St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-11-20


thought how my mind was off in the
mists searching for Thanet and Ebbs
fleet where the Teuton landed. My
entertainer became thirsty and on
my declining to drink with him went
below, re.appearing as our boat
rounded TO the north, drunk. His
misfortune suggests dismal situa-
ton.
In these London excursion boats
the business OF liquor selling and
drinking is driven almost beyond Gre
dence. The man behind the bar on
this occasion was active from morn
ing till night while customers stood
on two sides Of him from three to six
deep. Before the day was half spent
there were in evidence numbers of
halfintoxicat ted men. They formed
a ring, sang and danced, and CAB
bled idiotically. A dignlied French
man fell into the trap and became the
butt of the crowd. One bright young
fellow was taken below by kindly
officer to sleep. off his swinish stupor,
while Others in almost as bad a
plight, having stolen his bottle, made
merry over it. Many of the great
number of passengers did not patron
ize the bar, and for obvious reasons,
in most cases, that they carried bot
ties of their own in pocket or lunch
basket.
The North sea breezes were too
stiff for comfort. All the outer gar
ments available did not suffice to
prevent chilling sensations. The
scenery afforded slight diversion. The
shores of Essex and Suffolk are
low and in themselves uninter-
esting. Imagination was kept ac-
tive, however, by occasional stone
beacon towers aided by old Coches-
ter and Ipswich which lay just be-
yond our vision. Loestoft relieves
the monotony. It's new and aristo-
cratic portion rising from a cliff is
almost exciting at sunset. 1t is an
etching OF iar-off palaces in the wan
ing light. But Loestoft did not lure
US to a closer view for Yarmouth
was nigh. Even now we were at
the entrance of Breydon water and
began to move silently up between
compact lines of herring boats moor
ed two and three feet deep to the
quays on either side. For two miles
we ran this gauntlet with curiosity
awake. On the left was old Gorleston
crowded with quaintest dwellings,
and shops of brick and stone. On
the right lay that Tongue of sand"
or "Vast gridiron," as Dickens called
it, across which toward the ocean
run the "rows," nearly q hundred
and fifty of them. The new town
hall Of the Queen Anne pattern was
passed, when from across the square
the stately "Cromwell" invited us.
And having threaded the runners,
girls and women predominating,
who pressed upon US cards oflodging
houses and apartments, we were at
home for Sunday.
To sleep in Yarmouth is a privilege,
and to wander among the rows"
of an afternoon is luxury. That the
city of fifty thousand people has the
largest market square in England
matters little, that it has Weakened
up to sense of Importance as a
watering place with five piers, spa
cious gardens and ravishing brass
bands is of still less account. Its
rows" are its feature, and in what is
now the easterly quarter stood
Peggotty's house. A modern substi-
tute is there, plain brick. Is it not
placarded "Peggotty's House ?"
Alas! between it and the sea is
many a structure of today. Were
Peggotty's ghost to wander in this
direction it would refuse to recognize
the spot but move off tout upon the
waste" and there try to moor again
some old hulk and, let us hope, re-
sumo the doing of his endeavors in
his line of life" The house of our
Peggotty must be a boat and rest
out upon the sands. For Copper
fields Renaissance must continue to
be real. II never hear or read
the name Of Yarmo uth but l am re-
minded of a certain Sunday on the
beach, the bells ringing for church,
little Emily leaning on my shoulder,
Ham lazily dropping stones into the
water, and the sun away at sea, just
| breaking thrOuph the heavv t,,iSt