A traveller, as he journey'd by, God, in His wise and bounteous love, LEIGH PAGE. MINNIE BRAND'S BEACON. A TALE OF THE CORNISH COAST. BY MRS. GEORGE CUPPLES, AUTHOR OF MISS MATTY,' 'FOUND AFLOAT,' ETC. ETC. T was on the loneliest part of a rough and little frequented coast, in a tumble-down little cottage, that Minnie Brand had been born, and had grown into a fair and winning child, though solitary and shy, almost to wildness, with hair floating free about her neck, and feet that were oftener bare than otherwise, as she bounded along the sandy or the rocky beach. She scarcely ever saw the face of a stranger; yet she was perfectly happy and contented with her father and mother for company, and with the few pleasures within her reach. With the aid of a pony and cart, her father collected driftwood and seaweed, and by the help of fishing, eked out a scanty subsistence. On very rare occasions he would take little Minnie with him in the cart, when he went to the nearest village, that was yet a long way off; 42 Minnie Brand's Beacon. at which times, perched on the top of his rough wares, she could gaze upon the novel objects on every side. But the most wonderful sight of all was seeing children of her own age at their play, though she was rather afraid of them, and would shrink away if they ventured near her; yet she loved them intensely, and would have sat for hours quite happy at the mere sight of them, or sometimes hovered eagerly round when the game reached its •height, though afraid to join in it. But little Minnie was by no means a coward, and when occasion demanded could overcome her terror in defence of the oppressed. On one of her visits, a half-witted boy chanced to pass the little green where the children were playing; and no sooner did he appear, than away they ran, surrounding him with shouts and yells, some tormenting him with questions, and calling him names, some pulling his ears, while others pinched his legs. Minnie was kneeling in the empty cart, and she saw the boy's half-frightened, half-angry face, turning from side to side, in fruitless attempts to get free. Down got Minnie in a moment, and rushing into the very middle of the group, she took the helpless boy by the hand, and stamping her foot she called out, Go, you bad, wicked children; I never could have thought that you could behave so! Girls as bad as boys too. If you touch him again, I'll get father to strike you with his heavy whip.' Then stroking Jacky Bell, as he was called, on the arm, she said gently, 'Don't be afraid, boy; father won't let them hurt you any more.' The children shrunk away apparently quite ashamed of themselves, while poor Jacky was left gazing at the kind little face before him. He was so astonished at the sight of such a small girl driving off so many tormentors, that he took it into his head Minnie must be a being of a different race altogether-that she must be a mermaid or a water-witch, both of which he firmly believed in. When Minnie's father turned the pony's head homeward, Jacky followed the cart all the way; nor would he Minnie Brand's Beacon. 43 be driven back by Roger Brand's harsh words, but kept steadily on. From that time Jacky made regular visits to the cottage, and would stay for days wandering about with his Little Siss,' as he insisted upon calling Minnie: his own little sister having died some years before, he had got to look upon Minnie in the same light, and even imagined it must be she come back again. The news of his father being drowned at sea reached his mother when he was only a few hours old, and it came with such a shock upon her, that she never recovered consciousness, and she died a few days afterwards. Jacky was left to the entire mercy of his uncle's wife, who had many children of her own; and as she considered this addition to her family a great burden, the poor boy's life was by no means an enviable one. The happiest moments were those spent with Minnie Brand; and if only he was allowed to be beside her, he was more than contented with a scanty supply of food, and a bed upon some old nets in the log-house outside. This was Minnie's sole associate, and she shared with him the limited education she received from her mother, at least so far as his darkened intelligence could take it in, their only schoolbook being an old water-stained clasp Bible, that had been found in some wreck on the coast. But Jacky, half-witted though he was, had ambition in him like ordinary people. Into the ears of his 'little siss' he would pour all his strange thoughts and wishes, about his going to sea as a sailor like his father; and whenever a ship of any size appeared on the horizon, he would watch it with intense eagerness, under the strong impression it was coming to take him away, and when it disappeared it took all Minnie's wiles to coax back the smile to his distressed face. One stormy evening Minnie and her mother were sitting round the fire in their solitary cottage, listening to her father's stories, when, in the very middle of her favourite one, he broke suddenly off, and began his preparations for going down to the beach, putting on his rough pea-jacket and shining'sou'wester.' 