The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1890-05-08
A NIGHT on THE OCEAN.
A Moonlight Excursion and Dance on an
Island in Observation-Disclosures
of the Trip.


How grand the thought; but grandcr
still the reality. These were my
thoughts as we steamed out of the port
of Brunswick, Georgia, a few nights
ago, on a pleasure excursion to the
beautiful island of St. Simon.
And jolly crowd we were, as the
trim steamer Pope Catlin glided over
the waters of Oglethorpe Bay, and bore
us out to sea.
The bay was comparatively calm: but
out on the sound the wind was blowing
and the waves ran high. The stars
twinkled mer:ily and over in the east a
bright spot in the sky gave token Of
Luna's fair approach. All eyes were
now fixed on the spot, and soon her
pale face was seen modestly peering
out over the pillows Of the briny deep.
Shyiy at first, she came out from her
watery hiding-place, but afterwards,
becoming more bold, she burst forth in
all her glory. How the bright beams
kissed the water that smiled an answer
back. It was beautiful with the beauty
of dream. But who can describe
MooNRIsE on THE OCEAN.
On and on, as far as the eye could see,
the rolling, surging billows were chas-
ing each other, their shining crests re-
flecting the bright moonbeams. In
front of US the harbor light on the
tower Of St. Simon's, sent its gleam far
over the ocean. Off to the right the
dark outlines of Jekyl Island (cwned
by the Vanderbilt's and used by them
as a winter resort could be seen loom
irg up from the waters; while away to
our rear the struggles ofour companion
boat, the Egmont, We're indicated by
the motion of her light, as she gallant
ly mounted wave after wave in her on
ward course. O, the beauty Of the
scene! Twas the sight of lifetime.
For time not one stirred-nota sound
could he heard save the ponderous
stroke of the engine, battling against
the waves.
| noticed q young man in front Of me
who seemed to be much affected by
the beauty of the scene, and it was
easy to see he was about to give vent
to his emotions in song I thought
nothing could be more appropriate at
this time, and anxiously listened for
ga life on the ocean wave"'
but my mind was soon disenthraled
by hearing him pour forth his soul in
"They say the cd COW crossed the
Crossed the road, crossed the road:
They say the old COW crossed the road
Because she crossed the road, sir.
And the second stanza:
They say the old cow crossed the road,
Crossed the road crossed the road
They say the old cow crossed the road
Because she crossed the road, sir.
Chorus
The old COW crossed the road, etc"
At the conclusion of the song
shout, that made the boat fairly trem-
ble, went up from the throats of the
hundreds assembled on deck. and the
spell was broken. Likewise my foot,
which had put too a too severe test,
in the laudable attempt to kick the
young man overheard.
At,last the island was reached, and
the time, till near midnight, was spent
in different pastimes and amusements
by the excursionists. Some spent the
time dancing. Notably my girl,
"With eyes as bright
AS stars at night
And cheeks like flowers in bloom,
A vision fair,
With witching air,
She whirled around the room.
Round and round she goes,
AS lovely as rose,
A presence sweet and bright
How proud was he,
The youth whom she
Was dancing with thai night.
Others went driving on the beach,
while some took the less pretentious
style of locomotion in stroll on the
sands, "Gathering up the shells by the
sea-"
No one forgets a visit to the ocean.
There is a certain indescribable fascina-
tion in the roar Of the mighty deep,
that never fades from memory. 1t is
awe-inspiring-as solemn as the hour
after death. Who has not experienced
emotions of like nature, in modi-
fled form, on reading the beautiful
words of Byron in his Apostrophe to
the Ocean:
Roll on, thou dark and deep blue
ocean, roll!
Ten thousand fathons sweep thy crcs
in vain
| never look upon the ocean without
mentally repeating these lines. Such
beautiful sentiment! And my mind
''goes-a-wandering,' and | imagine
see the famous bard, seated astride a
rock, in the waters edge, his head pro-
tected by a broad-brimmed straw hat,
and his bare feet dangling in the water
of the great and mighty mill-pond-
where McGinty took his famous plunge
with notebook in one hnnd and the
antiquated stump Of 4 lead pencil in
the other, addressing to the ocean the
particular kind of quotation marks re-
ferred to, UNCONSCIOUS Of the crabs and
minnows nibbling at his toes, while
his wife shakes the broom-stick at him
from the cottage-door, and tells him he
had better come Oh and bring that |
bucket Of water.
These orc the circnrnStaDraS ,,r,3o-