The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1956-08-03
GLIM P S E s
T n E P A S T
By CAROLYN LLOYD

Ask any woman who keeps
house, either fervently or lacka-
daisically, what her idea of luxury
is; and nine times out of ten you
will get the same answer; to sit
down to a meal which she neither
planned nor prepared and then get
up and walk away without giving
a thought to the dishes. Almost
any old meal will do, but when the
food is well prepared and nicely
served in pleasant surroundings,
then that is luxury indeed. Last
week l enjoyed that housewives
dream at The Arlington in Mays
Head. Added to that was the feel
ing of well-being I always get
from dip in the ocean even when
it feels as though it has been
especially nice for the occasion. AT
such times I reflect that not only
is life wonderful in general, but it
is particularly wonderful in North
Carolina; for we have practically
all the wonders of nature within
our reach. At Mays Head there
were cars from many states, just
as there were in the mountains
when I was there in June. Now,
many of us cannot afford to GO
wandering about the nation look
ing for perfect recreation spots.
but We don't have to go far in
our own state to find them.
1t doesn't seem possible that
nineteen years have passed since
first visited Mays Head and saw
"The Lost Colony" in its first
year. l wouldn't believe it, but that
is what the records show and they
surely are to be better trusted
than my memory. May we both
last nineteen more. There have
been changes in both the pageant
and me. Memory being what it is
l wouldn't say that age hasn't i'm.
proved the pageant-but as
for Newell Pm glad that
didn't have to drive bach
to Belhaven that night. Or
that first occasion a group of us
left home early in the morning
played on the beach all day, anC
drove home after the performance
still feeling clipper. The young
crowd is still doing it, but thai
comfortable bed at The Arlington
looked better than the open roat
this time.
At that first performance full
moon hung over the stage. Thi.
year the sky ~as dark and the
words of the actors were punctuat
ed by rolls of thunder and flashe!
of lightning. Once a brief down
pour sent the audience scurryinl
for cover. Both settings seem ap
propriate. The moonlit one wa!
more beautiful, of course, but thos,
first colonists must have seer
more stormy nights than serene
ones. 1 never cease to marvel a
the courage of the men and womer
who left their established home!
and way Of life to settle in an UNI
known wilderness. No mosquito
spraying machines either. IT'S wei
the colonization of the New World
didn't depend upon the likes of m,
the Indians would still own tn,
place.
Fifteen years ago / was mem
Der of a dramatics class in sum
mer school at East Carolina Col
lege in which Clifton Britton, thu
present director of the pageant
was the star pupil. 1t evidentl,
wasn't that class that developed
his genius, for it didn't produc,
the same results in any Of tn,
rest of us. Anyone who has strug
gled with even high school pla!
can appreciate the work and talen
allied for in such production a
his. The fine hand of a good di
actor can be seen in many it'll
ietails which 60 unnotieed by tn