The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-06-15
WASHINGTON, ID. C.
For the National Era.
AZ rycIDEET ON The SEA SHORE.
BY MARTHA RUSSELL
Ernst ia dqS Ls6cn.

Ernst id das Ls5cn.
Af,nt midway between Sachem's Head and
naehl. Beach, these well-known watering pla-
- or tba Connecticut shore "a small cove or
~ laos. Ike silver tongue, up into the
,,.:nisnd: and the waters, as if weary of the
-.--.-..ssl srifo and moaning seaward, cling
Ia IN the shore in little curves and dents,
.,5 mt oas slender silver arms among the
Use qrcen sedges Of the marshes, as if seek
f5r tna- inland quiet which it is their des-
III, never 10 attain.
r. Is . ooi5s l.t Of water-that small cove,
81 r. . frame # white, wave-ribbed sand,
bsr.ed by cEcla5 of houses, the green, rank
,,-.he. aad loT rg5ge OF broken upland,
..,-ly worthy of the name Of hills, but sufi-
.ei. 10 shut of ali effects lsudwar6, save
uae h.z7 line in the distance, which indicates
-, cl. me cf the Tatoket range Of hills
Gi. ward roll ceaselessly the blue waves
g. e. >srl, cnd, 't-et s.-.rg along gt the dis
ta.s Of from che half mile 20 some four or FIVE
nile from shore, are scattered dozen or more
issEds--
Y.l.s nat Got the dimpled bosom of tho sunny
s,.e, ii high water, mere hummocks of rock
aa3 ssrd, c7errun by rock pear, species of
t1t.us bearing blossoms of delicate yellow, with
here end there @ stunted pine others long,
l5w bar-op reaahes of sand easy of access, and
Therefore The chosen locations OF " fish houses
sit. their accompanying reels, great clumsy
1rsc.,iucg which, With the salty, white seine,
giants ready 10 Go battle with the storms and
SINE s-w Of the larger rock-bound hooks Of
crslncFy, where the whortleberry and the
ing p:rls and ancient bass-woods shelter, sum-
mer afer summer, gay parties of pleasure
seekers, CID and young.
BryC1d these, the view is unbroken, save
when, ca clear, sunny day, tho shores Of
loss Island loom family through the distance,
golden, azure, and pearl hued, Ike the walls Of
saae enchanted city. Many and many g time
when child, have watched these shores from
lie wooded hillside pasture above cur old
homestead, and thought Of the New Jerusalem,
With its walls Of precious stones end its gates
G. pearl, whore there ia no more night
1ese few islands are not without their To-
ee.3afy lore, as every one is aware who has
l7lr been honcred with a seat IN tho stern Of
an old fsderman's boat, when he pulled off, in
TIE gray dawn or evening twilight, to visit his
lobster pots, or has shared his lunch with one
o. the outer reef" when hunger grew too
ye2n even for the patience of fisherman
legends Of buccaneers and smugglerS;e and,
so1th to say, the initials of Captain kyd, with
the date 1887, cut in the solid rock on the
il20d that bears his name, and sworn TO as
authentic By the Coolest inhabitant," gives
soae co!oring to the former, to say nothing Of
the great cavity ezcavated IN the rock, and
inown as The famous Captains "Punch Bowl"
Bot, whatever these islands might have been
in &C. mer times, they are noted now only as a
pleasant r!ece Cor pic-nics and, last, bat by no
means least, as the best fishing ground in the
region and the above description, we trust
p;d recall &c more than one reader the long
s11msr DAYS when, with some silent, grim Wis
aged Cd fisherman by bis side, he sat in the
.ocSiog boas, and hand-oyor hand, drew IN his
Inc with its laundering fluttcring prey, or,
iorgc.trl Ct his sport, lay musing in the stern of
the boat until
% The charmed sunset fingered low adown
Ia the red West"
and icrt heart and eye and soul to the scene
until life with It's tumciIs and bitter strivings
seemed foreign and accidental, and he felt, with
the Lotus Eaters
There is no JOY but calm"
The hamlet itself is email, and, though, boast
ing hotel duly gTaocG with verandah and
piazza, almost every house is opened in toe
SIMMER time, as q boarding or lodging house.
and is generally well-filled, not of course, by
The most fashionable, but by quiet country
parties. people of Strengthened means, with pale,
FcE!y -lOoking children, stout middle aged gen
temea who cone there because their fathers
dlI before them, who swear as the new-fap gled
cookery at the Head" or Beach" where
thsy 20 occasionally to dino with friend,
pride themselves on knowing the best fishing
grogad, call the old boatman by the Soubri-
lj5'S which each usually bears in such place,
and make great impression upon new com
rs. especially women and children. Add to
5he>e some dozen of gentlemen from all quar-
'ers. amateur fishermen, genuine lovers OF the
hook and line, and YOU have 81 sample OF the
,apGnyn which most does congregate" at
tas Cove.
a. 10 tho inhabitants proper-they are an
'ia?hinious race, living equally we'll on land or
ga:eT, kceG, shrewd observers of character,
noe little gwen TO taking in " men as well
les Esf, cbaequious and obliging enough to
stan GERS, but VIGOROUSLY quarreisome among
themselves
kaow not whether animals Of amphibi-
Gus habits arc more irascible and beihgerent
Than otEerG; but the bipeds of these hamiets
5rc lny2risbly given to intirmities of temper,
a'd their chief ro.ioa Of liberty seems TO be
the right Of going to law"
%caie years ago, it was ny fortune to spend
some weeks in this place. Il was in the height
Ct the season. and the old farm house of our
landlord, H. @. was crowded with board
cfs, who presented the usual variety of charac-
ter Among them were three, who interested
me exceedingly. Two Of these were mother
and daughter-quiet, reserved people, whose
garments of plain, deep mourning, served to
oo1;i n the TUror that they were q minister s
lFidow and child. The mother looked like
one who bore The burden of some unspoken
5aei; anG this was in part explained, when
one locked on the email, delicate figure Of her
laughter, Gna noticed the deformity of the
ffine between the shoulders, which no art OF
dress could wholly conceal. They never min
Scd with the bcarders in the common room
~ On tie lawn, bet wandered, hand in hand,
.i'A2 upon the beach, or sat by the open win
2oTz Of their room, (which was divided from
.iy o." only by q thin pine partition,) read
-nE sometimes the poets, Milton or Words
forth, bat of,ener, from the Bible, the sublime
strains e David and Isaiah, or the burning
words Of Paul. The landlord called the mother
.tr5 Davenport, and the latter addressed the
thi!d as Bertha, and that was oil | knew OF
them.
The other person, whose presence was food
'oT my busy mind, was Adrian Vannessc, a
Gentleman cf some thirty five years-at least
% guessed, but he might have had dozen
years more or less, for his face and figure were
cast lii that grand, noble, almost severe mould,
upon which Time seems TO leave no impress.
lie proved TO be former acquaintance and
fellow traveller of my dear charge and young
relative, Walter Aynton. They had met, a
winter or two previous, in Cuba, and now re,
9e~5d their acquaintance with pleasure. In
deed Walter was delighted with this reneontre
and enthusiastic in his praises Of his friend
aud not without reason for Vannesse attached
himself to our marty. and soon found that, te