Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-08-16
those who could afford to stay longer, tn, steam
eI's lines were cast of, and she set out
HONKWARD BOCND

HoNEwARD BOUND.
Jrst before psssing the capes the party was
treated II an unexpected, and, to many, an un-
welcome luxury, in the form Of q thunder
storm at sea. The lowering clouds, the vivid
lightning, and the seethihg waves, with Heavens
artillery crashing lOud above the noise of the
machinery and the roar of the winds, comb bined
to present a spectacle magnifcently grand and
awo-ipspiring in the extreme; but its beauties
were lost on full half those on board, who were
placed kcrs ta ccn,bat by the heavier sea accom-
panyng the squal. Byron's famous lines on
the battle of Waterloo, though written for a
widely different occs sion, described the scene
faithfully
-'' There was hurrying to and fro,
And gathering tears, and tremblings of distress
And cheeFs all pale which but an hour ago.
Bushed at the praise of their ON loveliness;
And there ,cere sudden pdrtin1s,"
The fixed featrrcs OF dignided men relaxed
quickly; the maerifcence Of pompous dowagers
gave way at once to a most forlorn and wretched
expression of limpness and goneness; sentimen-
tai parties and billing and cooling lovers who
had ssuntered along the sea shore the evening
before asking each other ''what are the wild
waves saying?" found that they said ''Give!
Give!" and they gaus,-freely, if not cheerfully.
But the pic.pre is not a pleasant one, despite
its many laughable features and phases, and
we will not dwell upon it. Happily it was only
q dissolving view. The squsIl soon went BY, or
rather the swift steamer quickly passed from it,
range and int smoother water, and by the time
Fortress Monroe was reached most Of the uu-
fortunates were feeling nearly as well as be-
fore.
FoRAGING FOR RATIoNs.
Quite detachment, who had lost their break
fast in their contest with old Neptune, and who
faav .,.vtt oler ~
their dinner if they took it on the boat, con-
ceived the idea of going ashore at Old Point
and getting "good square mealr on terra frma
once more, as they could spend nearly three
hours on shore, which would enable them TO get
their dinner pretty well anchored while the
steamer ran down to Norfolk and back. But
hey went for wool and came back shorn. The
hotel there wasn't taking care Of excursion par
ties so much as formerly; not any, in point of
fact! The restaurants were closed. The street
fruit-stands had their shutters up. The hot
corn sellers were ont after supplies. The
prcprietors Of the curbstone boarding houses
were at churchor gone a-crabbing. Moth
ing remained but to ring the door bells of
private houses and solicit cold victuals. But
even this f0rl0rn hope failed the hungry pill
grims. Either the Old Pointers are not given
to charity toward wandering bands, or else they
saw that their larders couldn't meet the wants
Of such q ravenous looking brigade. At any
rate, when the steamer returned from Norfolk
the gaunt and spectral throng crowding the pier
were glad enough to get on board again; and it
wasn't long until negotiations were entered into
between its authorized representatives and the
gOod-natured steward of the vessel. Result: a
special dinner, and a rafting of dishes in the
dining saloon, which lasted far into the night
FROM TWILIGHT UNTIL DAWN
Sunday evening was. appropriately spent in
listening to some most xcellent music, vocal and
Instrumental, furpis he'd by the amateurs Of the
party, among whom should be named Captain
Denty an Messrs. j. B. Dawson and r. Heyer.
After twelve O'Clock some Of the livelier spirits
on board, who seemed determined to drain the
cup Of pleas to its very lees, got up a grand
farewell dance on the lower deck. This was
kept up, it was understood, uuiil nesr daylight
or at least until tired nature could hold out no
longer.
HOME AGAIN.
After leaving Old Point, landings were made
at Point Lookout, Piney Point, and Alexandria,
and within ten minutes of the time fixed for her
arrival the good steamer reached her wharf,
without accident or unpleasant incident. 1t is
not too much to say that all were delighted with
their trip, and will be glad to take it again
whenever opportunity of1ers-as all hope it may
offer again, at no distant day.. 1t is only Just to
add, also, that much of the pleasure Of the ex-
cursion was due to the unremitting and polite
personal efforts OF Captain Denty, the careful
and popular officer in charge, and of Messrs
Geo. H. Plant and Austin p. Brown, Of the pro-
prietorship. They fully merited the vote OF
thanks so unanimously passed.
SCENES AND INCIDENTS.
Of course no recital Of the main incidents Of
such an excursion can give the general reader
not participating In it anything like fair idea
Of its most attractive features. Only the graphic
pencil OF q comic artist or a caricaturist could
properly present them to the eye of stay-at-
homes. They consisted largely Of the sharp
contrasts presented by the faces, actions and
temper Of those thus brought together, and in
curious and unexpected developments Of char.
acter. Baggage was there, from the huge Sar-
atoga trunk down to pasteboard box Of paper
collars. Parties were there with such an
amount Of luncheon as led one to sup-
pose they thought the boat didn't furnish
meals ice parties who seemed to expect
the boat to furnish everything. even to q tooth
brush-if, perchance, they might happen to
want to use one. As usual, there were lovers
plenty-old as we'll as young. And, as mat
ter Of course, the inevitable bride and groom
were on hand-the groom, this time, stout
short chubby, bright, talkative, and disposed
to cifeulste around a trifie Promiscueusly; the
bride, graver, taller, thinner, a few winters
older, apparently with domestic tendencies, and
at times shocked not little by the lively de-
monstrations of the groom in other quar-
ters. And then people panned out, as the
miners say, so different from the surface indi
cationst A rosy-cheeked bachelor-lo looking news
paper man, whose facial expression gave no sign
whatever Of cares or curtain lectures, turned
out to be devoted husband and the proud
father OF two handsome children. Another
whose appearance Indicated foR<ness for the
good things OF life, particularly in the way Of
fluids, was observed TO decline ali Invitations of
bibulous tendency, and demurely called for
glass OF milk! Buxon looking maidens and
widows, whose eyes betokened mischief and
fun even to the verge OF shocking puri-
tahieal ideas, turned out to be solemn
mu6s, with little or no life or spirit worth
mentioning while others, whose physiou ne
seemed fragile as glassware, and whose quiet
eyes gave forth no sign OF the hidden nres
within, developed astonishing powers OF endur-
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