The Hawaiian gazette., 1870-09-28

fussily as they betake themselves to their
fashionable watering place in the nearest
meadow, that pond crusted with green
weed not unlike mint sauce. On the fresh
dewy lawn, all in grey bloom, thrushes
are pulling and hauling at reluctant
worms, who, refusing to come up out of
the hold, resist aud wriggle like detected
stowaways- Dishwashers, most graceful
and coquettish of birds, are pacing about,
flirting their tails over the grass just I'M
der the big Portugal laurel and every now
and then scudding after flies, who, intent
on ascertaining if their heads are screwed
on firmly for the day, do not observe their
pursuers till they are swallowed by them.
By-and-bye the honse begins to awake,
some one shufiies unwillingly downstairs,
broom drops with ostentatious clatter.
The next thing is the jolting open of
window-shutter; soon after that the kitch-
en- fire begins to crackle, while some one
moves chairs about and sings snatch of
some country melody. Presently there is
clatter of young voices, a cry and clamor
of children; a bell rings sharply and
ehidingly. The house is getting up; then
there comes the splash of bath being
filled, and the next moment comes rap
at your door, and rough country voice
says in pure Doric:
'If you please, EUR, it is past zeven,
and here's some warm water
Eastern travellers, who have spent any
time in the Desert, say that on their return
to civilization and fourpostbeds, there is,
for period, feeling of constraint and
oppression at night that renders sleep
almost impossible. They miss the starry
canopy and the great airy roof of nights
black palace / can well believe this for
have myself felt similar transition.
Some years ago l rode for ten days or so
through a part of Greece: every days
bivouac was an immortal spot. Thebes or
Thermopyle, Leuctra or Platea, Delphi or
Lepanto. l was literally riding through
Thucvdides and Plutarch Sometimes |
spent the night at the houses of priests or
old officers of the War of Independence;
oftener l slept out in the open air. and
my dragoman, our two horses, and my
soorijee, who drove the baggage horse
(such horse. | wondered sometimes be
did not GENE to pieces on those bride
tracks of white marble round the roots of
Parnassus), shifted as best we could A
days journey or so from Delphi we were
benighted in a wood close to the Gulf of
Corinth: it was wood of tamarish and
myrtle, myrtle twelve and fourteen feet
high, the leaves green and glossy.
We rode on and on through the wood
within sound of the melancholy music of
the sea washing upon the deserted shore),
like travellers in a fairy story, until, led by
the faint ray of the first star, we became
aware of little water-mill, at the dusty
door of which sat stolid old Greek,
white with age, but still more with flour,
who received us with the immovable, !
wonderless gravity of the Turk. He slew
grimly thin and muscular fowl which |
lie roughly aroused from his first sleep;
lie roasted the bird with gravity; he boil
ID us water; he brought us bread, then,
With the servile shyness of serf, he sat
part under myrtle tree, getting our
Office ready, affecting to take no notice,
'ut watching everything as | supped on
he edge of my camp-bed. A meditative
'ipe followed, and then went to bed in
he open air under the shade of hospita-
lie sycamore. There lay looking up at
he sky. The mountains of the Morea
Tere to the right of me, "the sentinel
tars kept their watch in the sky,n and
emile influences came to me from heaven.
l cloud was my Counterpart, clouds were
ny bed-curtains, the roof of my bed
hamber was star-spangled, the Pleiades
lcked me up. consigned myself to the q
of God and then fell asleep, ]
18th a passing thought as to whether
here were any wolves still left in that i,
art of Greece. | never slept so soundly, b.
r awoke so refreshed l was sorry the
ext night to exchange that spacious and
bed-chamber for dirty room 4
! feverish Missolonghi.-AH the Year
found i