The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1893-05-17
CHAPTER II.
BREAKING THE ICE.

BREAKING THE ICE.
The cottage from the window of which
The Misses Williams had looked out
stands, and has stood for many n year, il
that pleasant suburban district which
lies beween Norwood, Anerley and For
est Hill. Long before there had been &
thought Of township there, when the
metropolis WAS still quite q distant thing
old Mr.. Williams had inhabited 1.-THE
Brambles," as the little house was called
and had owned all the fields about it.
Six or eight such cottages scattered over
q rolling countryside were all the houses
to be found there in the days when the
century was young. From afar, when
the breeze came from the north, the dull
low roar of the great city might be heard
like the breaking of the tide of life, while
along the horizon might be seen the dim
curtain Of smoke, the grim spray which
that tide threw up.
Gradually, however, as the years
passed, the city had thrown out a long
brick feeler here and there, curving, ex-
tending and coalescing, until at last the
little cottages had been gripped round by
these red tentacles and had been alb
sorbed to make room for the modern vii
In. Field by field the estate OF old Mr..
Williams had been sold to the specula-
tive builder and had borne rich crops OF
snug suburban dwellings arranged in
curving crescents and tree lined avenues.
The father had passed away before his
cottage was entirely bricked round, but
his two daughters, to whom the property
had descended, lived to see the last YES
tige of country taken from them.
For years they had chung to the one
field which faced their windows, and it
was only after much argument and
many heartburnings that they had at
last consented that it should share the
fate of the others. A broad road was
driven through their quiet domain, the
quarter was renamed 1.-The Wilderness, u
and three square, staring, uncompromis-
ing villas began to sprout up on the 9th
er side. With sore hearts the two shy
little old maids watched their steady
progress and speculated as to what fash
ion Of neighbors chance would bring into
the little nook which had always been
their own.
And at last they were all three finished.
Wooden balconies and overhanging caves
had been added to them, so that, in the
language of the advertisement, there
were vacant three eligible Swiss built
villas, with 16 rooms, no basement, cleo
trio bells, hot and cold water and every
modern convenience, including q COM
non tennis lawn, to be let at G100 year
OF ri 800 purchase. So tempting an offer
did not long remain open. Within few
weeks the card had vanished from No.
/, and it was known that Admiral Hay
Denver, V. c., G. B., with Mrs. Hay
Denver and their only son, was about
to move into it. The news brought peace
to the hearts of the Williams sisters
They had lived with settled conviction
that some wild, impossible colony, some
shouting, singing family of madcaps,
would break in upon their peace. This
establishment at least was irreproacha-
BILE.
a reference to men or the lime
showed them that Admiral Hay Denver
was q most distinguished officer who
lad begun his active career at Bomar~
sund and had ended it at Alexandria,
having managed between these two cpl
sodes to see as much service as any man
of his years. From the Talzu forts aLN2
the Shannon brigade to dhow marrying
off Zanzibar there was no variety of
naval work which did not appear in his