Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-08-21
Correspondence of the Heraldl
What We do at The Isles of Shoals.

STAR ISLAND, Aug. 10.
Editor Rutland Herald 1t has been
well remarked by some writer, that "the
way in which we spend our leisure
is one of the best tests of our character.
Men or women earnestly at work, do not
reveal to us their tastes and tendencies,
intellectual and moral, as do these same
individuals when turned loose and allow
ed to follow the bent of their own sweet
will.
There are men who, if only allowed an
hour to look upon Niagara, and some of
the finest views of the ocean, would spend
that hour in playing euchre or billiards.
There are ladies, if allowed similar OPP
portunities, would spend the time pa'i1ak-
ing, or watching the dress of others.
The average man, who spends day at
the islands after landing, lights his cigar
and seeks the card table, ball alley, bill
lard room or drinking saloon; or calls
for a boat and other appliances to go
fishing at all events, he will be sure to
eat, drink, and smoke
Now, the Isles of Sholes possess no
special advantages for any of the above
enjoyments, above most places, inland,
with the single exception of fishing, in
which respect the chances for good
catch are decidedly in your favor. You
may take your chair and sit quietly on
the steamboat wharf, and at certain
times, catch perch about as fast as you
can haul them in. This is the favorite
fishing ground of ladies and children.
By going out in a sail-boat from two to
five miles, cod and haddock may be
caught quite freely; an ordinary fore
Moons catch is from one hundred to five
hundred pounds. The hotels have beau
tiful boats, sailed by native Shoalers, who
have heen fishermen all their lives. In
the language of Mrs Taxter, "To see a
bona tide Shoaler sail boat, is an exper-
fence. The vessel obeys his hand at the
rudder, as trained horse a touch on the
rein, and seems to bow at the flash of his
eye, turning on her hull apd running up
into the wind, 'luffing' to lean again on
the other tack-obedient, graceful, per-
fectly beautiful, yielding to breeze and
to pillows, yet swayed throughout by a
stronger and more imperative law. The
men become strongly attached to their
boats, which seem to have sort of hui
man interest for them-and no wonder"
Thus, a sail among the islands, or to the
several points of interest on the main
land, is luxury in pleasant weather. l
have stated what the average man does
after landing-now what does the aver
age woman do After shaking off the
dust of travel and making hasty toilet,
she is quite sure to avail herself of the
many fine outlooks upon the sea to go
up into the observatory, which COM
mands view of all the islands, spread
out like map to go to the eastern ex-
tremity of the island, to hear the music
OF the waves as they beat among the |
jagged rocks. She may take game of
cards in the ladies' parlor, amuse herself |
in the music room, with the piano, or
join the evening hop. am sorry to con-
TESS it, but am obliged to own up, that
our fair friends are more keenly alive to
the grandeur and beauty of the ocean
than my own sex. A wicked old bach
elor friend of mine says, it is because
hey are so fond of the ''swells." The
average woman is sure to become famil-
ar with the wild flowers, of which there
S great variety on these islands-she
gathers all sorts of curiosities from the
'hore-mosses, shells, and pebbles, which
The carefully arranges and preserves, as
nementoes of her season by the sea-
ide.
| would advise no one to come here
Who is not capable of thoroughly loving
he sea; one should view it in all its
hases-feel its magnetism, commune
nth it, learn its language and recognize
The voice of the great Creator, that
dwells in that mighty tone" {
Here the sea encircles you in her ;
rms and presents to you on every side