CHAPTER IV. EVENING AND MORNING. The night was neither night's nor day's, IF the ocean was attractive in the glitter of sun-light, it was not less so under the cooler tints of evening. When they again sought the arbor, the girls appeared to feel the influence of the hour and the scene. They talked in a lower tone as they sat quietly beside their mothers, and saw the bright, still stars come forth and glimmer in the quiet sky. A dim, gigantic shape, distinguished by the light it carried, was seen in the distance. It was the steamboat from New-York to Cape May. Sounds of gayety proceeded from the house, in little accordance with the measured music of the waves at their feet. "Mother, be sure to call me up to see the sun rise," were Linda's last words that night. Some one says that we do not open our eyes wide enough to take in the whole of the great pictures which our heavenly Father spreads out around us. In this connection the writer asks, if we ever observed with the ornament that is lavished on the eastern and western sky at the rising and the setting of the sun, the subdued tints of the other portions of it, "a soberness," he remarks, "that renders more glorious the illumination of the horizon, and receives from it in exchange additional grace and charms." One is struck with the truth of this sentiment when the pale, gray sky, soon to be flushed with radiant coloring, first meets the eye at early dawn. It was a difficult matter to get Linda's eyes unclosed, and after being shaken and called repeatedly, she was at length but half-awakened to see the expected sight. A luminous streak appeared in the horizon, then clusters of small clouds, "not larger than a man's hand," floated about, growing brighter and brighter each passing minute. Fleets of little fishing-boats were seen, "heaving and sinking on the crisped waves," and larger vessels appeared "tacking to the breeze Like dames whose snowy kirtles are spread out More radiant grew the clouds when the golden orb appeared, touching sea and sky. It slowly enlarged until it arose to cast a mantle of glory over ocean, sky, and earth. Who could see that sight without exclaiming with the Psalmist, “O, Lord! neither are there any works like thy works." Psalm lxxxvi, 8. But we must confess that Linda expressed little admiration at this grand panorama of sky and ocean, which her sleepy eyes scarcely opened wide enough to behold. She only murmured, "Yes, mother, it is beautiful! But please let me go to sleep again." Then her head sank upon her pillow, and in less than a minute she was so sound asleep that she could hardly be awakened in time for breakfast. CHAPTER V. BATHING AN ANCIENT PEOPLE. The fresh luxurious bath, Far from the trodden path, Or 'mid the ocean waves dashing with harmless roar, Lifting us off our feet upon the sandy shore. WORDSWORTH. Amazing race! deprived of land and laws, Ir is amusing to a looker-on to observe the peculiar costumes of the bathers, and their total disguise of the wearer. You would hardly believe it possible that the pretty young lady who sat opposite to you at table in the morning, and she who is slouching through the sand |