Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-03-08

north and around the cove-edge where
throngs of bathers disported in the
| waves OF the most beautiful beach upon
| American shores. II seemed to hover
and linger near, while three little old
sailors upon its deck scanned the surf
and bathers with huge and ancient
glasses.
Then the craft stood out past Ochre
Point and Spouting Rock; crept here
and there almost inquiringly, among
launches, yachts, cat-boats and yawls;
sailed slowly around past Graves Point,
Castle Hill and Fort Adams, coming at
last between Goat Island and the villa
and elm-crowEed shore into Newport
harbor; when the Happy Thought was
made snug and fast, about midday,
alongside Long Wharf, where the
squatty, ed-faced, hoarse-voiced cat
boat shippers sun themselves like fatten-
ing turtles at the edge of some deep
lagoon, and off which are anchored
hundreds of the most wonderful old,
stumpy and powerful cat-yawls to be
found along the whole New England
coast.
"By George, but this is jolly |" sang
out merry voice they knew; and in a
moment more Charlie, their young Bar
Harbor friend, was vocIferously greet
ing the three captains upon the wharf.
"Grand luck, too Father and mother
in New York. All the nobs away. Dick
=" Here the three captains WINGED
land Lavinia off in cat-boat to Cor
morant Rock for specimens. Why.
Happy Thoughters bold, it couldn't be
jollier! We've got the whole blessed
Spraycroft to ourselves Come on; come
on. No backing out now. Up you go I"
ALI this as he half pulled, half rushed
the delighted old salts along the wharf
to the street-end where he called car
rage, hustled the captains into it, sprang
in beside them, ordered the coachman to
drive them to Spraycroft Villa; and then
away they were whirled through the
shaded streets and stately avenues of
the finest summer city of homes in all
the wide, wide world.
II was bewildering experience to
Captains Ballast, Rudder and Tacker.
Never had they seen such wealth of
flower and plant and shrub; such velvety
lawns, such statues, grots and foun-
tains; such wondrous gables, corbels,
gargoyles, clustered chimneys, balconies
and colonnades; such spacious halls,
such grand salons, such glorious con-
servatories, such grave and quiet serving
folk who never even smiled at their
believing wonderment, their strange
attire, their ancient jokes, and century
old songs; for Charlie, master wholly of
Spraycroft at this hour, had got them
hard by a dainty lunch, had cheered
them with praise and encouragement,
warmed them with his fathers mellowest
port; and, still sitting at the table
with radiant face, was vigorously
drumming banjo accompaniment to
the most wonderful song that Newport
ever heard-led by Captain Ballast and
followed, rather than joined, by Captain
Rudder in a sonorous bass and Captain
Tacker in piping treble. 1t was a
ballad left over from the seafaring men
of the last century; the only one these
cruisers ever knew or sung; and it was
reasonable thing that it was roaringly
and bravely done.
Ye parliaments of England, We lords and
esquires, too,
!, Consider we'll what you're about and what
you mean to dol
You're now at war with Yankees, and you
will rue the day
That you reused the Sons of Liberty in
North A-Inery-kay!
"Gemini twins Here, Sis" exclaimed
a tall fine looking young fellow to his
young lady companion at the door
of Spraycroft Villa, "quick Tell Bob
to take these things up to my room. /
don't want to lose any of that. One OF
Charles larks - He quickly stepped
into the breakfast room with, "Charlie,
can't you introduce a fellow to your
seafaring-" ..=
The sentence was never finished; for
in an instant the captains of the Happy
Thought had Richard Tredgear pinned
to the floor.
Charlie Tredgear pulled and hauled
at them shouting, "Happy Thoughters
hold onw
"We're holdin' on p
The servants rushed in. Lavinia
Trcdgear rushed in. They all finally
got the four upon their feet.
"Whar's Whey ?",came hoarsely from
Captain Ballast's trembling lips.
"Whar's Viney?" roared and piped
Captains Rudder and Tacker, flaming
with excitement and revenge.
"Why-you-dear- silly-Uld-Pem
acknowledgement laughed and
shrleked Lavinia Treadgear. Pm Whey
Whey Jetsum Lavinia Fiotsam Tired
gear Dicks my brother l-Charlie's
my brotherl We were all wrecked;
mother and father and all, coming home
from the Azores. Somebody picked
them up. And you, You stingy, old,
darling Captain Ballast, that wouldn't
let me have an organ! -you saved me n
And then between laughter and tears
she 'poored" and fettlel up Dick, who
retired to rearrange his toilet; and
Rugged the three captains by turn and
altogether; Charlie pirouetted, banjo in
hand, vowing it was the jolliest lark Of
all his life; while the three old captains
took their seedlings and huggings with
grinnings and whimperings of dumb.
founded, penitential joy.
And so ended the cruise of the Happy
Thought; at least its cruise of quest
When not speeding over the blue waters
of the Sound, or sailing to far Pembroke
behind the headlands of Maine, it is still
saucily rocking and dipping on the tides
of Newport Harbor; while the gossips
of the lovely, leafy city by the sea dc
say, with divers portentious mods, that
"the Tredgear heiress will never, never
make q match, so long as those devoted
but outlandish Happy Thoughters are
, allowed to hang around"