Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-06-02
LITERARY MISCELLANY.
For the National Era.
AN INCIDENT ON THE SEA SHORE
by MARTHA RUSSELL.
Eraa Isl das Ledea.

About midway between Sachem's Head ana
Double Beach, these well known watering PA
ces on the Connecticut shore smaii cove on
creek laps like silver tongue, up 'hto tno
mainland; and the waters, as u weary OF the
perpetual strife and moaning feawaid cing
close TO the shore in little curves ana dent-,
and nut out slender silver arms among tho
coarse green sedges OF the marshes as It seok-
ING for that inland quiet which il is their dcs
tiny never to attain.
IL ID a quiet bit Of water--that small cove,
set in a frame Of white, wavc-ribbed sand,
backed by circet Of hunscs, the green, rank
marshes, and low range Of broken upland,
scarcely worthy Of the name oil hills, but sufii-
cient to shut of all objects landward, save
blue, hazy line in the Distance which indicates
the outline Of the Tatoket range Of hills.
But scaward roll ceaselessly the blnBwaves
Of the Sound, and, stretching along at the dis
lance Of from one half mile to some four or live
miles from shore, are scattered dozen or more
islands
"Molcs that dot the dimped bosom Of the sunny
summer sen
some, at high water mere hnmmocks Of rock
and sand, overrun by rock pear, species OF
cactus, bearing blossoms OF delicate yellow, with
here and there a stunted pine; others long,
low, barren rcaahes Of sand, easy Of access, and
with their accompanying reels great clumsy
machines, which, with the salty, white seine,
stretched over their long arms, remind one OF
giants ready to do battle with the storms and
some few Of the larger rock hound hooks Of
greenery, whore the whortleberry and the
raspberry thrive in profusion, and the whisper
ing pines and ancient bass woods shelter, sum
mer after summer, gay parties CT pleasure
seekers, old and young
Beyond these, the view is unbroken, save
when, on clear, sunny day the shores OF
Long leland loom family through the distance,
golden, azure, and pcarl- hucd, like the walls of
some enchanted city Many and many time,
when child, have ! watched these shores from
the wooded hillside pasture above our old
homestead, and thought of the New Jerusalem,
with it's walls of precious ttoncs and it's gates
OF pearl, where there is no more night
These few islands are not without their le-
gendary lore, M every one is aware who has
ever been honored with o seat in the stern of
an old fisherman's boat when he pulled of, in
the gray dawn or evening twilight, to visit bis
lobster pots, or has-phared his lunch with one
on the aouter rccf,p when hunger grew too
keen even for the patience Of fisherman
legends Of buccaneers and smugglers; and,
rooth to say. the initials of Captain Kyd, with
the date 1857, cut in the solid rock on the
island that bears his name, and sworn to ms
authentic by the Coolest inhabitant,n gives
some coloring to the former to say nothing OF
the great cavity excavated in the rock, and
known as the famous Captains Punch BOWL
But, whatever these islands might have been
in former times, they are noted now only as
pleasant place for pic-nics, and, Lest, but by no
means least, Ms the best fishing ground in the
region; and the above description, we trrss,
will recall to moro than one reader the long
summer days when, with some silent, grim vis-
aged old fisherman by his side, he sat in the
rocking boat and hsnd-over hand, drew in rs
line with it's foundering, futtcrng prey, or,
forgetful of bis sport lay musing in-the'stern OF
the boat until
:" The charmed sunset fingered low adown
In the red West,
and lent heart and eye and soul to the sccnc,
until life, with its tumoils and bitter strivngs,
seemed foreign and accidental, and he felt, with
the Lotus Eaters
"There is no joy but calm"
The hamlet itself is small and though, boost
ing hotel duly graced with verapdah and
piazza, almost every house is opened in the
summer time, a. 4 boarding or lodging house,
and is generally well-flled, not, of course, by
tho most fashionable, but by quiet country
parties people Of Strengthened means, with pa'o,
sick " looking children, stout middle-aged gen
tlemen who come there because their fathers
did before them who swear at the new-fangled
cookery at tho Head or Beach, where
they 90 occa ionaIly to dine with friend
pride themselves ON knowing the best fsbing
ground, call the old boatman by the soubri-
qusfs which each usually bears in such place
and make great impression upon new com
era, especially women and children. Add 10
these some dozen OF gentlemen from all quar-
tiers, amateur fishermen, genuine lovers OF the
hook aud hnc, and you have sample of the
COMPANY which most does congregate" at
the Cove.
As 70 tho inhabitants proper-they are an
amphibious race, living equally well on land or
water, keen, shrewd observers Of character,
not little given to taking in men M we'll
~ fish, obseqnious and obIiging enough H.
strangers but nctoriousy quarrelsome among
themselves.
| know not whether animals OF amphibi-
ous habits are moro irascible md bclligercnt
than others; but the bipcds Of these hamle /,
are invariably given 70 infrmitics Of temper,
and their chief notion of liberty seems to be
the right Of going to law"
Some years ago, it was my fortune 10 spend
some weeks in this place twas in the height
Of" tbc season. and the old farm house of our
landlord, M. O.. was crowded With board
err, who presented the usual variety of charac-
ter Among them were three, who Interested
me exceedingly. Two Of these were q mother
and daughter--quict reserved people, whose
garments Of plain, deep mourning served 10
confirm the rnmor that they were ministers
widow and child. Tho mother looked Ike
one who bore the burden Of some unspokcn
grief; and this was in part explained, when
ono looked On the small delicate figure Of her
daughter, and noticed the deformity Of the
spine between the Oh, ulders, which no art Of
dress conld wholly conceal They never min
gled with the boarders in tho common room
OF on tho lawn, bit wandered hand in hand,
slonc upon the beach, or sat by the open win.
dows Of their room, (which was divided from
my own only by a thin pine partition read
ing, sometimes the poets, Milton or Words
worth, but ofsener, from the Bible, tho sublime
strains Of David and Isaiah or the burning
srords az Paul The landlord called the mnkher