The Republican journal., 1905-08-10
UP THE PfNOBSCOT.
Incidents Of Trip from Belfast to Bangor
on Steamer City Of Rockland.

ing swiftly overhead might have had
warning for the weatherwise they only
added charm to the ever lovely panorama.
There were few passengers waiting for
the incoming boat, whose whistle had an
n0unced her approach. and more people
waiting to welcome friends home for their
lOnged-fOr summer rest. The City of Rock
land was not lOug in making a landing and
after the line of expectant people with hap
Ply faces had filed through the narrow gang
way, the "all aboard" sounded its warning |
and the familiar decks were once more I'M !
derfoot. camp chair advantageously |
placed in the stern where the breeze was |
not too noticeable, and where good view |
in all directions could be secured, was found |
and comfort assured for the trip.
The town and the bay never looked love- |
lier than ON that Thursday morning. The |
bright blue of the waters were a reflection
of the still brighter blue overhead, which
was relieved by the dead white of the
clouds, which in turn made patches of al
ternate sunlight and shadow on the roof
tops and the green foliage of the town which
many of us are proud to call home. As
Belfast was left behind and the passengers
settled down until the next landing, inter-
est in the people on board superseded that
in the landscape, and ones first thought
upon looking about the boat was, "what
number of childrenn' And certainly they
were by far the most interesting passengers.
There were two tiny boys in sailor costume
who, accompanied by their grandmother,
~
active little chaps, and one of them invented
novel method of locomotion which gave
them both, and the spectators as well, a
great deal Of pleasure. He sat astride a
camp stool and by a series of jerky, lifting
motions, travelled across the deck in
bumpy. undulating fashion, which is not
recommended to those over eight, but which
was certainly productive of much joy to the
two. The younger one, on information in
tent, asked his grandmother what made the
boat stop at one of the river landings. Be-
fore she had time to answer, the brother,
evidently not more than a year older, and
not more than an inch taller, scornfully
informed him that it was I've anchor"
Not satisfied the little one inquired what
the anchor was for, and to the amuse-
ment of his hearers he was quickly answer
ed, "To anchor wiv, of course" Appar-
emily in Difference to the laugh which went
around the oracle was kind enough to add,
condescendingly, "Vey frows it over and it
ticks in We mud" His small brother was
satisfied, and SO was everybody else, so
they both continued their journey across
the deck, adding to that longer ones by the
more prosaic methods of walking or run
ming, until their weary guardian captured
them and sitting them down as hard as the
red velvet cushions of the saloon chairs al
lowed, babe them to "see if they couldn't
keep Still for a minute" There they sat
and faced each other, mournful-eyed, for
few moments, only to arise noiselessly to
investigate the enhancing curved door near
at hand, which pulled in and out, and the
knob of which would wiggle most fasci-
natingly if one workedit just right. From
there it was only step out of doors to
freedom, where grandmothers ceased from
troubling, until they wake up to the fact
that their charges are gone-and the most
dangerous places can be sought out with a
light heart and no irritating hand on ones
collar.
There were two red-cheeked, bright-eyed
little Irish maidens, whose constant de-
mands for ''parpar' were answered by
their pink checked little mother, who beg
ged them to ''go off and play, and lave par
par some peace av his life" They were
stout, hearty little girls, and their play,
which was inclined to be bit rough, at
tracted the attention of tiny golden-haired
little creature who, with her blue-ribboned,
white gown and fluffy white hat, might have
stepped out of a Fanny Y. Cory picture,
and who demanded to be taken over to "see
the children" safe under her fathers es-
cort.
There was a little family of three, under
the care of tired mother. A curly haired
little boy kept helpfully watchful eye
on the smaller sister, who seemed to
have solved the problem of perpetual mo-
ton, while the baby, apparently about
year old, took up the mothers entire atten-
ton. He was at just that stage of the
game when he was too tired to be amused,
too tired to 60 to sleep, too tired even to keep
quiet, too tired to do anything except howl
and squirm and he exercised those
privileges until the patience of everybody
except that of his weary mother was
exhausted. There was little boy, clad all
in brown, evidently travelling alone with
his father for the first time. There were
tiny babies, and middle-aged babies and
older babies. There were children of all |
sorts and conditions, and young people of
all ages without number. OF course there |
were older people as we'll, but they were |
overwhelmed in number as well as in other |
ways and served mainly as "supers" on the |
stage for the most part.
One nicely dressed young girl was noticed
reading a paper covered novel of the !
sentimental variety, and she was doubt
less as surprised as were the chance listen
ers when an elderly lady who happened to
be near her, after glancilg at her and then
at the title of her book, said in positive
tone, "you don't look like that kind OF
girl; you had better throw that overboardw
There was too much going on around one
for attention to be concentrated even on a
favorte magazine, for when the people near
failed to be interesting the familiar banks