The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1876-03-17

| of beach, And on this bench Tom lay
ward, answering vague cry for help, in
audible save to an inward sense, whose ex-
stence had forced itself into recognition for
the first time in his life, found q girl in
clothing drenched by brine, evidently a
waif of the sea, and just awakening from
deathlike swoon-an exquisitely sweet-feat-
ured girl, whose relaxing grasp had unloosed
dead baby from her breast
Three days after the unheralded event Of
woman found half drowned upon the
beach, and dead child buried in the sands
! by hands unfamiliar with such rites, the fol-
lowing letter by a young man spending his
vacation at x, was dropped into the
northern post:
"My Dear Augusta: | promised to give
you detailed account of my impressions of
X. AS we are off at p. m to-day on
boating excursion to the Isle Of, have
all my piscatoral preparations yet to make,
and must necessarily be brief.
"Postponing, then, full narration Of
minor incidents until we meet, | will de-
scribe to you merely the experience which, /
am sure considering the captivating person
mel of our host-irresistibe | am told, to
you girls,) will interest you and your sister
my evening at Tom Hayward's cave.
1.-TWO or three fellows of Hayward's set
have INDUCED in the luxury of caves down
here and the fitting up of the sea fasing
caves has been rage this season. But
nothing, so far, compares to his. We were
invited down to spend last evening-an in
formal invitation to C and N and
myself The approach, directly seaward
from the road, and wild in the extreme, has
been somewhat assisted by art. A tiled
excavation leads by Enthusiastically lighted
passage into a cavern some thirty feet, |
should think, above high water mark, open
ing in wide mouth directly upon the sea, and
owing to a gully beneath it, which forces the
waves into curious columns more vociferous
than 'howling Wilderness dashed wildly by
spray, and for several feet with the
rugged entrance made slippery with sea-
weeds.
"Our visit was on n tranquil night but
a measured, booming sound, made resonant
by some acoustic properties of the governed
archway, announced the nearness of the
mighty deep We soon became accustomed
to the ceaseless roar, and settled ourselves
comfortably to game of whist.
"But forget. I must picture the cavern
itself, and the simple black and white of
paper and ink can hardly do this. The in
terror is an Apocalypse of color the drap-
cries of copper-colored satin Orientaliy en-
broidered in brilliant silks; the pictures
the musical instruments set with gems
colored crystals, l presume; the lights
arranged in tinted groups, like flower ar
rangements in Partisan taste; the flowers,
exotic blossoms upheld against the cavern
walls in carved easels or racks, the Indian
rugs the couches quilted with Cashmere
shawls the sombrc book cases inlaid with
colored hierOglyphics significant to the initia-
ted, no doubt; the bronzes and marbles
cleaning from mysterious inches in the
rock an alcove for retreshments-bu that
will leave to describe at leisure. Last
evening it ministered to masculine taste
but at times when ladies' are invited every
thing is made to suffer sea-cbange ices
shaped and tinted like shells, dishes, and
goblets genealogical from helix to nautilus
Opposite the refectory is. a veiled niche
and the white lace dropped to the ground is
so heavily embossed with embroidery of the
gold, that, although it looks transparent, il
is an absolute screen. l emphasize this fac
on account of an episode of the even
ing, which l may as well tell you a
once.
"We had played two or three games o
whist, regaled ourselves with Hayward
choice cordias and cigars, and the evening
was drawing to its close, when from behnC
the embroidered curtain arose the music
with harp accompaniment, of the sweetest
most plaintive voice that / have ever heard
The effect was magical involuntarily ever,
man of us might have been seem with
dropped cards, leaning our heads pensivel,
upon our hands. Each thought of the wo
man who loved him best
"Never have / heard my dear Augusta
} such penetrative, haunting voice. Well
all our imploring and insisting demand
upon Hayward failed TO force him to uplif
the veil and reveal the fair songstress. An,
; for this reason, we were all surprised; he
form and face belied her voice, and Hay
r ward would not for the world have destroy
, ed the suggestive effect. Indeed, upon re
Election, and assisted somewhat by N
technical musical perception, | was con
vinced that the voice had the one rift in il
| divine lutte of incipient age. "A fade
I prima DONNA N-said. A woman,
r thought, whose intense power outlived he
a life. You know it is said that no actre,
n can adequately play the part of Shake.
r phere's heroines until the bloom of youth
n past and consequently the thrilling accor
of Material and immaterial is lost.
} "At any rate, the song-like the 'one loo
= of passion that Lamartne says sweeps II
5 keys of that charming instrument I'll
t, face of youth-swept the keys of our SOM
l. what Injured but not yet age-worn hearts.
"But Augusta, my dear friend-since yc
Y will only allow me to call you by that nan
d I must conclude Could you see the ran
Is pant melee of vandals who have just hockC
n into my not spacious room, you would kno
why. will continue my cave story in n
r next-tor there is fnis. But if the fshir
o is good, we may remain at the island Ii
10 Saturday so do not be anxious if you r
:. ceve no word till Mondays mail, Mea
Ia while accept with my reminiscence of Il
70 sweetest music / ever heard, the deare
~ idealizatiou of friendship that so far h
blessed the fond but frowned-on heart
+ your faithful CHARLES"
A Not one of Tom. IIaywards conrad
n conjectured the reason of his refusal-ma
so at the last moment-to accompany the lis