Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-08-24
BY ADA NJ. TRoTTER.

such travellers AS they are with the
whole world lying at their feet More
-morel" was their genial cry.
Sea urchIns awoke, and crawled
along the ledges of the rocks; crabs put
on their utmost speed, lest the ebbinS
tide should leave them stranded. The
star-fshes, creeping over the opening
mussels, made their morning meal,
while the rose tinted anemone swept
the sunlit tide with its fragile t-nta-
cles, seeking some victim worth assim-
ilating.
The sea-mosses grew from some
coarse dulse, which clung to the rocks
always in deep water. The sun was
scarcely up, when overhead drifted a
shadow. The beams thus pushed aside
cried in warning chorus, "a boat-a
boatp'
"Oh, how beautiful cried young
girl. A sonorous voie3 replied, LET
me reach it with my oarp"
"You cannot, professor. What a
pity"
The sea-moss, looking up, saw two
eager faces gazing at her swaying. per-
feet form. "Ca1t you get it?"
'1mpossibler
What it is?"
II do not know. My book does not
mention it. 1t is evidently rdra driS.
Well, we must give it NJ"
The shadows moved with the boat;
the laughing sunbeams came back.
1--WE found you first, rard aUis, I"
said they. Were they admiring me?'
"Of course"
"What next?"
nyI
"Yes, that is the way," they said.
"Now you have tasted a new Joy, you
will always be asking What next'?'
"Will they come againT"
Possibly. Probably. however, you
are already forgotten.
Il might go after them. / am tired
of this. Every day 1 do the same
things. Look now at this large
breakerl L might mount aud fit shore
wards. l too should travel. | shouid
meet with incidents Most people
might see me-"
"You mean admire you, 1 suppose.
After all, such expressions soon pail
upon one," replied the sunbeams.
1--WE think nothing of it. 1t is our
daily bread. Poets rave about us;
children chase us-live on US. We are
courted by princes, loved by queens,
sought by rich and poor alike. But
What of it,"
"Ah what careerl" cried the moss
breathlessly. ''No wonder you do not
understand our limitations, obliged at
the slightest breath of the ocean to
float this way or that"
Nevertheless, you are with your
friends. 1t is better than drifting
among strangers.
"FIiends" cried the moss, with a
scornful recoil from the dulse, to whose
good services she owed her freedom
from care, having nothing TO do but
ply, while the stronger moss clung to
the rocks. Coarse creaturesl Give me
good company or none"
The dulse laughed hosrsely, feeling
inclined TO be very good company. The
family possessed a kind of beauty of
their own, too, of which thev were
quite unconscious. When the tide was
low and the reef was bare they COW
cred the scarped rocks with mellow
tints, golden brown deepening into
black, even purple in the twilight.
The delicate moss grew lang1id as
the day wore on, but the gay sun
beams never ceased their dancing.
The tide ebbed lower and lower, then
turned, and babbled back into the
hollows of the reef With it came a
wind from shore, driving the wavelets
brlskly on, splashing the foam on the
rocks, and scattering the sunbeams
iato millions of sparkling gleams. At
length the wanderer was caught in a
rocky cave, and rosmed hither and
thither with its monotone of story.
$50 much to do ere sunset-our time
for rest, you know-so l must go on.
No way out OF this, you say, but the
way came! Absurdl Can't go back
wards, you know. No 1 don't want to
stay. I'll search about; L daresay
there is crack can squeeze through.
No. I'm no story-teller, but it was in
terestlng, very. A balloon, l think
they call it, with man-creature sitting,
trying to sail. Oh, yes, but I'm good
natured enough don't mind being
sat upon | gave him slift-sent him
out to sea. believe he said, at the
time, l was going the wrong way; but
you can't believe that kind of creature.
North wind came clustering up and
turned him round; carried him up ever
so high. L want to get out to see him
drown. Of course be will as soon as
north wind drops him. Ali l thought
l should find crack. Dear mel I'm
terribly squeezed-there won't be much
left of me to roam over the reef before
sundown." He gathered his drifting
garments and drew them through the
tiny Granny, signing softly his fare
veil"
The waves babbied into the cave,
calm and peaceful in their ebb and
flow. a low moan came from the ebbing
depths, prophetic of coming storm,
occasionally breaking their monotone
of rhythm,
While the sun set.
His triumphant course was run with
out the uprising of single cloud.
Nearing the horizon he cast forth
flames of dazzling britliance, caught
the forests, shedding gold upon the
boles of the stalwart pines, buried the
scarped cliffs in haze of glory, touch
ed the ocean, leaving trail OF crimson
from horizon to shore, and glowed
amongst the rock pools, until the bar
rem reef, purple amidst these gorgeous
su.cat flames, was crowned with dia-
monds and rubies, while the tapping
waves, splashing against the rocky
walls of the cave, for the moment
builded ther. in amethyst and gold.
The sea-moss swayed beneath the
crimson current. Torrents of gold
rolled past and over her. The
gay sea-creaturs crept out of sight
INTO the crevices of the rocks, awaiting
night. The western wind sank softly
with the sun. Then the after-glow
touched the very zenith in its rapid,
upward flight, and, fading as it fed,
gave place to the evening star, serene
and pale. Then did the dim sky darken