Sunshine Bill, according to the world's notion, was not "born with a
silver spoon in his mouth;" but he had, which was far better, kind,
honest parents. His mother kept an apple-stall at Portsmouth, and his
father was part owner of a wherry; but even by their united efforts, in
fine weather, they found it hard work to feed and clothe their numerous
offspring.
Sometimes Sunshine Bill's father was laid up with illness, and sometimes
his mother was so; and occasionally he and his brothers and sisters were
sick also. Sometimes they had the measles, or small-pox, or a fever;
and then there was the doctor to pay, and medicine to buy; consequently,
at the end of these visitations, the family cash-box, consisting of an
old stocking in a cracked basin, kept on the highest shelf of their
sitting-room, was generally empty, and they considered themselves
fortunate if they were not in debt besides. Still, no one ever heard
them complain, or saw them quarrel, or beat their children, as some
people do when things do not go straight with them; nor did their
children ever fight among themselves. Even, indeed, in the worst of
times, Sunshine Bill's mother managed to find a crust of bread and a bit
of cheese, to keep the family from starving. To be sure, she and her
husband could not give their children much of an education, as far as
school learning was concerned. They themselves, in spite of all trials,
were never cast down; and they taught Bill, and his brothers and
sisters, to follow their example. They said that God had always been
kind to them, and that they were sure He would not change while they
tried to do their duty and please Him.
The most contented, and merriest, and happiest of their children was
Sunshine Bill. That was not his real name, though; indeed, he did not
get it till long after the time I am speaking of.
He was properly called William Sunnyside, for, curiously enough,
Sunnyside was his father's name. His father was known as Merry Tom
Sunnyside, and his mother as Pretty Molly Sunnyside--for pretty she had
been when she was young, and good as she was pretty. It may seem
surprising that they were not better off, but they began the world
without anything, and children came fast upon them--a circumstance which
keeps many people poor in worldly wealth.
Sunshine Bill, when still a very little fellow, found out how to keep
the family pot boiling, even before some of his brothers had done so.
No occupation came amiss to him. Sometimes he would go mud-larking, and
seldom missed finding some treasure or other. The occupation was not a
nice one, for the mud in Portsmouth Harbour is far from clean, or sweet
to the nose; but Bill did not care for that, provided he was successful
in his search. Sometimes, too, he would go fishing, and seldom came
home without a pretty well-filled basket. Then he would look after
seamen's boats, and place stools for passengers to walk along when the
water was low; and when the weather was bad, and few persons were going
afloat, he would go on errands, or scamper alongside gentlemen's horses,
ready to hold them when they dismounted. He had such a merry, facetious
manner about him, that he generally managed to pick up twice as much as
anybody else engaged in the same sort of occupation.
This sort of work, however, was very well for Bill while he was a little
fellow; but it was clear that it would not do for him when he should
grow bigger. His father and mother often talked over what Bill was to
do when that time came.
Tom Sunnyside wished to send him to sea after his two elder brothers,
for his next two boys were with him in his boat. Molly wanted to keep
him at home to help her in her trade; Bill was ready to do whatever they
wished. He would serve his country afloat, and do his best to become an
admiral, or he would sell apples all his life.
Nothing, however, was settled; and Bill continued to mud-lark, catch
fish, run errands, look after boats, and hold gentlemen's horses, till
he was getting to be a big lad.
At length a heavy affliction and trial overtook Mrs Sunnyside--Bill's
mother. The wherry, with his father and two of his brothers, went off
one November morning when it was blowing hard, with a passenger to a
ship lying at Spithead. They put their fare all right on board,
received payment, and shoved off from the ship. The gale increased, the
weather thickened; hour after hour passed away, and the expected ones
did not return to their home. Three days afterwards, a pilot vessel
brought in an oar, and a board, with the rising sun painted on it.
The _Rising Sun_ was the name of Tom Sunnyside's boat. Such was the
only clue to his fate. Neither he, nor his boys, nor his boat, were
ever seen again. The widow bowed her head, but she had no time to
indulge in grief, for she had still several younger children to support.
She sat at her stall, and did her best to sell her apples. Bill exerted
himself more than ever. His two elder brothers were, as has been said,
on board men-of-war. The next two surviving children were girls, and
could do little to help themselves or their mother. And now, for the
first time, the family began to feel what it was to be hungry, and to
have no food to put into their mouths. Bill was up early and late, and
was always so hard at work that he declared he had no time to be hungry.
The truth is, he might always have had plenty of food for himself, but
that he thought fit to share every farthing of his gains among his
brothers and sisters.
One day he was holding a horse for an officer, who was, he saw by his
uniform, a commander in the navy, for Bill could distinguish the rank of
naval officers by the gold lace on their coats, and knew at a glance a
post captain from a commander, and a commander from a lieutenant, and so
on. He especially liked the look of the officer whose horse he was
holding; and while he walked it up and down as he had been directed, he
thought to himself--
"If I was to go to sea now I should not only get a rig out, but have
enough to eat, and be able to send home my pay to mother as soon as I
get any."
He had just before been taking a survey of his clothes, which, in spite
of all sorts of contrivances, he had no small difficulty in keeping
about him. He wished to look tolerably decent, though he had
considerable misgivings on that score. He felt very thin, and not so
strong as he used to be, which is not surprising, considering the small
amount of sustenance he took. The little ones at home were certainly
fatter than he was.
When the officer came out of the house he cast a kind look at Bill, who,
as was his custom to his superiors, pulled off his battered hat to him.
"I should like to know something about you, my lad," said the officer,
as he mounted his horse, in a tone which was as kind as were his looks.
"Yes, sir," answered Bill, pulling a lock of his long, shaggy hair; "I
be called Bill Sunnyside, and mother sells apples out at the corner of
High Street, there."
"A succinct account of yourself, my lad," said the officer.
"It be true though, sir," said Bill, not understanding what succinct
meant. "And, sir, I'd like to go to sea with you."
"Oh! Would you?" said the officer, smiling. "But how do you know that
I command a ship?"
"Because you would not otherwise be in uniform," answered Bill,
promptly.
"Ay, I see you have your wits about you," remarked the officer.
"It's as well I should, for they be the only things I have got except
these duds," answered Bill, giving way to a propensity for humour,
which, unknown to himself, he possessed, though he spoke with perfect
respect.