The sun., 1916-09-06
THINGS SEEN AND HEARD ABOARD A
SUMMER ISLAND.


Though the island shall not be
named, 1t will be recognized. It's pene-
trated secrets are not harmfully be-
trayed. however; FOR IL can be identi-
fled. reasonably enough. with n one
OF the generously provided detached
projections of u coast from Sandy
Hook to the lower lip OF the Bay OF
Fundy. Are not these outlying
possessions sufficiently uniform In
characterization by land and sea scape,
by the vocational and vocational pur-
suits OF the population. permanent and
transient, to merge the individual isle
safely and comfortably in the multi
tudc Of its delightful kind?
This island, like the rest. has salty
memories, cherished by rheumatic but
hard resisting old fellows who were
mermen in their own twenties and
thirties fifty or forty years back; old
fellows who have survived the perils
Of the deep and who revive in the
%scudding off-sea mists as the c%ottagers
dampen and droop In them. 1t has
traditions Of a hard bitten race now as
for decades past dying Off" but never
defunct. 1t has It's huddle and muddle
of hotels. boarding houses and beach
planted shacks; its stands for the sale
of souvenir post cards and worthless
though giddily priced %curios: its shore
dinners and insincercly Wanted clam
bakes. it's automobile and sailboat or
motor boat excursions. dear at half the
price. and its unexpected but not neg
ligible hinterland-the sum and sum-
mary of the artificial ostentatious
primitive. precious and costly in this
age Of supercivilization. and the true,
obscurely lingering primitive. II is the
type and pattern OF sunny isles of
the summer sea
a summer sojourner who lodges the
madding crowd heard and saw among
innumerable tales and sights Interest,"
ing to him because ~revelatory OF life
as others live it, these c%uriosities:
In a spot peculiarly blessed by nature
with richer soil and a fairer face than
her rough moulding processes have left
to most parts OF this chip from her
geological workshop. nesting among
hills in "A greenwood trimmed bowl.
the dairy farm offered a view of rural
peace, content and truly prosperous
living that moved the city nan to ex-
preston Of something bordering upon
violation of the commandment against
The vine grown cottage
upon the earth as n home should
in contrast To the skyscraping heights
OF the world Of business. The fields
were we'll Croomed, the barns and out
buildings clean. the herd in II nearby
field sleek and heavy uddcred, the feed
crops greening richly.
The farm had belonged to a man
who deserved to own ii. lie had also
a mortgage and "A wife. The wife was
so we'll placed as the mortgage.
She was c~Ntravagant. She vas rest
less. She made trips tn town, over on
.hc mainland. ~" srrrt money faster
than the hard toiling dairyman could
make II. She eloped with another man
and the 500 set 10y To pay interest and
a BIT on the principal. The mortgage
foreclosed; IA thrifty alien took
over tho property.
The farm will make money for its
new owner. who has money to plan,
in il. The M Is no happier than
she deserves to DO with her new man:
the 500 is gone. and he loved it more
than he loved her. The dairyman-
well, tho life he is living now moves
the jud!cious more to pity than to
comment.
The triangle" is not an exclusively
urban complication in the affairs OF
and M
\ gentleman farmer may he
patriarChal to his help" he may cxer-
'ise Il benevolent despotism-or he
hc a monster of tyranny. one on
our island CHANGED TO enter II Of his
at the precise and thrillincly
psychological moment when ono of his
milking a COW that kicked,
kicked back -metaphorically, and with
4 thorouchness Of execution COM
mensuratc with the inspiration.
"Who VAS that swearing the
gentleman asked, His tone. il is To he
supposed. Was cold and hard as ice.
he brittle" tone of tense passages
in the novels.
The guilty workman acknowledged
his fault.
Pay 81 fine or quit your job"