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BESSIE AT THE SEA-SIDE




_BOOKS BY JOANNA H. MATHEWS._


I. THE BESSIE BOOKS.

6 vols. In a box. $7.50.

SEASIDE                         $1.25
CITY                             1.25
FRIENDS                          1.25
MOUNTAINS                        1.25
SCHOOL                           1.25
TRAVELS                          1.25


II. THE FLOWERETS

A SERIES OF STORIES ON THE COMMANDMENTS.

6 vols. In a box. $3.60.

VIOLET'S IDOL.
DAISY'S WORK.
ROSE'S TEMPTATION.
LILY'S LESSON.
HYACINTHE AND HER BROTHERS.
PINKIE AND THE RABBITS.


III. LITTLE SUNBEAMS.

6 vols. In a box. $6.00.

BELLE POWERS' LOCKET.
DORA'S MOTTO.  16mo.
LILY NORRIS' ENEMY.
JESSIE'S PARROT.
MAMIE'S WATCHWORD.
NELLIE'S HOUSEKEEPING.


IV. KITTY AND LULU BOOKS.

6 vols. In a box. $6.00.

TOUTOU AND PUSSY.
KITTY'S ROBINS.
THE WHITE RABBIT.
RUDIE'S GOAT.
KITTY'S VISIT.
KITTY'S SCRAP-BOOK.


V. MISS ASHTON'S GIRLS.

1. FANNY'S BIRTHDAY             $1.25
2. THE NEW SCHOLARS              1.25
3. ROSALIE'S PET                 1.25
4. ELEANOR'S VISIT               1.25
5. MABEL WALTON                  1.25


VI. HAPS AND MISHAPS.

6 vols. In a box. $7.50.

1. LITTLE FRIENDS               $1.25
2. THE BROKEN MALLET             1.25
3. BLACKBERRY JAM                1.25
4. MILLY'S WHIMS                 1.25
5. LILIES AND THISTLEDOWN        1.25
6. UNCLE JOE'S THANKSGIVING      1.25


ROBERT CARTER AND BROTHERS,

_New York_.

[Illustration: FRONTISPIECE.

Bessie at Sea Side.]




_BESSIE AT THE SEA-SIDE._

_BY_

_JOANNA H. MATHEWS_

"And a Little Child shall lead them."

_NEW YORK:
Robert Carter & Brothers_,
530 BROADWAY.


Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1867, by
ROBERT CARTER AND BROTHERS,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for
the Southern District of New York.




To my dear Mother,

_Whose "children arise up and call her blessed,"_

IS THIS LITTLE VOLUME

_Lovingly and gratefully dedicated_




CONTENTS.


                                    PAGE

_I. The Sea-Shore_,                    7

_II. Old Friends and New_,            21

_III. The Letter_,                    34

_IV. The Quarrel_,                    50

_V. Tom's Sunday-School_,             61

_VI. The Post-Office_,                75

_VII. A New Friend_,                  96

_VIII. Bessie's Little Sermon_,      113

_IX. Faith_,                         122

_X. The Sick Baby_,                  135

_XI. The Happy Circumstance_,        147

_XII. Miss Adams_,                   157

_XIII. Bessie's Repentance_,         167

_XIV. Who is a Lady?_                180

_XV. Uncle John_,                    194

_XVI. The Birthday Presents_,        209

_XVII. The Birthday Party_,          226

_XVIII. The Adventure_,              247

_XIX. Soul and Instinct_,            265

_XX. Nurse taken by Surprise_,       281

_XXI. The Colonel in Trouble_,       305

_XXII. The Broken Nose_,             320

_XXIII. Jesus' Soldier_,             335




_BESSIE AT THE SEA-SIDE._




I.

_THE SEA-SHORE._


The hotel carriage rolled away from Mr. Bradford's door with papa and
mamma, the two nurses and four little children inside, and such a lot
of trunks and baskets on the top; all on their way to Quam Beach. Harry
and Fred, the two elder boys, were to stay with grandmamma until their
school was over; and then they also were to go to the sea-side.

The great coach carried them across the ferry, and then they all jumped
out and took their seats in the cars. It was a long, long ride, and
after they left the cars there were still three or four miles to go
in the stage, so that it was quite dark night when they reached Mrs.
Jones's house. Poor little sick Bessie was tired out, and even Maggie,
who had enjoyed the journey very much, thought that she should be glad
to go to bed as soon as she had had her supper. It was so dark that the
children could not see the ocean, of which they had talked and thought
so much; but they could hear the sound of the waves as they rolled up
on the beach. There was a large hotel at Quam, but Mrs. Bradford did
not choose to go there with her little children; and so she had hired
all the rooms that Mrs. Jones could spare in her house. The rooms were
neat and clean, but very plain, and not very large, and so different
from those at home that Maggie thought she should not like them at all.
In that which was to be the nursery was a large, four-post bedstead
in which nurse and Franky were to sleep; and beside it stood an
old-fashioned trundle-bed, which was for Maggie and Bessie. Bessie was
only too glad to be put into it at once, but Maggie looked at it with
great displeasure.

"I sha'n't sleep in that nasty bed," she said. "Bessie, don't do it."

"Indeed," said nurse, "it's a very nice bed; and if you are going to be
a naughty child, better than you deserve. That's a great way you have
of calling every thing that don't just suit you, 'nasty.' I'd like to
know where you mean to sleep, if you don't sleep there."

"I'm going to ask mamma to make Mrs. Jones give us a better one," said
Maggie; and away she ran to the other room where mamma was undressing
the baby. "Mamma," she said, "won't you make Mrs. Jones give us a
better bed? That's just a kind of make-believe bed that nurse pulled
out of the big one, and I know I can't sleep a wink in it."

"I do not believe that Mrs. Jones has another one to give us, dear,"
said her mother. "I know it is not so pretty as your little bed at
home, but I think you will find it very comfortable. When I was a
little girl, I always slept in a trundle-bed, and I never rested
better. If you do not sleep a wink, we will see what Mrs. Jones can do
for us to-morrow; but for to-night I think you must be contented with
that bed; and if my little girl is as tired as her mother, she will be
glad to lie down anywhere."

Maggie had felt like fretting a little; but when she saw how pale and
tired her dear mother looked, she thought she would not trouble her by
being naughty, so she put up her face for another good-night kiss, and
ran back to the nursery.

"O, Maggie," said Bessie, "this bed is yeal nice and comf'able; come
and feel it." So Maggie popped in between the clean white sheets,
and in two minutes she had forgotten all about the trundle-bed and
everything else.

When Bessie woke up the next morning, she saw Maggie standing by the
open window, in her night-gown, with no shoes or stockings on. "O,
Maggie," she said, "mamma told us not to go bare-feeted, and you are."

"I forgot," said Maggie; and she