Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1872-09-14
THE BAY SID L
A Summer Rest at Collins Beach-A
Pleasant, Quiet Place.

tspecal Corresp ndenca Of Every Ev NiSG
HYGENIA HOUSE. COLLINS BEACH, Sep
iember 5th. The closing Hop of the sea-
SON was TO have tiken place ut this hou Q
10 night, but instead Of music and laugh
Ter, brightness and joy, there Is sadness
and tears, and the only sound In the lonr-
| iy aud deserted house, is the ceaseless
murmuring Of the waves.
Mr. George Collins, father of tho nres-
| ent proprietor, ard the huilder and found-
er ofthis hJu Sc, died on Monday at his rest
dence near the hcach; 50 tonight we are
very lonely ana very quit. All the many
| bright faces of the merry children who
greeted US 70 s@eetly during this beauti-
ful summer, have gone Que walks alone
In the hall aud parl0r no more pleasant
talks with pretty, wImanly girls, no more
strols on the beach by sunlight or NOON
light. The piano stands untouched. and
its white keys seem To mg for the touch
of vanished hands and the music Of pure
clear voices.
Everything speaks TO MS of loneliness;
only the echo of departed days, comes to
us full of sweet memoric of the past
weeks Of pleasure and happiness, aud we
sigh for tue days that are past for the
restfu JOY that made them so full OF real
pleasure.
The house has been filled with guests all
summer, and we have seemed as one
family Here we were not compelled to
be fashionable; tired mothers brouglh
their little ones here and found rest and
cOhtentmolt and plenty of amusUments,
for little children have no need Of toy,
when their is fresh air. sunshine and sand
10 play IN. They batied in sun lime as
they bathed in salt watcr, aud their bright
eyes, brosned skins and merry laughter
proved that they had been benefited by
"beachng it,"
For the girls aud boys 1--WE arc all young
again at the beach) there VAS croquet,
music, darcing, fishing, and last, but far
from least. tue walks ON the beach. Every
one seemed to lind plenty Of amusement,
and no time for anything ike Ork. Torn
dresses had to be uinued, and the boots of
our gentlemen reminded us very often that
we needed some Of those liule fellows at
the beach who cry " Have a shine only
ten cents -
Yet do not think that we never play ed
-grOwn-up pc0ple-We most certainly
did for al tea time, seven o'clock, we all
appeared in evening dress, and you would
scarcely have recognized the "bOys and
girls" that you had met fishing on the
bridge In the morning, or mayhap bathing
In the surf.
Our evenings were spent in dancing, so
cial talk, MUSIC and promenade, just us
one fancied. In the morning we went
fishing, and oh such sport as We had, then
the bathing, although not 30 grand as at
Cape May where one has ocean TO bathe in,
yet IL was very fine aud the waves really
high.
The bill of fare at Collins Beach is most
excellent, everything is as fresh as il pos
sihly can be, oysters brought from the
beds an hour before meals vegetables from
the garden just back of the hotel fruits Of
all kinds from their own orchards and
vines, and fish caught with your own
hooks and lines.
would tnat could describe the many
good and luscious things that Mr.. Collins
spread before us, suffice it to say that all
the boarders will ever remember the oyster
pies, roast ducks aud tue thousand other
good Things, for many months to come,
and will think longingly of the happy
days spent at Collins Beach.