, 1874-08-30

5uuns tadles--by the way, noticed 6ome ot
Chicaso'a fair ard good girls among the joyous
throng Of youthful yisitorn.-1nost Of them were
too brcath!ess with exclaiming their profound in.
tescst IN the respective yachts which their gen.
,lcmen-trends of the hour had specially al
heart. to waste wor6s or Thoughts on tho dolor-
tner namH1as and aunts, Inst stnlght' hop aud to
nights antlclpasions furnishing prolific theme OF
diGresslon from the absorbing topic Of the hour.
but a. Eas SAID in tho outset, all
WENT MERRY AS 4 MAER1AaE-BELL,
! ihe forty flour yachts that sailed out all came
home III splendid time" and "splcnaid
condition" The Vinde1, which made the 50
miles ~ hours So minutes II seconds, received
Lac INST of tbs prizes awarded for the first race,
"a solid silver punch-bowl aud ladle. which
might have made tho eycs Of old Bacchus him
SELF sparkle. and caused the ssclassic" drinkers
who 80 delighted in iyy-c:ownod pocula, paicra,
cTdte'd, etc, TO regard with envy the yachters
OF this land Of steady habits aud probibitory
iaWs. The other prlzes-tvo marine glasses, q
pair OF silver napkin-rings Of unique nautical de-
| vice. silver pitcher, aud . barometer Of value
were awarded in the order Of merit, to the Fear
! less, o. tue tlrs1 race, OF 30 miles tho Era and
Fannie aud Posey, of the third, OF II miles. Of
| cou1so somebody was not satisfied, or felt
sgGrie'cd or dld not try fair aad it is rumor-
ed there may be different decision. or try
again OF the thifd-raco prizes How that may
| be, I do not know; but it ib reasonable to snp-
pose Justice will be douo as far US may be in dis
tributing the generosity Of the prizes The total
amount Of money paid b; Mr. Poor for these
was s400.
1t is hardly necessary to tell tie travelling or the
reading public that the Isles Of Shoals lie OF the
coast Of New Hampshire and Maine, about u
mules from Portsmouth. tho Rvermouth OF the
| Piscatslus- Tho poets Whittier aud Lowell have
! maao the name Of .Appledore . household
| wordi and T. B. Aldrch mas invested all
! the streets Of the quaint old Riyermouth town
with the charm of his inimitable psychological
myths and rouaances: but truest, because most
| loving Of all the poets Of the 1sles, is
CELIA THAxTEn,
the child OF the sea, the gray rocks own nursling
| Graded almost among the bilowe and hearing
ever resouudingl her cars the ccaseless lullaby
OF ocean. How, az child OF years OF age, she
went, with her father, and mother, and brother,
to the lonely isle. and lived aud loved its every
rock, and flower, and bird, and insect, and
watched every cloud and shadow on sea, and aail,
and cliff, and day By day yearned and louged, and
burst not venture to utter III words tho wonderful
thoughts which stirred within her soul, ehe le,-
self has given US g|impses IN her delightful
book, "AmoDg the Isles of Shoas," and in her
poems. It is marvellous. tho minute, paiustahing
Affection with Which the lorely girl studied and
watched the scanty, as most Of us would call 1t.
Hfe-reGetable, and animal, and huI1an-around
her; how each bit OF moss, the little sand piper
on the beach. the floating spar, became to her
rich storchouse of visions and phantasuls: aud
also how s!!o noted every pecuiiaritx
y! c1aE. an0 coaht, End uSo. ana
bird, and beast -cultisating power OF faithful
observation such as many OF tho most booh-aud-
society. taught students lack and would give much
to possess. 1t interests me much noa to recall
my first sight Of Celia T1a1ter. before she had
become known to fame, and while she still lived
comparatively unknown at Appledore. We scro
spending wcck-a party OF merry young peo-
pie, cousins aud fdeuds-at tho Applcdora House,
then Kept by Mrs Thaxter's father, Mr. Laigh
ton,-nov by her two brothers.
THE FA7uEH's HISTORY
Was interesting, and the subject of much epccu-
lnton to the loungcrs about tho ho:el-verandss
ind hills. He, it Ecer.s, mas disappointed
politician. and, diegusted with the thankle*rness
OF the dear people. had fed the world, and t:led
to live IN solitude in these wilderness wastes.
But somehow, though ho would not go to the
mainland. the mainland had come to lim, z!d.
will OF il,-nobody knew vhich,-ho had found
himself the centre of throug OF summor-visi::-
ors. 1--WE grla," however, cared not so much
about the politician fathers mental struggles as
for the romance Of his only daughter.-the very
young woman, with the babies. whom We saw
tilting about, in fearless fashion, in her
little boat, among the breakers; or weed
and doing hornely household-duties, at
the cottage above the hotel. ''Only to think OF
i'll" exclaimed dainty Miss Aristocrat, OF Beacon
street, Boston. Mr.. Thaxter, her husband, is
Harvard graduate, and they sag, is .culti-
vated and polished and might have married in
his own or tho first circles. But ho is 60 dread
fully ecccnttic; and he cams down here, a1d fell
in love with that rough girl. and dare saT he'll
be IS coarse Is she Is some day" And ne all
shook our heads. and sighed ut the peryersities
and eccentricites of Harvard students, and went .
On With our embroider1ngs. and crochctings, end
gosslpipgs, until our weeks ploasure-tTip VAS
over. Then We went back to our yerioua "clr-
ces " OF society, such Us our respective mod.-
Gums pf money. BLOOD or culture. had mndo
them, and Celia Ina1tor went her way, aud
MIXED tho little dun-cow" IS of old, in the
mntchless sumncr-mornings, and gathered unto
her heart the peace Of morning and evening. and
the strength of noon, aad the grandeur Of tho
sea and SKY, and tho tenderness OF sympathy
With all living things, and revsreut faith in the
Au-Father; and ever. as size says, she longcd
to speak these things that made Life
80 sweet,-to speak tho wind, the cloud,
the birds flight, the seas murmur,-
until it was i'm possible to bo silent my longer,
and I Was tain to mingie mJ voice with her
myriad voices, only aspiring to be in accord With
tho infinite harmony, however feeble and broken
my notes might be."
This afternoon, just before nc took oar leara
Of Appledore, I paid visit to
TIE COTTAGE OF CELIA TUAyTEE
again. The door of the parlor stood ajar, and n
gentleman sitting there invited me to enter and
wait for Mrs. Tha1ters return from walk. I |
had but a few moments to spare, and could only |
glance around the room. though plain and |
simple AZ to the furniture proper, Was q very !
bower of beauty aud delight with its store Of
treasures and gems OF Art and Nature. cannot !
tell what it Tas that gave such an air Of warmth |
and 1uxuriousncss to the rustic, even perhaps |
Awkwa1dlJ CONSTRUCTED furniture. unless it was |
the extraordinary beauty md richness OF the col
ors OF the flowers which were ]avished every
where. Tho peculiar quality and mysterious |
virtue Of the Shoals soil to produce rare brill
iancy Of hue in flowers, M1h. Tha1tar mentions
in her sketches. Ono shell remember particu- |
lsrly, hanging oTer tbs centre-table of books,
and flied with nasturtlums. pansies, and some
IRA A1. r,1tya |
old-fashioned and out OF date in greenhouses
and gardens OF good society. bus dearly loved I
by the poet-woman Of Appledoro. noticed slao
B painting Of violets undor the nantel and vines
hanging oyer it; writing-desk in the corner,
also with flowers on it; and head or bust, life
eze, garlanded With running vine,-a morn
ing-6lory, think. While I WAS looking and
trying to get something definite out Of the gen.