The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-08-18
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It Is a small island.

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It is a small island.
The best part Of it is the broad, fiat
beach, on which the Atlantic rolls and
thunders, or curls and murmurs with a
continuous low monotone, as the rough
gales of autumn, the north winds OF
winter or the light breezes Of summer
blow and dictate.
Its worst feature, the one causing
most uuceasing criticism and justified
abuse, is the shifting, heavy white
| sand which covers most Of its extent,
never for two days consecutively lying
in the same place.
In spite of perpetual shoveling, it
constantly covers the horse-car track
which runs from the wharf, where
small steamers load and unload pas
sengers and freight every two hours Of
the day during the summer time, for
the island lies across the bay, close
to big, thriving city.
1t drifts under closed doors and win
dows, invading even the precincts Of
the kitchen Of big, handsome sum-
mer hotel, picturesque, cool and airy,
making the cooks swear and the guests
grumble; and II even creeps in be-
tween the sheets at night with a per-
sistence which defes all opposition,
and laughs at anathemas.
; The sand and the wind wrestle and
laugh together.
They feel that they own the island;
that to them rigbtfully belong the
great tossing surf, the circling sea guls
and the sand-pipers which run along
the edge Of foam left by the receding
tide.
The tall palmetto trees and short,
thick-set myrtle bushes, whose deter
mined roots sticking deep down be-
meath the thick sand denote an OBJ
stinacy to keep their footing among
the shifting dunes, quite admirable in
the dull green of their dissimilar foli-
age, make a soft and pleasing con-
trast to the harsh glare Of the sun on
the white sand and Its everlasting gilt
ter on the heaving waters of the ocean
and the tumbling breakers, edged with
long white crests Of foam.
Bitter and persistent has the warfare
ragged between the sand dunes and the
wind on one side and the myrtle
bushes and palmetto trees on the
other
Stand FAST" is the injunction Of the
palmetto, when tho sweep of the gale
dashes the salt spray far inland beyond
the rolling surf upon the sand hills and
over the dull green myrtle bushes.
Bending low, they let the hurricane
sweep by and the sand whirl along,
knowing that in its Impotence to shift |
from place to place it will not long be |
piled around or over them.
BE patient" warn the stout trees
when with sudden caprice the wind
veers to the south and the sand under
its steady blow drifts off little by lit
tie until the roots Of the bushes begin
to show, where they hold desperately
to the brown earth underneath.
Then come the dews of night to COM
fort the myrtles, and soon soft sum-
mer showers to refresh the leaves and
wash off little of the clinging salt
brine of the ocean waves.
But for all their warfare the myrtles
are handsome in their austere isola-
ton, In their thick, dark-green foliage.
and they are prideful In that they alone
can grow and thrive among the sand
dunes, where all other shrubs and
flowers perish.
And in the short spring and long
summer days the young branches has
ten to grow thick and sturdy, before
the equinoctial gale comes with the
full harvest moon of September to
wrench and tear them from their
mother stem and hurry them withered
and broken into the broad salt marshes
which lie behind the island in a con-
tinuous sweep far of toward the town.
There is but one house among the
sand dunes. a cottage of four rooms
and little hail. built on strong pal
metto pilings, with oaken shutters to
keep out the roar OF the wind, and a
small porch, on which stands a big
armchair and fishing tackle in the
summer time. 1t lies hidden among
he hills and the myrtle bushes, and
any one coming suddenly upon 1t will
'top to wonder who could possibly care
% live in so lonely spot, shut in BY
he shssI9T sands, with only the sea-
PULLS for companions.
Unless, indeed. the memory of other
Genes ana days gone by serve to peo-
lie the desolate place, as sometimes ,,
enacious recollection will do,
What In the world do you want to
D wandering through those gloomy, !
arren sand hills for?" asked Alys, as
Q sat on the piazza one early s'lm-
Ter evening. you will sink above [
our ankles in sand, and you will get
tired blowing along you will wish a
ou were safely back on the beach in Il
} time" a
THE spirit Of adventure is upon me-" r
ntentiously declared Alys, "and am
red of the beach and the surf and the "
arine Band and the stupid people in s.
is hotel, and "
That's quite sufficient explana. "
'n," l said, examining critically ner
city footgsar Il
I'll advise you to don your bicycle n
1t, young woman, and to be prepared II
+ the storm coming up from the
utheast. When do you wish to 81
artT' b
Storm There's not the least in j.
cation of a Storm" declared Alys, pI
ornfnlly. you are inventing
'rm Just to frighten me- You have CT
'wn so abominably lazy, cousin a
ne, since we have come here that
u don't want to move. l honestly la
|ieve, Dan. that II l left you alone al
u would do'nothing but eat and sleep az
60 surf bathing and read the pa Gu
~, fans, raa,LiS~ W.T., ! 10