The Portland daily press., 1881-10-19
"Moon of the summer night,
Far down you western sleeps
Sink, sink, in silver light;
She sleeps, my lady sleeps.S

The Casino is the crown of gay Newport
life, supplying the characteristic central point
which the Newport of the last generation lack
ed. 1t is the pnmp-room OF the last century at
Bath and Tunbrdge Wells. There are no
springs, indeed at Newport and the baths are
on the sea-shore. But the Casino is all that
the promenade and other places OF meeting
are in other countries and times and at other
great pleasure resorts. II is, in fact, thor
oughiy we'll appointed aud Well-considered clu b
managed by board of governors, and designed
with a taste and skill which the French gen.
tlemen cannot but admire. Upon the street
it is a long, rather quaint building, in perfect
keeping with the general character OF tire
neighborhood, and of rich dark hue as if it
had been built in the elder Rochambeau's day.
The lower story upon the street is a range OF
pretty shops, and the upper story is club
proper, with smoking and card-playing, and
writing, and reading, and bathing aud bill
lizards and lounging rooms, which are "low
studded, furnished substantially and taste
fully, and have the true club air of comfort.
The Casino is entered by broad passagewsy
from the street leading to a first large open
court, almost surrounded by q gallery, upon
which open eating-rooms and reading-rooms,
and which is overlooked by the windows OF the
club above. At the side OF the entrance in the
court is low, quaint clock tower which
might have strayed from French chateau. All
the building upon this court is OF neat elegance
and simplicity, and the coiors are subdued and
pleASlEg. OppOSlb6 bilb eUbtduto buo SallcNJ Ii
open toward the second court, and it has the
effect of pretty pavilion. Here between the
courts CAV groups sit listening to the music of
the fine New York bands, talking and watch
ing the game of lawn tennis III the second
court. In the morning the groups are often
from the cottages, an on some days the scene
is that of an assembly. In the evening appear
the strangers who have newly come to New
port and who hasten hither TO see the world.
The pavilion separates the hrst from the sec
10. -, l.n-r
and is devoted to lawn tennis. At the farther
end, opposite the pavilion, is the theatre, aud
the proper old English tennis court The
court is entirely secluded, and is overlooked
only from the pavilion and from the outer gal
lery of the theatre
At Baden Baden in the old day, and at the
German spas, the French gentlemen have seen
the fiue gambling halls, aud have watched the
silent, intense game. The Casino offers no
gambling resources 1t is wholly social ex-
chang, pretty, tasteful, agreeable, and, TO a re-
sort like gay Newport Indispensable At Sara
toga life is concentrated at the great hotels,
each of which is its own Casino Bat Newport
life is diffused. 1t is villa life. Its object,
nevertheless, like that Of all such resorts, is a
select publicity. People who wish to BE- her
mits do not go 70 Newport. NJ. Do Rocham-
beau and bis company will be doubtless aston
ished, for somehow Newport, hich is an en-
tirely unique aspect of American life, eludes
the books of travel. Either the tourists are
here out OF season, or those who see Newport
do not write books. 1t is not to be expected,
but it would be very interesting If the French
memoirs Of life in Newport hundred years
ago should be followed by French memoirs OF
the life of to-day. Its present life is of kind
for which the French are thought TO have
peculiar genius-the Wills life, we mean. for
there is still the quiet life of the old New Eng
land town upon the harbor, to which the
hum of the saturnaia upon the hill is like the
sound of the invisible battle of the Huns in the
air.