LITTLE JOHN
After admiring the beauties of my new surroundings for some little time,
I felt that I must begin to look for quarters. I was anxious, if
possible, to find a lodging in one of the cottages, and then, after a
good night's rest, I would carefully select a good subject for my
picture. I called at several houses, where I noticed a card in the
window announcing _Apartments to Let_, but I met the same answer
everywhere, 'Full, sir, quite full.' In one place I was offered a bed in
the kitchen, but the whole place smelt so strongly of fried herrings and
of fish oil, that I felt it would be far more pleasant to sleep on the
beach than to attempt to do so in that close and unwholesome atmosphere.
After wandering up and down for some time, I passed a house close to the
village green, and saw the children with whom I had travelled sitting at
tea close to the open window. They, too, were eating herrings, and the
smell made me hungry. I began to feel that it was time I had something
to eat, and I thought my best plan would be to retrace my steps to the
hotel which I had passed on my way, and which stood at the very top of
the high cliff. I turned a little lazy when I thought of the climb, for
I was tired with my journey, and, as I said before, I was not very
strong, and to drag my bag and easel up the rugged ascent would require
a mighty effort at the best of times. I noticed that wooden benches had
been placed here and there on the different platforms of the rock, for
the convenience of the fishermen, and I determined to rest for a quarter
of an hour on one of them before retracing my steps up the steep hill to
the hotel. The fishermen were filling most of the seats, sitting side by
side, row after row of them, talking together, and looking down at the
beach below. As I gazed up at them, they looked to me like so many blue
birds perched on the steep rock.
There was one seat in a quiet corner which I noticed was empty. I went
to it, and laying my knapsack and other belongings beside me, I sat down
to rest.
But I was not long to remain alone. A minute afterwards a young
fisherman, dressed like his mates in blue jersey and oilskin cap,
planted himself on the other end of the seat which I had selected.
'Good-day, sir,' he said. 'What do you think of our bay?'
'It's a pretty place, very pretty,' I said. 'I like it well enough now,
but I daresay I shall like it better still to-morrow.'
'Better still to-morrow,' he repeated; 'well, it _is_ the better
for knowing, in my opinion, sir, and I _ought_ to know, if any one
should, for I've lived my lifetime here.'
I turned to look at him as he spoke, and I felt at once that I had come
across one of Nature's gentlemen. He was a fine specimen of an honest
English fisherman, with dark eyes and hair, and with a sunny smile on
his weather-beaten, sunburnt face. You had only to look at the man to
feel sure that you could trust him, and that, like Nathanael, there was
no guile in him.
'I wonder if you could help me,' I said; 'I want to find a room here if
I can, but every place seems so full.'
'Yes, it is full, sir, in August; that's the main time here. Let me see,
there's Brown's, they're full, and Robinson's, and Wilson's, and
Thomson's, all full up. There's Giles', they have a room, I believe, but
they're not over clean; maybe you're particular, sir.'
'Well,' I said, 'I do like things clean; I don't mind how rough they are
if they're only clean.'
'Ah,' he said, with a twinkle in his eye; 'you wouldn't care for one pan
to do all the work of the house--to boil the dirty clothes, and the
fish, and your bit of pudding for dinner, and not overmuch cleaning of
it in between.'
'No,' I said, laughing; 'I should not like that, certainly.'
'Might give the pudding a flavour of stockings, and a sauce of fish
oil,' he answered. 'Well, you're right, sir; I shouldn't like it myself.
Cleanliness is next to godliness, that's my idea. Well, then, that being
as it is, I wouldn't go to Giles', not if them is your sentiments with
regard to pans, sir.'
'Then I suppose there's nothing for it but to trudge up to the hotel at
the top of the hill,' I said, with something of a groan.
'Well, sir,' he said, hesitating a little; 'me and my missus, we have a
room as we lets sometimes, but it's a poor place, sir, homely like, as
ye may say. Maybe you wouldn't put up with it.'
'Would you let me see it?' I asked.
'With pleasure, sir; it's rough, but it's clean. We could promise you a
clean pan, sir. My missus she's a good one for cleaning; she's not one
of them slatternly, good-for-nothing lasses. There's heaps of them here,
sir, idling away their time. She's a good girl is my Polly. Why, if that
isn't little John a-clambering up the steps to his daddy!'
He jumped up as he said this, and ran quickly down the steep flight of
steps which led down from the height on which the seat was placed, and
soon returned with a little lad about two years old in his arms.
