Morning journal and courier., 1881-08-22
CORRESPONDENCE.
Letter from Martha's Vineyard-The Beauties of Mature and of Art-SPort- B1uefishfng, etc. - The Campmeettngs.
 CoTrAaF CTTy

Bluehshfng, etc. The Campm settings.
 COTTAGE CrrY,
 MARTHA's VINEYARD, Aug. 19.
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 My soul is brim full, and want to tell you about it. Methodist O, yes, I am 8 good Methodist, and may be shall talk to you about things good and going to camp meeting before I get through. But the spirit of the beautiful, even for good Meth odists, doesn't dwell in campmeetings alone. There's kind of spell about old ocean-a sweet voiced music in her winds and waves. There is soul in Nature. ''She speaks a varied language and know of few places in New England I might almost say on earth, where the accents fall SO clear and sweet as along the shores of this wave-beaten isle of the sea- trife enthusiastic? We'll, per haps I am, but the love that bear to the Vineyard is the kind that grows stronger with the years. This is the tenth summer that have grown brown and healthy on her shores, and the pure, cool air never seemed so full of life, the low-voiced, murmuring ocean never seemed so like conscious, sym pathetic friend as now.
 But nature isn't wholly responsible for the good time that one has here at the Vineyard. Art has lavished her generous contributions, and the happy pair dwell together in perfect harmony. Within a few years Cottage City has sprung from a wooded waste to one of the fairest gardens along the coast. Here now are beautiful parks, and long, shady avenues of concrete. Aleng these avenues are ranged, among the trees, thousand fairy cottages, richly endowed by taste and fortune. The little city stands alone, unique, triumph of artless art. But parks and flowers and quiet cottages are not all. We are a 'city," with city's objectionable features. -grog shops, gambling hells, and the like aft ont Wo houa a1arorf hotp1c and almost numberless sources of culture and innocent amusement. Among the latter is one of the finest roller skating rinks in New England But perhaps you have been here and know all about it. Let me hope then that you are like the lover, who listens with new delight to each recital of his lady's charms. On the supposition, however, that you have not been here recently, let me tell you something about how we spend the time, and your inn agination will at once fill out the picture.
 Bluefshing is favorite sport An hours run before spanking breeze" brings us to the 'stide rips" of Cape Pogue. Then while the jolly skipper stands at theshelm we ''haul in" That is, sometimes we do. Last year my old chumi n college and I caught, in the million, that is, rlF vouch for ten or if teen of these, and I'm sure that he'll vouch for the rest. He said that the two or three that he actually Handed" would get to be thousand by the time he got back to New Haven, and that was year ago. But, testing aside, if you can leave ''Jonah'' at home, you are sure of g 'haul' and jolly time off Cape Pogue. A half hours ride in the cars from Cottage city takes you to South beach. The first thing in order is clam bake-a genuine, ld-fash- toned Rhode Island clam bake. Then for an hours stroll on the shore, where, after a ''stiff so'easter," the pillows roll upon each other like huge leviathans at play. There, if anywhere, your soul can hold communion with the sublime, the awful, in nature; a barren, desolate shore and an angry sea.
 In the evening we generally go to the rink, where, under the light of thousand Chinese lanterns, to the mellow numbers of the music, we glide and glide. One side of the rink is composed mostly of doors, that can bs thrown I know of no exercise so innocent, so health full, so fascinating, as roller skating at the Vineyard.
 But all this enjoyment is not at the sacrl- fee of mind and soul culture. We have a Summer Institu that furnishes us each week with the best thoughts of master minds. pr. Alexander Winchell has given to us this sum- mer, in series of popular lectures, the rich treasures of his genius and study, while 8 -o.a.osF,- art, and sSng. Aad ske- Vins5 yard has not lost, and we trust never will lose, her high religious precedence The Baptist camp meeting after very successful week, closed last Sunday evening The Methodist campmeeting is now in pro gress, and the Spirit of the Lord is with us the same Spirit that met and blessed the fathers fifty years ago, when they first came here to offer their humble, heartfelt worship.
 Dear old Vineyard, love her! love her art and song. I love her solitary haunts; to go alone and listen to the deep-voiced sea upon her shores. And when the stars come out and far across the waves the slanting moonlight sends its silver train, that seems so like the shadow of some invisible spirit company, can exclaim with Manfred:
 ''I finger yet with nature, for the night
 Hath been to more familiar face
 Than that of man; and in her starry shades
 Of dim and solitary loveliness,
 I learn the language of another world"
 The grand annual illumination, that trans- forms our little city into fairy land, has been appointed for September 3. Leave care be- hind, and take wife and babies, and come down. You shall renew your youth. K.