomsaid they must find room for Maggie, too. So he made her sit on thebottom of the wagon, and off they started. Of course they were crowded,but the two children who were good-natured did not mind that at all,and would have been quite happy had it not been for Mamie. She frettedand complained so much that at last the boys were out of patience andtook her out of the wagon.

  "You see," said Walter, as the cross, selfish child went off screamingto her mother, "Mamie is the only girl, and the youngest, and she hasbeen so spoiled there is no living with her."

  They were all happier when she
had gone, and had a nice long playtogether.

  Tom Norris was twelve years old, but he did not think himself too largeto play with or amuse such little girls as Maggie and Bessie, who wereonly seven and five; and as he was always kind and good to them, theyloved him dearly. Grown people liked him too, and said he was a perfectlittle gentleman. But Tom was better than that, for he was a trueChristian; and it was this which made him so kind and polite to everyone.

  When Mr. Bradford came to call his little girls to go home, he foundthem telling Tom and Walter about the swing which Mr. Jones hadpromised them, and he invited the boys to go with them and see it. Sothey all went back together.

  When they reached home Mr. Bradford told them they might go on tothe barn while he went into the house for a few minutes. The greatbarn-doors were open, and Mr. Jones and his son, Sam, were busy inside.Just outside the door sat Mrs. Jones with a pan full of currants inher lap which she was stringing. There was a sheep skin on the groundbeside her, and on it sat her fat baby, Susie. Two kittens were playingon the grass a little way off, and Susie wanted to catch them. Shewould roll herself over on her hands and knees, and creep to the edgeof her sheep skin, but just as she reached it her mother's hand wouldtake her by the waist and lift her back to the place from which shestarted. Susie would sit still for a moment, as if she was very muchastonished, and then try again, always to be pulled back to the oldspot. But when she saw Maggie and Bessie she forgot the kittens and satquite still with her thumb in her mouth staring at them with her greatblue eyes.

  "Mr. Jones," said Bessie, "these are our friends. One is an old friend,and his name is Tom; and one is a new friend, and his name is Walter.They have come to see that thing you don't call a swing."

  "They're both welcome if they're friends of yours," said Mr. Jones."I'll show you the scup in a few minutes, as soon as I finish this jobI'm about."

  "Mrs. Jones," said Bessie, "is that your baby?"

  "Yes," said Mrs. Jones, "what do you think of her?"

  "I think she is fat," answered Bessie. "May we help you do that, Mrs.Jones?"

  "I'm afraid you'll stain your frocks, and what would your ma say then?"

  "She'd say you oughtn't to let us do it."

  "Just so," said Mrs. Jones. "No, I can't let you help me, but I'll tellyou what I'll do. I am going to make pies out of these currants andI'll make you each a turnover; sha'n't you like that?"

  "What is a turnover," asked Maggie.

  "Don't you know what a turnover is? You wait and see; you'll like 'emwhen you find out. You can play with Susie if you've a mind to."

  But Susie would not play, she only sat and stared at the children, andsucked her thumb. Pretty soon papa came, and when Mr. Jones was readythey all went into the barn.

  The swing was fastened up to a hook in the wall, but Mr. Jones soon hadit down; and Mr. Bradford tried it and found it quite safe and strong.The seat was large enough to hold both the little girls, if they satpretty close, so they were both put into it, and papa gave them a fineswing. Then the boys took their turn; and Mr. Jones told them theymight come and swing as often as they liked.