The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1893-07-08

Lares, and to burn laurels before the
little statues of the gods.

Lares, and to burn laurels before the
little statues of the gods.
Of course 1 knew well enough, though
1t pleased me to indulge in these
learned reflections, that the troop were
but some poor children of the neigh
borhood, who had crept out of small
houses in small streets to shine for a
season in coats of many colors. They
had put on their paper crowns in obe-
dience to an almost forgotten custom,
not without hope of picking up few
pennies from the benevolent Yet,
for the life of me, could not shake off
the fancy that they were thus skipping
and shouting and footing it in the serv-
ice OF Flora, the fairest companion of
the painted seasons.
l was rapidly brought back to reali-
ties. A solemn gentleman, arrayed
with that elaborate discomfort in which
British responsibility delights, entered
the street and shattered my Roman
vision. One diniinutive damsel of the
band separated herself from the rest
and ran along by his side, holding out
her tambourine and. soliciting gift.
The man was untouched by the appeal.
he was afraid perhaps that he would
look ridiculous if he suffered himself to
be led into any dealings with the oddly
clad votaries of foreign gods. So he
hurried away from the Haunting folly.
Perhaps he was right, after all, ]
thought, as the man of to-day turned
the corner. Perhaps there would have
been something Inappropriate in pre-
senting an English sixpence to SO
Ovidian maiden. Only some such
small coin as the Romans gave for
good luck with the first flush of the
new Year could rightly have contented
her-some coin perhaps with double
headed Janus on the one side and the
ship OF scythe-bearing Saturn on the
other.
The dancers disappeared. The bar.
baric noises grew fainter. The merry
pageant was fading away from sight
and hearing. 81 will know these mask
ers nearer" I said to myself, 'learn
whether they are indeed the shapes OF
an antique world or but the sons and
daughters of London slums." hurried
into the streets but my mummers had
disappeared. turned down one street.
No sign of them there. l tried another
and another, all with no better luck.
The earth has bubbles as the water has,
and these seemed to be of them. My
ear could catch no distant echo of their
joyous charivari
Suddenly, just as was about to turn
back again to my lodgings 1 got a
glimpse of color in dingy doorway. ]
drew nearer. 1t was one of the mum.
mers; it was the little impish girl who
had so greatly entertained me. She
was deep down in the doorway-it was,
as l remember, the doorway of land
agents Office, and seemed to be but
rarely visited. The little maid had her
back turned to me and was slowly
counting over a small quantity of small
coins, her gains apparently from he,
Maytime mummery. She was so occu.
pied with her task that when got near
to her she did not notice my coming
and | was looking over her shoulder
before she became conscious of nv
presence and turned with little start.
What are you going to do with all
that money!" said to her, with a
smile that intended to be reassuring.
Apparently it was reassuring, for the
little lass, who had at first clenched up