Alice and Beatrice

								

‘Oh, grandmamma, look at that sea-gull!’ cried Alice; ‘how can it stand
on the point of that high rock?’
‘The sea-gull need not be afraid of standing there,’ said grandmamma,
‘for if its foot should slip, its wings would keep it from falling; and
should it even fall, which is not likely, it would not be drowned, for
the sea-gull swims well on a stormy sea.’
‘How wonderful it is that it can swim and fly so well!’ said Alice. ‘It
can fly much better than a goose or a duck, and they can swim and fly a
little.’
‘God, in His great mercy, has made the wild bird fly and swim much
better than the tame bird. The sea-gull provides its own food by diving
into the waves and catching fish, and it flies about in stormy weather
and swims on the wild waves. Man, or people, take care of the duck and
goose, and feed it, so it does not want to fly far, or swim on rough
seas.’
‘How very wonderful it is!’ said Alice; and little Beatrice listened
attentively, although she could not understand it all.
‘God’s wisdom is always wonderful, my child, and God’s love is very
great. As God provides for the sea-gull and for all animals, and gives
them all their food, and takes care of them all, so God takes care of us
all, and gives us food and clothes, and everything that we want. God, as
you know, gives us summer and winter, sunshine and snow and rain, and
all for our good. God has made the earth beautiful, the grass green, the
flowers gay, the sea wide, and the heavens high; and we must never
forget to thank God for everything, and for His care of us by day and by
night.’
They sat down on the edge of the cliff and rested, and looked at the
beautiful sight before them; and when they had seen the sea-gull spread
its wide wings and fly over the sea, and they had watched it till they
could see it no longer, they turned back to the farm-house. There they
found Mary had put everything ready, and Bartlett was waiting.
Grandmamma thanked the farmer’s wife, and she and the children bade her
good-bye; and after grandmamma had asked Mary if she had given the
sailors a good dinner, and Mary had answered that she had, they all went
down the side of the hill to the shore, where little Jack and the other
sailor were waiting by the side of the boat.
They all stepped into the boat, and were pushed off, and after a little
rocking to and fro, which no longer frightened the children, two sails
were hoisted, and as there was more wind now, the boat went much
quicker.
Soon the little girls said, ‘How cold it is!’ for the wind blew strong;
and Mary put their cloaks about them, and little Beatrice crept on to
her grandmamma’s lap, and soon fell asleep, for she was very tired.
Alice sat between her grandmamma and Mary, and talked the whole way. She
had so many things to ask about; and she made Bartlett tell her about
his little girls at home, who had no mother.
The sailor told Alice that his eldest girl kept his house clean and