The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1881-07-15
DoIIie,s Day at Nahant.

In the first place Dollie dreamed all
the night before of the beautiful time
she was going to have the next day down
on the rocks at Nahant. a
Everybody was going which meant
papa, mamma, Aunt Maudie, Aunt Gus
and the rest and, beside, Mr.. and Mrs.
Sam were to take little Nellie and Sammy
and meet them somewhere on the road.
They were to drive down, with basket
loads of dinner strapped on behind the
carryall and buggy, and have picnic on
the rocks.ssasa. d a. ~
Wasn't Miss Dollie delighted? and
didn't her blue eyes sparkle and dance
when they started off the lawn, leaving
grandma behind to take care of the
house? as So e u.
They met Mr.. Sans carryall on the
road, and little Neilie's face and Sammy's
yes were as bright as Dollie's at tn.
prospect of the beautiful time y on the
rocks. ~, ... .f. +. ......s...- .....,.-
There at last short walk over peb
bled, shelly path, and the rocks and the
sea lay before them. Geat, gray bowld-
ers doomed up on every side, and the
swish-swash of the waves Tapped their
edSeS IN white foam.
"Surely there was never such spot
for jumping in all the world" thought
Dollie and Nellie, and so their bright
pink and blue skirts were seen whisking
around over the rocks like two birds.
Such sights as they saw, too Down
in the little pools of sea-water that lay
in the notches of the rocks, Dollie dis
covered the funny things. They were
tiny, pale, pinkish-green things, about
the size of large pea; their edges were
scalloped, and they looked for all the
world like set of little cups turned up
side down on the rocks. Great clusters
of them we're clinging to the sides of
the rocks, and, while Dollie watched
quietly, some of them opened a little
slit that looked like mouth, and darted
out the slenderest and tiniest of tongues,
finer than the finest hair, and arranged
in series of loops. With these fine
lassoos they seemed to be catching the
mites of bugs and worms that swim
around in the sea-water and which are
Invisible to the naked eye. ..
"Oh, auntie dear, what are these fun
ny little things, and what are they do
ing?" cried Dollie, from where she lay
fiat on the rock, intentIy watching the
curious performance.
"Why, those are baby barnacles,
4Dollie," answered auntie "they are
kind of shell fish, and sometimes grow
in such quantities to the sides of ships
as to impede their progress. They
also grow on rocks and bits OF drift
wood.
fare they alive, then ?'' asked Dollie,
in wonderment. ~a'
"Why, yes, and are eating their din
ners I should judge, from the looks of
that voracious one" replied auntie,
pointing to one larger than the rest, who
was keeping up an incessant opening
and closing of his mouth and throwing
out of his curious fish net.
"Give me hair pin, auntie, and let
me tickle him, said Dollie, laughing.
You may just touch one lightly, Dol
lie, but don't hurt it."
"Why, can those things feel, aun-
tie?" 9affs
SIT may be they can, SO don't crush
it. God made it to live or it would not
be here. .
Dollie stopped down over the pool
again, and with the point of the long
hair-pin just lightly touched one of the
open mouths of the curious shells In
stantly it closed. One could almost i'm
ag1ne it snapped, and the barnacle put
on the stoniest and hardest sort of ex-
preston as though it had said, "H you
thought was alive, you are mistaken
I am very dead, indeed, nothing but
piece of rock
"Look, auntie, aren't they the queer
est little thingsP" cried Dollie; "who
ever would have thought there was any
thing alive in little pool of sea water.
Isn't the earth awful full, auntieg ami