The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1876-09-17
THE FISHERMAN'S DAUGHTER.
BY HENDRICK CONSCIENCE.
CHAPTER I.
" My Sand /"

| CHAPTER 1.
| "My Sand"
The shore of the coast of Flanders ia covered
| throughout its whole extent by hillocks OF
sand. Sparse and but slightly elevated frou
| the mouth of the Scbelt to Blankenberg and
Ostend, they gradually increase in size and
number towards the south; between Neuporl
| and Dunkirk, the beach expands into q sandy
plain several leagues in length and half q
| league in width.
| To the traveller who ascends one of these
eminences for the first time, there is somethi q
| peculiarly wild and interesting in the scene
which unfolds itself before him Thousands OF
ssnd-h hills, differing in size and form, lift their
heads as far as the eye reach some COW
cred with moss, Others rejecting from their
humid sides the rays of the sun; a large mum.
Der undermined by the wind, seem every mo-
ment about to fall Others stretch out like a
chain Of mountains until their irregular tops
are lost in the distance.
AT fret, however, the spectator discovers no
definite outline, so great is the confusion and
disorder, that he is induced to suppose that
this desolate place has been the theatre of a
terrible earthquake or some frightful convul-
sion OF nature, but soon abandoning himself to
the illusion of his senses, he fancies these thou
sands of hillocas to be the waves of an i'm
petuous ses, ~hich have been suddenly de-
prived of motion by the divine will, and which
have thus for centuries been the immutable
image of the stormy ocean.
The distant roar of the ocean, the deep and
solemn silence reigning over the DOWNS the
absence OF trees and shrubs, the complete soli-
tude of the place, all contribute to render the
visitor cad and thoughtful.
II from one emipence he passes to another in
order to change his horizon, he will discover
green plot and perhaps near this red spot,
which in it's outlines upon the downs appears
like pool of blood a wreath of smoke curling
above it is sufficient evidence that it is in
reality q roof of tiles.
And, indeed. these downs con tain at intervals
solitary house, or hut. which serves as g
shelter to some poor fisherman, who gains q
scRnty subsistence by the sale of fish and
shrImps
Arid and unproductive as the sandy plains
and hlllocks may be, nature beauties with @
scsnty vegetation those valleys which are pro-
tected by their locality from the sea air. In
such places may be seen the dwarf-willow with
it's hanging branches, and beneath the wild
ranunculus, the plantain, the sweet clover, and
other plants; baG all of them 80 much smaller
than the species else where, that it is diff cult
TO recognize them as the same.
1t is in euch spots as these, between the |
downs, that the fisherman bailds his little |
hut; be digs the ground to q certain extent, |
and endeavors by means of fertilizers to make
it produce few vegetables q sufficiency of
potatoes for winter use, and he is contented
with q property which, with q certain kind of
PRIDE be deeignstes as :" my sand"
Between Adinderk and the sea, where the
downs are the broadest and not far from the
French frontier, there stood, about the close of
the last century, several of these huts scattered
among the hillookS of sand.
One of them was considerably larger than
the others; at fret sight, it appeared as two
dwellings, because there were two exterior
doors but the presence of an ass and o COW
bro wsing in the vicinity, was an evidence that
a portion of the building served rs o stable.
One spring morning, in the year 1884, As the
sun was just appearing above the horizon, q
man was seated in this hut near q table, occu-
pied in making net with very large meshes.
He was working with his eyes shut, and when
from time to time he took from the table the
ball of thread for his needle, his movements
we're characterized by indecisiOn, and he felt
sbout as though he were blind. He was of
ofty stature and appeared quite vigorous; but
his stopping shoulders and white hair were in
1icative of an advanced age. He had evidently
led active life either on the sea the sea-
shore, for his muscles were hard, and his face
HRs as brown sB leather.
He wore undershirt of red flannel, wide
blue breecbes reaching Just below the knees,
coarse white and black woolen stockings, and
IN his head q black woolen cap.
The silence which reigned around the old
nan was broken only by the monotonOus tick
ug of the clock and the soft purriDg of the cat
1esrance of the house indicated the poverty of
Is inmates. The floor WAS of hard clay, and
,he room was so low that when the old man
uddenly strAightened himself, his head I
ouched the uncovered rafters which formed
ihe ceiling. NOtwithstandiDg this, everything
vas scrupulously clean, and the care with
which the scenty furniture was arranged
howed that q Womsn's love embellished this
tumble abode.
The first object that attracted attention was
chest of drawers, the top of which was Gov
red with cups, milk. pans, coffee pots dishes of
very size snd color, the greater part Of them
,eing ornSmented with golden brown or deep
,lue. Among these different articles the most
emarkable were small figures of coarse china, :
ePresenting SailOrS, Scotch mOuntsineers, or
An these brilliantly oOlored tablo-utensilS I
geEO % aEROOGed That no one piece was oOn-'