The Republican journal., 1888-04-19
Marooned.
From the Boston Tran


paratire merits of city and country life, ard
who gave his preference fearlessly, if a tri;le
! authoriatiyely, to the delights and convent
ehces of the town, and what 1.-THE good gray
poet aflectionately calls
The blab of the pave. tires Of carts, slull of
boot-soleS. talk of the pomenaders.
If this heroic writer had confined his dislike
OF the country or "black Districts to the Win
ter months could have cried ..brayo' or even
''amcn.'' with hearty but suppressed assent :;
but he seemed TO make little or no distinction
aiiu was glad to see another reader come
courageou>y to the defence of his country and
IN a few indignant words rout the unfeelinu
calulnNlator Of Natures charmS-or at least
trusted that he was routed. felt a grave fear
though. that there were chances for him to re-
treat III fairly good order but hoped that the
poor man would not be obliged to laIl back up
on the country while winter ruled the year and
the blizzard was heard in the land. This last
thought was uppermo>t IN my mind aS he BoS-
ton X Maine took me out of New En.land's
capital one cold February morning. and found
myself piun1ing into the open space beyond.
with its pale blue, sunless SKY. and it. world
OF white. untroddcn snow. 1t was a pleasure.
at first, to snow of virgin whtenesS. pure
and stainless a> where il fell. but after while
the Very fawlcssness of the snowy solitude had
an effect of depressing loneliness. and turned
to my book and fellow passengers with extreme
thankfu!ncsS. hlisSfully contentcd with my
present confinement and comfortable ease.
My objective point was Il small town on. or
rather in. Pcnobscot Bay, and when | arrived
in Belfast and looked for the er>twhe rippled
sheet of blue. nothing could see in its place
but Il vast gray field of ohdurate-ooking ice.
The steamer on which | had always before
crossed the bay was tied up to wait for sprin.
thaW. ana | was obliged to drive five or six
miles and g" across the bay to the island be
yond i'll the mail carriers whcrry. We had the
boat mostly as means of refuge: sometimes
drawing ii on the ice. and again breaking Il
passage for ii and >culling slowly along always
looking upon ii as our ark of safety. We land
ed on the other side at last and informally took
possession Of the territory in the name of Gro
Yer Cleveland and the tariil-reform Congress-
and almost Immediately made for the highway
with light hearts and heavy. uncertain feet.
W inter life in small out-of-the-wav places on
the coast and in the country doubtless differ in
many nnmportant things. but in general they
must be essentially the same. and with the
aforementioned discussion in the TRANSCRIPT
still before my mna's eye | resolved to see
what merits. if any. there were IN an existence
on an isolated island aud far from the ma,l,llny
crowd and the slippery street. There was little
enough merit Ia lie found in the crooked,
"choppy sleigh track. with it> tunnelIeti snow
drifts and de>olate distances t>ch drearv
contrast to the delightful summer drives over
the same roadD but from it caught some
glimp>cs here and there Of the wlite->hroudcd
Camden Hills. and the red-veincd winter sun
sci behind them fading slowly into the somlre
gray of twilight. The long. narrow island. like
gllm, huge serpent. divides the bay, and ON
my right. a> drove along towards its southern
end, lay the west bay. with Il bridge of ice
reaching to the main land, and on MY left the
East Penoh>cot. with it, cp-clad shores. bet
unfettered stretch of ruflcd gray-@rcen sea
Somehow the sight of those >lillen waves in the
oil-eoming dusk WAS not eNhilarating. and the
Sough and swirl Of the moaning wind through
the surrounding tree tops had an cerc effect
that was decidedly gloomy, if not ghaStlv. and
make me long for the crowded pavement had
left. no matter how deceitful and su>hv il
should prove 10 he. One can be lonely il Il
crowd. it is ones own lookout there. but a long
dull drive in February. at u.htfall along a de-
serted evergreen-Iincd road, with a forSaken
wind >lghlng around one tends 10 bring out
and sharpen the @regariouS instinct a> nothin@
else under hcai Ell can do: and the companions
ship of even hottcntot or an over-laGyuaycd
bore would. under such circumstances. have
elements of JOY. | can add from stern know
ledge OF the latter that the lIottentot. whoever
he may be. would he altogether preferable.
