The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-08-02
A Castine Home.

There is the garnet not full of moth
eaten refuse and festOoned with cObwebs,
as are the garretS Of rOmancers, but clean,
light, and airy, the favorite play room Of
the little folks, and the frequent resort of
their elders when the bay is to be swept
with Il glass in search of an expected
pleasure boat or a lookout kept for the
first glimpse of a gatf-tOpsail as the
Spy comes creeping around Light house
Head, hugging the shore too closely for
maccustomed eyes to distinguish the
slowly gliding masts from the stationary
objects on the bank above. There are
heavy chests filled with the discarded
tinery Of former generations, the lowered
brccade OF the great grandmother who
danced with the British officers, being the
chief treasure of the hoard. The now
obsolete spinning wheel occupiesa distant
corner, and ranged along the wall are de-
crepit chairs with wide carved backs, and
claw footed tables too cumbrous for the
taste of the present day. Nor is there
wanting even here that suggestion of the
sea which gives quaint touch and flavor
to all the belongings of Castine. There
are rows OF huge cOnch-ShellS, for which
fashion no longer demands a place upon
the parlor mantel-plece, and boxes OF Gu
riOsites collected by childish hands; there
are masses of coral rock brought home by
the boys from the ballast wharf, and del
icate coral fans, the gift of some sailor
friend from the tropical seas; while the
floor is ornamented with rows of star fish
and sea urchins which the children of to-
day have laid in the sun to dry. In the
Il
cushioned arm-chairs of Old times are set
off by quaint engravings or richly toned
paintings, reminders OF Mediterranean
voyages and of hurried visits to art capt
tails along the coast. The bay of Naples,
or the villa-crowned height of Genoa,
smiles from the wall upon the scarcely
less beautiful panorama of sea and shore
outside the windows and the sewing
table is adorned with Il basket of finest
workmanship, the gift Of the sailor son,
who remembers in Eastern bazars his
mothers patient stitching and mending
in the days of his boisterous youth. Her
daughters bureau drawers in the oppo-
site room are stored with foreign treas
ureS All her garments smell Of mNrrh,
aloes and cassia. When she goes to pay
visits, she attires herself in Il shawl so
wondrCusly embroidered as to be above
the caprices of fashion; and her ivor,
card-case is miracle of Chinese art.
The grave father of the family cuts his
Boston Transcript with q sandal wood
paper knife, and writes his business let
tiers at a solid desk of camphor- wood,
whose massive brass frame fairly lights
up the corner of the sitting room, where
it has an abiding place and a table OF its
own
In the parlor the mantel-piece is gay
with the artistcally grouped feathers of
tropical birds; upon the shelves Of the
what-not are glass jars Of the spices OF
Ceylon, arranged in the various develop
ments Of their truitage: the drawers OF the
book case are full of Chinese pictures, in
noccnt of perspective and brilliant in col
oring; the table is streWn with ingenious
puzzles and a never failing source of
amusement for stranger guests is the
Japanese fan, which, opened Alright, OF
ters Il brave show OF costumed figures,
and reversed, tumbles into rags and
empty sticks Even the dining room and
kitchen partakc of the foreign element
which the great and wide sea brings to
this remote shore. Every one in the
house recognizes the subtle fragrance
when a certain tiny saucepan is brought
into requlsition, and the children rejoice
to see upon the table q pale blue jar OF
namented with a watcry landscape, which
hints Of preserved ginger within.
Nor is it alone the great square houses
that contain these cosmopolitan treasures.
The neat white cottages by the shore are
made picturesque by their imported be
longings. Queer beads and heathenish
necklaces dangle from the frames Of the
looking glasses; exquisite shells adorn
the bureau in the best room; and the
tame gray parrot sits on the fence and
scolds the passers-by in a foreign iargon,
but with an emphasis Enthusiastically sug
gestivc of his meaning. Elizabeth +.
Evans, in Harper's Magazine for August.