The first person that awoke in the morning generally rose and opened the tent letting in the fresh sea breeze. This might be between two and three in the morning, and always the most refreshing part of the whole day. The first bathing party then went down to the sea, consisting of Schillie, the three girls, Madame, and myself. Before we were well out of the water, and finishing our toilettes under the tent, the boys used to come rushing down with Jenny in attendance, who was always fearing her heedless Master Felix would get into danger. Finally the three little girls, with both the maids, habited in readiness to dip the unwilling ones, finished the morning ablutions. Afterwards we all proceeded to the great chestnut tree, where we had prayers, the morning psalms, and lessons, and sung a hymn, which sounded in that lone but lovely spot so soft and beautiful that it used to bring tears to my eyes. So many young voices, gave a peculiar flute-like sound to the music, and as each cadence rose swelling through the branches of the great tree above us, so did the birds rise in clouds above us, returning nearer and nearer, as the The bright sun, the glowing sky, the brilliant flowers, the rich shade of the dark chestnut tree, all cast their lights and shadows on these two pretty groups as they stood before us, adding beauty to both. The last verse being sung, all dispersed to their different duties, and the birds were now startled by the bursts of merry laughter that came from each group. Madame, with Sybil and her three little maidens, prepared the breakfast. Gatty and Serena ran for water, the maids put the tents to rights, the boys lighted the fire. Schillie and I sat looking on, acting company. I with admiring eyes, on the lovely scenery and pretty figures, she with inquisitive looks, scanning each unknown plant, moss, bird, or stone, and conjecturing their names and qualities. A little clamouring below, as to who was to blow a great shell that Benjie had taught them how to use, prepared us two idle ones for the summons to breakfast, of which we all partook with great hilarity and content, the grumblings for want of milk, having ceased partly because they were not attended to, and partly because all the grumbling in the world obtained none. After breakfast, I settled with Jenny the difficult question of dinner, which generally consisted of fish, potatoes, and pudding, sometimes a little salt meat, sometimes a little fresh meat, out of the tin cases we had brought. But invariably we had a magnificent dessert, so that the children could eat nothing for thinking of what was coming. That important matter done, I joined the rest. Madame betook herself to her green parasol and terrace, with a dignified but compassionate air, as if the young ones did not know what they were losing, in preferring play to lessons. The three little girls in high delight went to collect that indispensable quantity of shells, But the three elder ones did not care for picking up shells, and could not abide fishing. It was too hot to work, too sunny to read. They wanted to sit all day long in the pockets of the two Mothers, the elder one telling them stories, and the younger one making quaint remarks thereon, thereby spoiling many a sentimental speech, and upsetting many a romantic idea, but causing plenty of fun and merriment. But that could not last all day. Though we dined at eleven, it still wanted two good hours thereto. The big Mother was tired of telling tales; the little Mother was weary with doing nothing. All this time the green parasol meandered up and down, now and then sitting down to rest, and bending towards the girls with an unmistakeable look, that seemed to say, "come to your lessons, pray come to your lessons." But, the green parasol nodded in vain. At last after a fit of yawning, we all went botanizing, but that was very provoking work, for we could not tell the names of the lovely flowers and trees we found. Sybil suggested giving them our own names. Serena nearly broke her neck, climbing By this time the conch-shell sounded for dinner, in doing which Jenny blew her cheeks into the colour of a peony, we were all hot and tired and not in a very good humour. The more we shewed this, the more gracious and cheerful Madame became, the little girls had been quite happy, the boys had wonders to relate as to the strange creatures that came peeping up at them from the deep as they were fishing. Lilly hopes they were not mermaids, for she had heard they were very cruel, and enticed men down into the dark sea weed caverns, from whence they never more appeared. Felix.—"They will never catch me doing anything so silly. I like Mama better than twenty thousand mermaids, and so I won't be ticed, Lilly." Lilly.—"Enticed, my dear boy, you mean, and that signifies that you cannot help yourself. They will carry you down into the sea, full of great polypuses, with a hundred blood red arms." Oscar.—"Lilly, you are talking great stuff, no mermaids shall ever catch Felix or me, I shall shoot them first. And besides I won't believe there are any mermaids." Gatty.—"And also besides, if they did come up from the sea, and look at Otty and Felix, I don't think "But," said Lilly, who always stuck pertinaciously to her text, "I have read it in a book, that they comb their long, sea-green hair, and sing all the time so beautifully, that men jump into the sea after them." Felix.—"Well! I shall not do that, for green hair must be very ugly." Oscar.—"And you need not bother about it any more, Lilly, for I hate singing." Felix.—"And we must take care of ourselves, because we are the only two men you have got to take care of you all." Sybil.—"Ah! indeed that is very true, you must be very careful, because what should we do without our protectors." Felix.—"Yes, but, Aunt Sib, don't you think it is very wrong of Lilly to frighten us. Pray tell us, do mermaids really steal men away?" Schillie.—"What is all this nonsense about mermaids, eh? Felix." She was told; then added, "Don't alarm yourselves, if an army of mermaids were to come, they would not take either of you for men; so comfort yourself, my boys, with that notion." As most of the party agreed with her the subject dropped. After dinner we all took a siesta for two or three hours, a necessary rest during the heat of the day. Afterwards the same scene occurred as before dinner the "green parasol" meandered up and down, the little Having watched the whole business from our resting place, we were down at the spot, ere they had recovered themselves, and risen from the water. The conch-shell sounded for tea, at the same moment, and in a high state of excitement, every body talking their loudest we all adjourned. Then every body opened their hearts. I confessed I had let them be so idle, in order to make them resume their lessons with pleasure and zest. Schillie allowed she was very wrong to take them from their books, which were much better for them than idling about and bothering her. Madame had wondered at my permitting such disorderly doings, as had been going on from day to day, but would excuse it as I seemed to have a motive, and This mutiny of course was quelled, we retired to bed in harmony and good humour, and rose the next morning determined to do our best, to be industrious and useful. Madame was in high spirits. Schillie most benign. The boys happy in the privilege of not having to go to their studies until an hour after the girls, and to do part of them with the Mothers. The girls all in high spirits, so that when the conch-shell sounded twice as indicative that school time had commenced, great alacrity was shown on all sides, and good humour reigned supreme. |