The child was as fair as his father was dark. He was a pretty boy with
light hair and blue eyes, and was tidily dressed in a bright red cap and
clean white-pinafore.
'Tea's ready, daddy,' said the boy; 'come home with little John.'
'Maybe you wouldn't object to a cup o' tea, sir,' said the father,
turning to me; 'it'll hearten you up a bit after your journey, and
there's sure to be herrings. We almost lives on herrings here, sir, and
then, if you're so minded, you can look at the room after. Ye'll excuse
me if I make too bold, sir,' he added, as he gently patted little John's
tiny hand, which rested on his arm.
'I shall be only too glad to come,' I said; 'for I am very hungry, and
if Polly's room is as nice as I think it will be, it will be just the
place for me.'
He walked in front of me, up and down several flights of steps, until,
at some little distance lower down the hill, he stopped before a small
cottage. Sure enough there were herrings, frying and spluttering on the
fire, and there too was Polly herself, arrayed in a clean white apron,
and turning the herrings with a fork. The kitchen was very low, and the
rafters seemed resting on my head as I entered; but the window and door
were both wide open, and the whole place struck me as being wonderfully
sweet and clean. A low wooden settle stood by the fire, one or two plain
deal chairs by the wall, and little John's three-legged stool was placed
close to his father's arm-chair. A small shelf above the fireplace held
the family library. I noticed a Bible, a hymn-book, a _Pilgrim's
Progress_, and several other books, all of which had seen their best
days and were doubtless in constant use. On the walls were prints in
wooden frames and much discoloured by the turf smoke of the fire. Upon a
carved old oak cupboard, which held the clothes of the family, were
arranged various rare shells and stones, curious sea-urchins and other
treasures of the sea, and in the centre, the chief ornament of the house
and the pride of Polly's heart, a ship, carved and rigged by Duncan
himself, and preserved carefully under a glass shade.
Polly gave me a hearty Yorkshire welcome, and we soon gathered about the
small round table. Duncan, with little John on his knee, asked a
blessing, and Polly poured out the tea, and we all did justice to the
meal.
The more I saw of these honest people, the more I liked them and felt
inclined to trust them. When tea was over, Polly took me to see the
guest-chamber in which her husband had offered me a bed. It was a low
room in the roof, containing a plain wooden bedstead, one chair, a small
wash-hand stand, and a square of looking-glass hanging on the wall.
There was no other furniture, and, indeed, there was room for no other,
and the room was unadorned except by three or four funeral cards in
dismal black frames, which were hanging at different heights on the wall
opposite the bed. But the square casement window was thrown wide open,
and the pure sea air filled the little room, and the coarse white
coverings of the bed were spotless, and, indeed, the whole place looked
and felt both fresh and clean.
'You'll pardon me, sir,' said Duncan, 'for asking you to look at such a
poor place.'
'But I like it, Duncan,' I answered, 'and I like you, and I like your
wife, and if you will have me as a lodger, I am willing and glad to
stay.'
The terms were soon agreed upon to the satisfaction of both parties, and
then all things being settled, Polly went to put little John to bed
whilst I went with Duncan to see his boat.
It was an old boat, and it had been his father's before him, and it had
weathered many a storm; but it was the dream of Duncan's life to buy a
new one, and he and Polly had nearly saved up money enough for it.
'That's why me and the missus is glad to get a lodger now and again,' he
said; 'it all goes to the boat, every penny of it. We mean to call her
The Little John. He's going in her the very first voyage she takes; he
is indeed, sir, for he'll be her captain one day, please God, little
John will.'
It was a calm, beautiful evening; the sea was like a sheet of glass.
Hardly a ripple was breaking on the shore. The sun was setting behind
the cliff, and the fishing village would soon be in darkness. The
fishermen were leaving their cottages and were making for the shore.
Already some of the boats were launched, and the men were throwing in
their nets and fishing-tackle, and were pulling out to sea. I enjoyed
watching my new friend making his preparations. His three mates brought
out the nets, and he gave his orders with a tone of command. He was the
owner and the captain of the Mary Ann, and the rest were accustomed to
do his bidding.
When all were on board, Duncan himself jumped in and gave the word to
push from shore. He nodded to me and bid me good-night, and when he was
a little way from shore, I saw him stand up in the boat and wave his
oil-skin cap to some one above me on the cliff.
I looked up, and saw Polly standing on the rock overhanging the shore
with little John in his white nightgown in her arms. He was waving his
red cap to his father, and continued to do so till the boat was out of
sight.