_A NEW FRIEND._
One morning Bessie was sitting on a large rock on the beach, looking at
the waves as they rolled up, one after another, and listening to the
pleasant sound they made. The other children and Jane were playing a
little way off.
Presently a lady and gentleman came walking slowly along the beach. The
gentleman used crutches, for he had only one foot. They stopped at the
rock where Bessie sat, and the lady said, "You had better sit down,
Horace, you have walked far enough."
The gentleman sat down beside Bessie, who looked at him for a minute
and then got up.
"I'll sit on that other stone," she said, "and then there'll be room
for the lady: that is big enough for me."
"Thank you, dear," said the lady; and the gentleman said, "Well, you
are a polite little girl."
Bessie liked his looks, but it made her sorry to see that he had only
one foot. She sat opposite to him looking at him very gravely; and he
looked back at her, but with a smile. Now that Bessie had given up her
seat to the strangers, she felt they were her company and she must
entertain them, so she began to talk.
"Is your foot pretty well, sir?" she said.
"Which foot?" asked the gentleman.
"The one that is cut off."
"How can it be pretty well if it is cut off?" he said; "you see it is
not here to feel pretty well."
"I mean the place where it was cut off," said Bessie.
"It pains me a good deal," he said. "I am a soldier, and my foot was
hurt in battle and had to be cut off, but I hope it will feel better
one of these days. I have come down here to see what the sea air will
do for me."
"Oh, then you'll feel better, soon," said Bessie. "I used to feel very
_misable_, but now I am most well."
"Why, is your foot cut off, too?" asked the gentleman.
"Oh, no; don't you see I have both my two?"
"So you have," said the gentleman, laughing as she held up two little
feet; "but there is not half as much in those two tiny feet, as there
is in my one big one."
"I had yather have two little ones than one big one," said Bessie.
"So would I, but you see I cannot choose, and all the sea air in the
world will not bring me back my other foot."
"Don't you like the sea, sir?" asked Bessie, "I do."
"Why do you like it so much?"
"Because I like to see the waves, and I think it sounds as if it was
saying something all the time."
"What does it seem to say?"
"I don't know, sir. I listen to it a great deal, and I can't find
out, but I like to hear it for all. I think it must be telling us to
yemember our Father in heaven who made it."
"What a strange child," the gentleman whispered to the lady; "who is
she like?"
"I do not know, but she is lovely;" said the lady; "I should like to
take her picture as she sits there."
"What is your name, fairy?" asked the gentleman.
"Bessie," said the little girl.
"Bessie what?"
"Bessie Bradford."
"Bessie Bradford! and what is your father's name?"
"His name is Bradford, too."
"But what is his first name?"
"Mr." said Bessie, gravely.