Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-09-05
BETTER FIR On NEWPORT.


GSstfaee LIfe-TEae DFiye-A7sRer5csan
Beauty and Foreign Display, GCc.
TCorrespondence Of the Alexandria GazetteJ
NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, September l.
Emancipated for q season from the cares and
occupations of summer-life in hot and dusty
Washington. behold me- . frolicsomc idler, a
surf bather, and lazy looker-on at famous
fashionable and breezy Newport. ~. .s-a-
While Congress remained III session, and
something of interest occurred each day to d.
vert ones attention from the frantic upward
tendency Of the mercury, and the colncldent'
downfall and solution Of starched wearing ap.
parel, Washington seemed to be very beara
bic summer residence; and even after the ad,'
tournament, for a few days, your correspondent
continued resolute in his determination to re-
main in town during the hot weather, and keep
cool 10 strictly quiet way, at home.
But as he saw "Eriend after friend depart,
and as the town became unuttcrably dull, and
frightlully dusty, old rccollectons and dor
mant love Of travel revived, aud in his fancy's
ear continually ''babbed O. green GC!ds;' re-
minded him OF neglected invitation to rural
ize among the wooded hills Of Cecil county.
Nd; and finally, impelled him 10 lorego his
absurd self martyrdom in the city, and start,
valise (not 'scarpet bag in hand, by an early
morning train for the banks Of the broad Sus-
quehaDna. .....- . is. :. '-.&..... ... a5
A rapid Whirl and rattle, brief detention in
Baltimore, with glimpse At its busy streets,
noble monuments and busting docks, and, at
the end of the third hour, We check up speed
and move slowly over the long bridge at llaVrc
de Grace On the opposite shore little branch
railroad affords the means Of reaching Port De.
post, an old town about three miles long and q
yard and half wide, situated at the head OF
navigation short distance further UP the river,
which here abounds in charming scenery. The
| carriage ofmy host is in waiting, and minute
| later, he himself looms up to view, with q col
| lossal frame, which, in fguratiVe sense is but
| fairly proportional to the size OF his heart and
| the extent Of his hospitality. A drive of four
miles over rich rolling country, exhibiting
constant evidences that the soil OF this part OF
Maryland, at least, is not worn out, brings us
| to modcrnized old stone mansion, surrounded
with ycrandahs, forest trees, and sloping lawns,
and we'll stored in larder and in library with
| both creature comforts and mental pabulum.
| The truly rural pleasures OF a visit to a
| place like this can be readily imagined or re-
| called, and need neither eulogy nor description
| The rides, and drives, and walks, the pic nlcs
| the croquet playing, the tranquil evening cigar,
| thelunch Of bonny clabbcr, smothcrcd In sugar,
and the richest OF cream-.shade Of EplCurus,
| how shall ever sigh for the cream pots of
| Cecil! All these "simplc' country pleasures
| I at last abandoned, and one dark Sunday
night drove like Jehu ten miles across the
country, caught the Washington express train
sped onward towards the social antipodes of
the quiet ncighborhood | had just lett; and,
arriving 10 New York carly in the morning,
took the evening boat for Newport, the Gay.
| Arriving in the night aud driving up to his
hotel early in the morning, the stranger inst
impressions Of Newport are apt to be little
tinged with disappointment, Or at least with
surprise tor he secs no sparkling beach: with
rows of pretty cottages and white hotels ranged
behind on commanding bluff or sIoping shore;
| but, in their stead, only diIapidated docks,
venerable junk houses and Qrmy looking roofs
meet his gaze and he drives up the bill
through narrow streets, whose most thriving oc-
cupants seem to be livery stable men, green
grocers, lollipop vcnders and BARRIERS.
| Arriving at the top OF the slope, however,
and looking around him, he secs things in q
| different light. .......
Below him lies the Old town, once tue rival
of New York in commercial importance, and
now, alas, boasting but three brlgs on It's ship
| ping-roll, and of to the west and south extend
| the noble harbors, the inner and outer, divided
| by Goat Island, and both protected by the four
hundred guns of Fort Adams, which likewise
guards an entrance very much like the Golden
| Gate and glanclng around in OTTER directions
he finds himself on the western edge OF sort
of plateau where new Newport spreads out on
all hands into lines Of villas Of all styles Of ar
chitecturc, half hidden by groves and surround
ed with tastelully laid out lawns and gardens.
! He is now reminded of old Bishop Berkeley,
| who lived several years II the vicinity, about
century and half ago, and described the neigh:
| borhood as pleasantly laid cut IN hills and
wales and rising grounds, with plenty OF excel
lent springs and fine riVulets and many de-
| lightlul landscapes of rocks and promontories
and adjacent lands. 49,. ...... &c..
The first visit Of the curious traveller IS, OF
course, to the bathing beach, which is situated
to the east Of the plateau just mentioned, and
opening out to the south, quite out Of sight
| from the town.
About Il o'clock is the best time for bathing
or 'assistng" at the spectacle, as the wishes
of the visitor may suggest.
| The scene is, indeed, very lively and anus,
ing. The crescent line of little bathing houses
extends for more man half mile; stepping
into them from stylish carriages are gaiy dress
cd people, whom their dearest friends would
scarcely know when they emerge from the
waves presently; in the water old Ocean is
buhetiDg indiscrminatcIy both rich and poor,
who, indeed, when clad for the bath present
pretty much the same appearances, ladies arc
jumping up and down, giving little screams
supposed to be Indicative of fright or pleasure
as the case may be; gentlemen calamity come
to their assistance; all hands round and dip,
Isplash goes sort Of water quadrillc. Then
with streaming hair, or prcposterousy ugly
bonnet, out they come and if nymphs Of the
Rhine looked no pretticr then Sir Rupert was
4 fool, who fell in love with his imagination, as
many another man had done before his time,
and many damscl will, hereafter.