The Republican journal., 1876-08-17
From the Atlantic Monthly for August.
From the Purple Island.
BY LUCY ELLA GUERNSEY.

BY LUCY ELLA GUERNSEY.
1t is one Of the pleasant things about the
Purple Island that one need never want
for society Somebody is always at leisure
to talk to YOU. Whether you 90 down tC
the decaying wharf, or up to the Cliff, OF
over to Sconset, and seat yourself on q
stone or timber to look at the sea and
watch the fishing boats, or whether, find
ing the street you are exploring to end in
u flight of gray wooden steps leading down
into somebody's back garden, you sit down
on the top step thereof and breathe in the
south wind from the pines,-in either or
any case, you will find appearing from
somewhere an old OF a young sailor, ship
owner, or captain. ready to enter into a
pleasant conversation or to tell you tales
OF the days that are gone. when CONNER
cal Wharf buzzed like a beehive and the
wide pastures were white with sheep
when whalers went off on seven years
voyages, and perhaps never heard from
home all the time; when anxious ship
owners and more anxious women paced
the walks on top Of the great, roomy
houses, with glasses all pointed seawsrd
to get the first sight of the ship that was
due and overdue Oftentimes the glass
was dropped with tears and thanksgiving
as the brave vessel came in sight, adorned
as a bride for her husband, and with the
signal flying all was well. Oltentimcs the
growing darkness made the glass useless,
and it was closed with a sigh and the re-
mark that there was no use in Watching
any more tonight. And then the pale wo-
man and the grave old man went patient
ly about their daily housewifely and bus
mess cares, growing paler and graver day
by day, while all the time the good ships
bones, with those who had sailed with her,
lay at rest in the Pacific or Arctic seas
Happy they who knew their dead were
dead. and had no CHASTITY dreams of drift
ing boats and waterless vessels and yell
ing devils OF savages. In no place does
the tragedy which underlies all human life
take more solemn tone than in u New
England fishing or whaling town.
was sitting this way over on the Point.
with Il book in my lap and tatting- shut
tie in my hand, but doing nothing with
either OF them. 1t was q day OF Paradise,
bright but not glaring, with just enough
of crlspness in the air to make me prefer
the sunny to the shady side of the old red
tower. The gracious presence which beau
tilted the lighthouse III those days was
absent. so sat down on the sand and
found abundance of amusement in watch
ing the little ripples of the advancing tide,
the
''Iender curving lines of creamy Spray
and the pretty long-legged birds which
tripped along the margin of the sea. |
was far from strong, and weary with hard
work, and the rest of body and mind was
inexpressibly pleasant to me. Presently
Il neat dory was beached not far away
and Captain Burton and his mate Asa
came up and joined me. They were both
old friends. l had been sailing with them
many II day in the captains beautiful little
cat-rigged boat, and hoped to 90 many
times more.
Seems to me you've always got Il book
but | don't see you reading much,' re-
marked the captain, presently
4 accomplish a good deal in that way
on rainy days | answered. To-day it
would be mere waste Of time to read
Some folks say reading novels is a
waste Of time, anyhow said Asa. Uncle
Jehiel used to say so.'
Uncle Jehiel thought everything u
one siXpence into two,' answered the cap
tain. If folks must have amusement, and
| suppose they must, | don't see why a
good novel isn't as good as anything else.
don't object to one now and then, myself
Some people condemn them because
they are improbable and give false views
of lite,' said |.
AS to that. when any one has been
knocked about the world as much as |
have, he will come to think one thing
about as probable as another = answered
the captain. Il have seen plenty of things
with my own eyes which nobody would
ever dare to set down in novel, because
every one would cry out, How improba-
bic" My great objection to novels is that
the people in them act like such FOOLS
You don't consider that giving false
view of life, do you p | asked
The captain smiled, showing his white,
strong teeth in the midst of his grizzled
beard, with quite a startling effect.
well, no; not exactly, but don't think
people in real life are fools in Just that
way. For instance, here's young man in
love with young woman. and he wants
to tell her So Well, what does he do
He don't ask her to 60 out walking or
riding, and say to her right out, Betsy
Jane, will you marry me?' or words to
that effect. Nor he don't write it in a let
ter and stick Il stamp on it, and put it in
the office. or ask his sister to hand it to
her. No, that amt delicate enough to suit
his notions. SO he writes note and puts
it in a bunch of flowers or a book, or some
other place where it's ten to one she never
finds it. Then when he gets no answer,
he doesn't take an opportunity to say,
Betsy Jane, did you get my letter?:' Not
he! He goes and has brain fever OF
runs away to Australia, OF some such non
sense. And very likely the young woman
is wondering why he don't speak out, and
breaking her heart about it. For women
do break their hearts about men, though
precious few of them are worth it can
tell you that, sissy
well, people are just as silly as that i1
real lite remarked Asa There was Ed
Swayne and Susan Coffin. thee knows
Beriah =
Tel me the story please, said L. thai
is, if it isn't secret
oh dear, no. 1t was no secret thirty
years ago, and we are all old folks now
all Ho SIcaI ndllu III taIu, Dut We 70
to wait here till the light house mar
comes back and so, if it will amuse you
Ill tell you the story
And this is the story that Asa told nj
in that mellow voice and peculiarly soft
clear accent which seems the natural birth
right of those born on the Purple Island
You must know that'Ed Swayne and
had been playmates and messmates eve
since we could run alone. We had caugh
our first cod and blue-fish in company
made our first trip in banker, and on
first whaling voyage together; and il
short, we were like twin brothers. Mothe
used to laugh about it, and once, | re
member. she said that whoever marriet
one of US. would have to take the other
as well.
Il don't know about that y says grand
ma. Thy two little tommy kittens. Esther
were very good friends till they began t.
run out nights to see the pussy cats, ant
then thee had to send one away to keel
them from scratching each others eye
out.
| .J oo,1Jo,% hol,, 1aunh;n~. ooI x,ot