Morning journal and courier., 1891-08-04
HOMES ny THE SEA.

HOMES BY THE SEA.
A welcome to westbrook-Pen Pic
ture OF Beach Life-The Gravelly
Sea.
In sketch of Westbrook beach in the
Hartford Times we find the following;
It was gorgeous evening that welcomed
us to the shore-one Of those evenings
woven Of silvery mists and azure with the
moon drawing shimmering trails across
the water and the sands sparkling with
bits of silicate, when each light shines like
Jewel and the boats with their light
dressed ladies and singing rowers seemed
encompassed by romance. Down by the
water, with dog and a baby whom we
had come to see, the hours speed swiftly.
The baby was brown as q chestnut and its
little delft feet managed the sand and
the seaweed better and swifter than mine.
It is in that stage of language when the
ideas come faster than the words and
when sometimes the words will not come
at all, and If they do, in patois of their
own. When the white wings Of the Gala
bow''-the sai1boat-were pointed out, or
the wonder of the "team cawsh (the steam
cars) told of, one could follow. But when
baby talk went into more recondite sounds
one could only look approvingly, and the
little fellow looked grieved at our stupid
ity Still, he honestly tried to tell of all
wagons that came that way; the butchers,
the grocers, the iceman's, the milkman's;
grocer, who gave him "cannie."
Next morning it was dim and cloudy,
and in the afternoon it blew whitecaps and
| rained. Literature was at an ebb. Even
| the country store at which pail and
shovel were procured for the baby, and a
| harmonica that made all the afternoon res
onant, afforded but the veriest old stages
of books, volumes with hair on their teeth.
Still the soft easy ways of the seaside crept
upon one. The salt air softly instilled it's
changes, it got into the crevices of the
system, and before night. one was lazy,
good for nothing lotos eater. As the
rain stopped at dark, and the tide was in
and churning at a great rate for West
brook, we went in for bath, of course.
| with various blank, blank ordinations
the belt of sharp pebbles and broken shells
| was crossed, and on an even, flat, sandy
| bottom one could sport with the waves
| which tumbled in merrily, and take walk
| of quarter to half mile without getting
beyond depth. The water was full of life,
and a brisk breeze lent its momentum to
the Dreaming waves. They rolled and
| tumbled as if they were forty fathoms deep,
and yet ones toes were in the gravel all
the time. This bath was notable for
an innovation. 1t is ore of the high
canons of the shore not to battle for two
| hours after a meal. Yet, here, we had
eaten heartily at supper and almost imme-
diately went into the water and enjoyed it
without falling dead, or getting cramps,
| chills, and all the rest of the predicted
things. And we did SO next day also,
when a fiery red sunset and rising full
I wit irIH
tints, and made one dip at one moment in
flakes of red flame, and at the other in a
moving sheet of silver scales. The Glow
ing tide" come in SO late that on that shall
low shore one had no choice. You could
not battle in ten inches of water, you
know.
The Westbrook Beach sweeps in wide
open curve for about three miles from the
extremity of the West End to close Of
Chapman's beach. This sweep is divided
into many sections. First, West Beach,
simple cottages and which closes with
Coo1ey's hotel. The bathing is best here
less pebbles and shells. Then the stretch
of Hartford beach, closely set with cottages
of modest but comfortable looks and
dimensions, and with its adjunct, New
York Beach, best off in regard to situation
The sand bluff on which all the cottages
are set is ten and twelve feet above tide, anc
this gives pleasant over-water look, and i!
contiguity to the sea, that are both desir
able factors. 1t is as good as being on the
water, and every breath of air tells. New
York Beach has some ambitious cottages
$4,000 and So, 900 edifces- fine Sc,
wall, well-turfed lawns and spacious sta
bles. Here Watson Bliss has charming
, place, wide, open-roomed, with fai
view, and arrangements Of excellent sens
and good taste within. It is an ideal sea
side cottage for moderate desires. Mex
come Middle Beach, a tumble of man,
cottages-$500 to $4,000 housewife on
t or two of more ambitious proportions
t 1t is being built up rapidly and thick
lous points on this beach. Beyond, quit
a distance, is stannard Beach. Whit
Q Hartford people chiefly inhabit Middl
Beach, Stannard is largely shared by Mid
dletown. And beyond that is Chapman
Beach, where about eight cottages no,
, stand. The cottages on Standard Beac
are large and elegant, with ample grounds
and green slope to the rear. At the hui
of this section, perhaps a half mile fror
8 Middle Beach, lies Salt IUland, small AM
Q very rocky isle, with an abandoned factory
+ on which single man keeps house an
entertains visitors.
Sunday was an ideal day for loafng O.
4 the beach, eating, sleeping and dreamin
D Of fair things in the future or past A
y the morning one lay gazing at the broa
sunlit sound, at the white sand, the peace
full summer dwellings and the BACKGROUND
Q of thick-leaved trees. And playing wit
t the baby of course. Then visit to Cor
gresham Wilcox, who in his shirt sleeve
: received on the veranda of his West Beac
cottage, diversified the scene. had see
: him arrive in the drenching rain the ever
ing before from a fishing trip to the Rae
g and stalk home proudly with number {
t bluefsh in his grasp, self caught. Anc
o by and by, the generous dinner was ovel
: and we lay on the sand with two pleasar
a high school boys and talked, just I
!: keep the sleep off. And the breeze
' sang, the sea murmured and gu1
y gled loudly, the glints of sunlgt
= played over the,,water, the boats half file
Q from last nights storm lay about, an
i, peace and good will and pleasant digestio
seemed to hover in the air and permeat
t the world.
: In the evening another bath, then ro'
f by moonlight, and finally musical soire
8 with the baby on the new harmonica. An
r thus the bed hour of Westbrook cam
: around. The divers couples stoppe
spooning, the rowboats with singers cam
t in, the ladies returned from their calls i
? the neighborhood, the lights, like tire
!; eyes, went outIone by one, and Frazier G
. the "Chat" next door, stopped studyin
, the moon and closed up his telescope
| Westbrook was asleep. Next morning tn
| men returned to Hartford.
t Snowballing In July.
: Mr.. Phil Silverthau of this city, who
now in Europe, writes home of his snow
| hallinu exnerianca last month whila ON To