44 Minnie Brand's Beacon. 'Why do you always go out when the sea is angry, and the wind howls, father ?' asked Minnie from her low stool; then, in a pleading tone, she continued, 'Oh, father, please stay and tell me the rest of the story.' As the little girl asked the question, her mother, a pale, delicately-featured woman, sighed heavily, and laid a thin, wasted hand on the brawny arm of her husband: 'Stay in to-night, Roger; do!' she said. 'We've been very happy lately, and we want for nothing.' 'Want for nothing? ha! ha! that's a good un,' was the reply. I tell you, Jess, we want for everything. What does the few pence I get for the fish do for us? Does it let us lay by aught for the child? and does it bring back the colour to them pale cheeks o' yours, that makes me often wild to look at? When I see you sitting there so quiet-like, I can't help thinking o' the days that are past, and what others have made me. I've mayhap gone too far to draw back now, lass; but the first sough o' the wind stirs up the old bitter feelin's, and I must be up and away to the hard work once more.' 'Oh, not with Abel Ray, Roger,' pleaded his wife. 'I had a feeling something would go wrong when I saw him here the other night.' Roger shook off the hand that was laid on his arm, as he answered, Tush! what you see against Abel I can't fancy; but if it vexes you, missus, and if you must know, I'm only going down to the shore to look after driftwood, and if a chance cask should float in with the tide, or mayhap a bale of goods, why, there'd be no harm if Abel Ray and I should tow them ashore, surely? What do you say, little wench? You'd like if father made a lot o' money, to make a lady o' you some day;' and he laid his hand caressingly on the bright hair of his little daughter. Minnie had been listening very attentively to the conversation; but when her father turned to take down a coil of ropes and a boat-hook, she slipped up to him, and clasping her arms round his legs, she said, ‘Father, is it for me that you go out when the sea is angry?' Minnie Brand's Beacon. 45 'Yes, my pretty,' he answered, as he went on coiling the ropes tighter over his arm. 'It's to make more money to lay in the locker, to buy Minnie fine dresses and ribbons, and give her schooling, and make a grand lady of her some day.' Then, father, stay; Minnie don't want to be a fine lady if mother is made to cry when father is out on the dark shore. But mother prays to God, who lives above the black clouds and the blue sky, and who can see everywhere, and can watch over father and bring him safe home again.' For a moment the firm-set features relaxed, and the arms fell down, as if about to yield to the fair little pleader; but, instead, he turned angrily to his wife, and said, Filling the girl's head with your nonsense, eh? Give over, I tell ye; I'll ha' none o' that here,' and he brought his clenched hand heavily down on the table, and then, on the spur, as it were, of his half-assumed anger, went out into the howling night. After he was gone, Minnie drew her stool closer to her mother, and laid her head in her lap, and they sat, silently listening to the wind as it dashed against the little cottage, and shook the frail building to its very foundation. Whenever the blast came loudest, the mother drew the child closer to her, not that the latter was afraid of the wind, for she seemed rather to enjoy its stir and uproar. Two or three times she wished it were daylight, that she might have gone with her father; for she longed to be out on the wild cliff, where she could watch the sea dashing and foaming far down below. It was strange that such a little girl should have such feelings; but she had inherited her father's dauntless spirit, and she had wandered over the rocks, till every foot of it was as familiar to her as to the few sheep that pastured near. 'Mother,' she said, after they had sat silent for some time, if my little sister Jessie had lived, she would have stayed with you, and I should have gone down with father to the cove, to help him to tow the drift ashore.' |