Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1886-07-29

AT NARRAGANsETT PIER.
Children aud Mothers :. Characteristic OF
this bathing Place.


Newport. The shore below the landing
is line of broken. ragged, Shiny rocks.
SIS if they had been dumped there for n
riprap wall. Fronting this unkempt
shore is line of barrack-like hotels.
with few cottages of the cheap sort.
AT the end of this row of hotels is fine
granite Casino, spacious, solid, with
wide yerandas, and tennis-court-
such building as even NewDort might
envy. Then como more hotels, a cluster
of cheap shops, and long line of bath
houses facing lovely cnrving beach.
Bathing is the fashion, ut the Pier, and
everybody goes to the beach at noon.
The spectators occupy chairs on the
platform in front of the lighthouses, or
sit under tents erected on the smooth
sand. At high noon the scene is very
lively, and even picturesque, for the
ladies here dress for bathing with an
intention of pleasing 1t is generally
supposed that the angels in heaven arc
not edited by this promiscuous bath
ing, and by the spectacle of a crowd of
women tossing about in the surf, but
an impartial angel would admit that
many of the costumes here are becom-
ing, and that the effect of the red and
yellow caps, making a color line in the
flashing rollers, is charming. 1t is true
that there are odd figures in the shift
ing ntelee-one solid old gentleman,
who had contrived to get his bathing
suit on hind-side before, wandered
along the ocean margin like lost
Ulysses; and that fat woman and fat
man were never intended for this sort
of exhibition; but taken all together,
with its colors, and the silver flash OF
the breaking waves, the scene was ex-
ceedingly pretty. Not tho least pretty
part ofitwas the fringe of children tumb-
ling on the beach, following the retreat
ing waves, and flying from the incom-
ing rollers with screams of delight.
Children, indeed, are characteristic of
Narragansett Pier-children and moth
ers. 1t might be said to be family
place; it is a good deal so on Sundays,
and occasionally when the "business
men" come down from the cities To see
how their wives and children get on Mt
the hotels.
After the bathing it is the fashion to
meet again at the Casino and take
through q straw-and
after dinner everybody goes for stroll
on the cliffs This is a noble sea-
promenade; with its handsome villas
and magnificent rocks, a fair rival TO
Newport. The walk. as usually taken,
is two or three miles along the bold
rocky shore, but an ambitious pedes-
trian may continue it to the light on
Point Judith. Nowhere on this coast
are the rocks more imposing, and no.
where do they offer so many studies in
color. The visitors curiosity is excited
by massive granite tower which rises
out of mass of tangled woods planted
on the crest of the hill, and his curiosity
IS not satisfied on nearer inspection,
when he makes his way into this thick
and gloomy forest, and finds granite
cottage near the tower, and the signs of
neglect and wildness that might mark
the home of recluse. What is the
object of this noble tower? If it was
intended to adorn the landscape, why
was it ruined by piercing it irregularly
with square windows like those of
factory?
One has to hold himself back from
being drawn into the history and ro-
nance of this Narragansett shore. I
Down below the bathing beach is the
pretentious wooden pile called Canoni-
cut, that already wears the air of TRACE
dy. And here, ut this end, is the mys-
terious tower, and an ugly unfinish-
ed dwelling house of granite, with
the legend ..Druid's Dream carved
over the entrance door; and further IN
land, in sandy and shrubby land
scape, is Kendall Green, private ceme-
terry, with its granite monument, sur
rounded by heavy granite posts, every
other one of which is followed in the
top as a receptacle for food for birds.
And one reads there these inscriptions:
Whatever their mode of faith, or creed,
who feed the wandering birds, will
themselves be fed s.Who helps the
helpless, Heaven will help" This in
land region, now apparently deserted
and neglected, was once the seat of
colonial aristocracy, who exercised
princely hospitality on their great plan
tations, exchanged visits and ran horses
with the planters of Virginia and the
and were known as far as
Kentucky, and perhaps best known for
their breed of Narragansett PAGERS
But let US get back to the shore
From Their Pilgrimage" By Charles
Dudley Warner, IN HaTper.'s Magazine
for July.
C<.,,, 49,, f.,1 .;- 49,. ,.,,<.<...1