There was a rich and beautiful change from
all this shrinking crd and moroSenes> an hour
later. when | sat before the ruldy glow of
wood fire. in co>ey room. eniovine the IuNl-
rIou> magic of Il soothing pipe. Here was the
serene trne of ply seal comfort and iircSile
happiness. The JOYS Of the ccibate could 20
no farther. Fer one evening" at least there
was nothing in town life to compare in attrac-
tlNeness with my surroundingS-1be very soia-
ton III Which | found myself exercising Il
potent spell delightfully."- indc>crbabe. while
the cluri-h winter wind. pressing desperately
against the rane> and waiIing around the cor
hcrs. made me sink deeply into my bic chair
and cNult over my enviabe lot. Even the
books and magazines in the room. while add
ing welcome tone 10 the atmosphere around
me. Were not needed to complete or actcntlmte
the charm Of the situation, aS, under its sway.
sat AMI smoked and -azcd at the warm red
bia/t. hearing h> III Il dream the soft ,irowSy
>hriil OF
-'Ihc imprisoned SAP
llHntcd to death in its galleries blind.
The sights and sounds Of the city street fad
ei into meaningless memories. and even the
WcIl-loNtd theatre WIS forgotten fer Il space a>
toasted my toes and unre>erNctlly cave my
self ul 70 the influence Of those household GODS
which, a. keal> say. keep
~ gentle empire Ger fraternal souls
had to rouse my sleeping energies in order
to bear this tlattcrin@ dclcctablene>S. but was
afraid Of getting a Surfeit of ''the radiant fire
side il fingered and so boldly dashed Into
the icy hail. on upstairs and in moment more
took Il fearful, ga>pin@ plunge into the cold
halh oi bed IN Il few minutes | was deli
ciouS'} warm. and smiling to myself in an e Nhil-
aration Of spirits. quite impossible to the occll-
pant Of arllcially heated bedrooms. The win
tows raltlcd, aad the freezing north wind
howled and whi>tIcd near. hut | enjoyed it all.
a m I'nu . !" lelI'Nh'" >'e'p ia an lhde-
''a1". . ll >"'il li."N.
a., Tx i''N' noi'.i'2 WIN di>ii'ai dread
W ~. hlu'n'.A 70 get throu.h tht heaNy Gay
nt'' ie>oiNou 10 n3hl IL ot on thc me adopt
ou tht eNeHiiiS before II u tooh all winter,
"i'h2lle 'iiJ"Hi iheht oti OF me @fiil nhioVeil-
,e>s VI III. thN'rohhlch', anu hhoiiiS H. perhaps,
1''u>e " ,ht very uii"!e'ihcss ii;iu dfead-
eu' Wa hc..ic>>iN ehNiroiiea ma >ell-inpos-
ea e.. nainciH"'h, ana must make ihe best OF 1t
III ,r'ei' leaa pn''o>ophefs NE. Ihoreall,
WIN MS me 'tck ol !reSatiollsiess' could nave
M nMele passeu hls Gays III Idlel happiness taking
loii.. ioheiy walks Ill the biu>icrh@ weather.
vi H't.ii2 IN ''l uicoiliottaoe ciilif an" Wrlt-
ny oi ',rne; put ideal IfiehdShlp. lie would
nave scorhed the luxury OF revere III {! cush-
'o''." seal u! tie pri@ht ncaf'ii, ana the m
Gosi'! sIhlpathI OF smoke was blessing that
MS rare iscetic nature could have never Known
was neither feci,Se nor Idealist. and L was
even harasSed win a DOUBT that the gods had
hot made me poefcal; but was determined
10 dc phiiosopier' any way, and as phlloso-
phers should hlhgie with their KIND, made for
me nearest store al my earliest convenience.
IL was ihe resort ior every man IN the neigh
nofhoou VINO had the power 10 loaf. and
knew. IRON past ASSOCIATION with them. of the
racy. unWorn individuality of these men,
wed 10 the sea from earl! b0vhood and sturdy
ana humorous. as are almost all Old salts. An
observer, who thinks to look for it. is at once
struck win ihe contrast presented by the rug
Geu eNpfesslVcneSS OF these woather-seamed
veterans aud the blank, cXprcSsiOnleSS stare