New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-26
JOHN PAUL AT NANTUCKET.
BLUEFIsH AND OTHER THINGS sEINED

EsTATE-GETTrNC AcoUAINrED-NAN-
TUcKET SURGERY
There are no bluefsh In last years nets. There
are oathers-not In nets or nett!ng-and bootbacks,
a novelty on the island. have for the first time
struck on. But where are the bluefsh? Bathers. so
far from being a substitute. are not even a good
second. either in the water or QUITO my taste at
least. But have you ever a bluefsh darling
TO and fro In the surf. streaming b,uebelled
meteor. over and through the green hllocks? In
his shining suit OF mall cutting the crest OF wave
like unsheahed sword. he Is something TO see and
remember But the bather In his faded flannel suit
is he not thing to see, and. II you can forget?
Weighed in the balance. would he not kick the
beam-rll not say the Dream: tumbled into the blue
ish's scales would he not be found wantng-want-
ing TO get out?
The dressing OF bluefsh causes trouble at all:
very much a matter OF individual taste: the cook
books Will tell you what IS proper II you don't
know. But the bather's dress Is always and every
where an embarrassment, and OF riches
Those who sit on the beach and look al
ways holding up their hands In horror at the dress
OF those who go In though I have nowhere
much to complain OF. But I'm not fncky. When
skipper OF the whaling bark Mary Jane Aurelia
Ann. Of Mattapoisett. and we put into Of the
Friendly Islands-so called because they fat you
up before they eat you-to buy pigs and poultry for
the cabin. and yam and cocoanut for the fore
castle, a picturesque cannbal chief came board
without the usual top-dressing OF feathers and
wearing nothing but hat. Seeing that 1t to
him unaccustomed article OF apparel and that
he felt uncomfortable and overdressed. politely
relieved him OF II. His gratitude unbounded
that he invited me to dine with him that day week
young missionary just landed. and still full OF
on He
look well in a hat. Nor does the bronze Narcissus
in the paror. on whom frequently hang mine, to
the scandal Of the housemah. CTS queer. but white
IL the only color that looks really naked.
Adam probably African. In black stock
ings for sharks Mrs. Lecks-or 1t Mrs. Ale
shne?-perhaps bullded better than she knew But
bathers. mainly the bald headed hats:
II may be that they fear getting snnburned
top OF their heads. But unless one shaves the top
OF his head why not better be sunburned there than
the chin
Oh. this question OF dress. that can't leave
behind him or the shore, Why should It trouble
one when he goas in swimming than when
he goes out walking. The ladies' bless their dear
hearts solve II nowadays readily enough by just
getting into gunny- bags. The gunny-bag may not
be pretty but they're proper And bathing
suit should be either the or the other, why not
gunnyba
II Is we'll 20 be pretty and proper.
II both. TO be- Of the two:
], Is we'll put OF the old suit.
Before you pu, the
And as for looks. the French hold believe that
anything that IS appropriate. that answers pur-
pose is the thing. SO. II there were flies on the
beach and the bathers dI not want to have files on
them, mosquito-nettins would be all right. l sup
pose But where the birds OF other years
nests Not the sea-robins for they still abound and
take your bait when you are scupping but the sea-
maids whose raimen. was no less proper than
pretty? Where IS Lutte. who went into the pillows
like n back and yellow skirted Amphitrte. with a
following OF young rrions eager 10 join the chase
but unable 10 catch up? Where Is Mamie. whom 4,
was worth while TO see in her white and red. as she
Goated dangerously as a lily on the waves? Where
is Ema. stately and serene as sea-goddess. who.
disiainful OF attendants who could not keep up
and whose efforts assist only impeded her speed.
swarm of solidarity and took headers on the bell
buoy? Have they gone the way OF the bluehsh!
Are they too seined ont OF the harbor? Forbid
H. Selectmen Cancel all permits, IL you have granted
any TO seine for girls.
And ! do hope that they'll not at one fell swoop
seine out our first and only bootblack. OF old one
In the same fix as when visiting Thompson al
Cananda gua-one had to black his own boots, so II
with n feeling OF rapture and longing that was
not akin TO pain that the other day heard myself
hailed from the upper deck OF one OF those two
stored crafts familiar 10 all who frequent city
parks with a CHEEKY shine up your russell shoes
SIR II was Of Italy that proposed 10
shine for me: the eyes too blue and the hair
too blond for that. Neither was Il a graduate OF
the Nantucket High School, for in that even, he
would have addressed me in Greek. think 1t must
have been a Cape boy some lad from falmouth
Hyannis or Asterville or. possibly. as far down as
Provincetown: some boy TO whom russell shoes were
no more precious than russell apples. and who
would have polished of one as soon az he would
the other. But whoever and whatever thou art.
and from wheresoever thou dost come
blessings on thea. little
Who would shine my shoes OF tan.
tIrned pantaioons
will SIT OF afternoons.
And my rod shoes rclier still
Thou shall shine. whate'er the BILL
In Nantucket Z is JOY
Thus 20 find n boohlack boy.
Pm, they'll seine him our. I fear soon
os they find he's attractive feature OF
the island The black bass that the ponds
were once stocked with have been seined out
and the yellow perch have been seined out. and II
the tomato cans on the outskirts OF the town were
attractive to anybody perhaps they'd seine them out
too. ss II IS they're permitted TO remain. Why,
With all their mania for selning. they don't seine for
cod 7 don't see Perhaps because IT'S no fun to
fish for him. and he lies too deep for trolling. His
moral tendency's all right. and he's good. II not
game But hauling one up with an attendant pound
or two OF lead the end OF twenty fathoms Of line
find overrnuch ike reading Inc ieaVeny
Twins"
ANYWAY we're having phenomenal season. and
there's a boom on the town MY sales were larger
last July than In any previous July said leading
drygocds merchant yesterday Against this they
tell me at the pharmacy that their sale OF soda
water IS smaller than four Ave years ago. Is II
that the popular throat is less thirsty than then or
did people exhaust their saltwater Appropriation
four or five years ago? don't see that the repeal
or tho Mckinley bill has anything TO do with Il.
All the same we've 4 boom on and while real estate
elsewhere is as fiat OF our founders. II Is
here becoming almost as towering as one OF the
mainland's mountains. bit OF property just be-
yond the town. but scarcely on the Clin. has just
been sold for $1,000 While charming situation for