New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-12-03
under THE SEA AND WHAT CAME
OF 1T.

They were scrambling down the rocks.
gay, chattering procession-pretty Kate
with her captain; DR.. Gray supporting
his invalid wife; Helen, Isabel, Tom and
their midshipman cousin; last of all,
Esther Vane-alone. It seemed to her
morbid fancy right that it should be So
Henceforth she must be alone-always.
The little guide trotted on in advance
his round, ten year old face wearing the
vacant look 40 strangely common to that
part Of the Maine coast, with its glorious
scenery. There the ocean is considered
simply vast depot of behring's and
''porgyoil," and the mountains as out
ward obstacles in the way of primitive
husbandry. ''Blast 'em, wish they was
flat," the natives say, as their blows
encounter the boulders at the base: and.
if they look aloft at all, it is to calculate
the perches of ".medder land" which
might be made to occupy the same area,
If the heights were out of the way.
Our party felt on the eve of great things.
Having arrived only the day before,
Mount Newport with its wonderful reach
of sapphire sea, the bluffs, the lakes in
their settings of dark blue hill, we're still
to them the images of things not seen.
This, their first excursion, they had dedi.
Gated to the "Grotto, or Devils Oven"
as the coast people term it; sort of sub
marine cave, unveiled, and accessible at
low tide only, and great wonder in its
way.
The path grew sleeper. Carefully they
followed its windings, step by step, sure
footed Kate accepting the help she didn't
need, for that pleasure in being guided
and watched. And now the little guide
pauses, and with q frsckled forefnger
points round q projection of rock. All
crowd to the spot. Alb! there it is-the
cave of the mermaids! A shrek of min
gled surprise and enchantment burst from
the party at the sight.
Beneath the low browed arch the rocky
A0or rose, terrace after terrace, till in its
highest recess it met the roof above. A
floor for the nereids to dance upon; floor
of pink coralline, cleaning here and there
through pools OF emerald water left by the
retreating tide. And each of these tiny
1akelets seemed trimming with flowers
the flowers Of ocean-green whorls like
chestnut burrs; anemones with their
dahlia bloom; brown and rosy MOSES
about whose tendrils bright fish darted
and played, and snails Of vivid orange
clustered; broad leaves of brilliant dye
swaying and undulating with the motion
OF the pool; minute specks of life flash |
ing every iridescent hue. Earthly garden
was never SO gorgeous. The rocky shelves
were dimpled with hollows, softly. ex-
4uisitely curved. No fancy of the old
classic days seemed too fantastic or too
fair for the SPOT. The Imagination in
stinctively kindied into pictures, and saw
the Sea nymphs sporting in the foam; bold
tritons winding their shells; mermaids
playing at hide and seek; mixes and
knocking water sprites peeping from the
basins-all dreamland and wonderland
opening, and the common earth put aside
and far away.
With cries of delight the party made
their way down and scattered through the
cave. There was room for an army. 1t
was hard to realize that with the returning
tide the space u.ust fill, the gateway close,
and leave no resting place for human foot.
You said the tide was going down,
didn't you, little boy?"
"Ye-ah" |
"You're sure 2"
"Ye-ah."
Ihats nice, cried Isabel. "Then |
We can stay as long as we like. Oh do
somebody come here and see this"
She was lying with her face almost |
touching the anemones. Nobody respond |
ed to her call. Each had found some |
otter point Of interest. Tom had fished |
mp . sea.archin, and was exhibiting it,
Kate and the ca,tain, in niche of their
own, at safe whispering distance, were
absorbed in each other. Esther had
climbed to the topmost ledge. and was
sitting there alone For the first time in
Blk weary mon hs sensation of pleasure
had come to her, and she was conscious
Of bat one longlng-that they would all
30 away and leave her to realize it. With
some vague hope she got out color-box
and portfolio and began to sketch.
Sketching, she had discovered, kept PEG
81" # aud furnished an excuse for ST.
nee.
Add so an hour or more passed by. She
leard as in dream, the chatter of the
'thers, their Questions to the little guide,
us sho I. jerk, replies The pools were all
xplored; the sea urchins and anemones 4