San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-08-12
This story was commenced August, H.
copyrighted. Al Rights Rcssrcd.)
A TRAGEDY;
Or
THE STORY OF THE CHAIN PIER.
CHATTER [.

Is larger, more cOmmOdiOuS, more fire.
Quemted. Go to the West Pier when
you will, there is always something to
see: beautiful women. pretty girls. fash
iOnable bellies promenade inCcSSantly.-
There are times when il is crowded,
and there is even difficulty in making
room for I'LL who come. NOwOudCT the
elite of Brighton like the West Pier; it
is one of the most enjoyable spots in
England. every luxury and comfort are
there, a good library. plenty Of newSpa-
perS, elegant little shops. excellent re-
freShment rooms. fine music: and then
the lovely blue. dimpling sea. the little
boats with their white sails, like white
winged birds on the water, the grand
stretch of the waves. the blue sky over
head, and the town, with its fine, tall
houses shining in the sunlight, the line
of white cliff, and the beach where the
children are at play. YOu go down to
the wonderful jetty. which TO me, was
one of the most mysterious and roman
tic Of places. there the water is of the
deepest, choicest emerald green. and il
washes the wonderful network of poles
with a soft, tapping sound. beautiful to
hear. You can stand there with only q
rail between you and the deep, green
water, watching the fisher boats out on
the deep; watching, perhaps, the steam
er with its load of passengers, or look
ing over the wide, Sunlit waves, dream.
ing-dTeams born of the sea-Out of the
world; alone in the kingdom of fancy;
there is always something weird in the
presence of deep. silent, moving waters.
There is always plenty of life, gai 3ty,
and fashion OF the West Pier. 1t is a
famous place. not for lOvr-making but
for Irritation; famous place for study
ing human nature; famous place for
passing pleasant hour. You may
often meet great celebrities on the
West Pier; faces familiar at the House
of Lords, familiar at Court, familiar at
the opera are to be seen there during
the season; beautiful faces that have
grown pale and worn with the excite
ment of a London campaign, and here,
as they are bent thOughtfulIy over the
green waters, the braCing air brings
sweet roses, the lines fade, the eyes
brighten; there is no such beautihcr as
a sea breeze, no bloom 50 radiant and
charming as that brought by the wind
from the sea.
On the West Pier you will find all the
beauty, rank, and fashion Of l}rightOn
you will see costumes q rurir. dresses
that are artistic and elegant: you will
see faces beautiful and Well-knOwn
you will hear charming ripple Of con-
versatiOn; you will witness many pleas
ant and piquant adventures; but if you
want to dream; if you want to give up
your whole heart and soul to the poetry
of the sea; if you want to listen to
yourself away from the world; if you
want to hear the music of The winds.
their whispers, their lullabies, their
mad dasheS, their frantic RACES, you
must 90 to the Old Chain Pier. As
rule yOu will find few there, but you
may know they are special few; you
will See the grave, quiet face of the
thinker, who has chosen that spot be-
cause he does not want to be disturbed
by the frOU-frOu Of ladies' dresses. or the
music Of their happy voices: hr wants
to be alone with the sea and the wind.
1t often happens that YOU find a pair
Of very happy lovers there, they 20 to
the side and lean over the railing as
though their sole object in life WAS to
watch the ripping sea. DO not believe
them, for you will hear the murmur of
two voices. and the theme is always
love If you 90 nCal them they Ioull
shyly at YOU, and in a few minutes
move gently away. al, happy lovers.
make hay while the sun shines; it does
not shine always, even over the Chain
Pier.
If you want to watch the waves, to
hear their rolling Music, if you want to
see the .-agWllS Whi"l in thp'biue ether,
if you want 10 tn,A., 10 read, to UG
alone, to ill your mind with beautiful
thoughts, go to the Chain Pier at Brigh-
ton.
There is a jetty-an Old-fashioncd,
weird place, where the green water
rushes swiftly and washes round the
green wood. where there is always a
beautiful sound of the rising and falling
of the sea; where you may sit on one OF
the Old-fashioned seats. seeing nothing
but water and sky around You, until
you can fancy yourself out in the wide
ocean; until you can wrap your thoughts
and your senses in the very mistS OF TO-
nance. Time was when the Chain Pier
at Brighton was one of the wonders of
England, and even now, with its pic
turesque chains and arches, | like it
better than any other.
81 | may as well tell the truth while |
write of it. | know that if the dead
can rise from their graves | shall re-
visit the Chain Pier at Brighton. |
spent one hour heTe,-that was he hour
of my life,-one madly happy, bewilder-
ing hOurl | remember the plank of
wood on which my feet rested; | re-
member the railing, over which heard
the green, deep water. with the white
sailed boat in the diStance-sails like
the white wings of angels reckoning me
away; the blue sky with the few fleecy
white clOuds,-the wash of the waters
against the woodwork of the pier; and
i remember the face that looked down
into mine-all Heaven lay in it for me;
the deep water, the blue sky, the hand
some face, the measured rythms of the
sea, the calm tones of the clear waves
are all mixed in one dream. | cry out
in anguish at times that Heaven may
send me such another, but it can never
be! If the dead can return, | shall
stand once more where ! stood then. ]
will not tell my story now, but rather
tell of the tragedy with which the Chain
Pier at Brighton is associated for ever
more in my mind.
had gone down to Brighton for my
health, and was staying at that most
comfortable and luxurious of hotels,
"The Norfolk" 1t was the end of Sep
TENDER, and the only popularity of the
month that | remember was this: the
nights grew dark very soon-they were
not cold; the darkness was rather that
of soft thick gloom that spread over
land and sea. No one need ever feel
dull in Brighton. If l could have liked
billiards, or cared for the theatre, or en-
joyed the brilliant shops on the crowd
ed pier, with its fine music, | might
have been happy enough; but / was
miserable with this aching pain of re-
greet, and the chill desOlatiOn of terri
BILE loss. tried the Aquarium. If fish
es would soothe the heart of man, sOlace
might be found there; but to my NOR
bid fancy they looked at me with wide