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skilful　mariners　that　exist。　　Let　a　gale　arise　and　swell　into　a

storm；　let　a　sea　run　that　might　appal　the　stoutest　heart　that　ever

beat；　let　the　Light…boat　on　these　dangerous　sands　throw　up　a　rocket

in　the　night；　or　let　them　hear　through　the　angry　roar　the　signal…

guns　of　a　ship　in　distress；　and　these　men　spring　up　into　activity

so　dauntless；　so　valiant；　and　heroic；　that　the　world　cannot　surpass

it。　　Cavillers　may　object　that　they　chiefly　live　upon　the　salvage

of　valuable　cargoes。　　So　they　do；　and　God　knows　it　is　no　great

living　that　they　get　out　of　the　deadly　risks　they　run。　　But　put

that　hope　of　gain　aside。　　Let　these　rough　fellows　be　asked；　in　any

storm；　who　volunteers　for　the　life…boat　to　save　some　perishing

souls；　as　poor　and　empty…handed　as　themselves；　whose　lives　the

perfection　of　human　reason　does　not　rate　at　the　value　of　a　farthing

each；　and　that　boat　will　be　manned；　as　surely　and　as　cheerfully；　as

if　a　thousand　pounds　were　told　down　on　the　weather…beaten　pier。

For　this；　and　for　the　recollection　of　their　comrades　whom　we　have

known；　whom　the　raging　sea　has　engulfed　before　their　children's

eyes　in　such　brave　efforts；　whom　the　secret　sand　has　buried；　we

hold　the　boatmen　of　our　watering…place　in　our　love　and　honour；　and

are　tender　of　the　fame　they　well　deserve。



So　many　children　are　brought　down　to　our　watering…place　that；　when

they　are　not　out　of　doors；　as　they　usually　are　in　fine　weather；　it

is　wonderful　where　they　are　put：　the　whole　village　seeming　much　too

small　to　hold　them　under　cover。　　In　the　afternoons；　you　see　no　end

of　salt　and　sandy　little　boots　drying　on　upper　window…sills。　　At

bathing…time　in　the　morning；　the　little　bay　re…echoes　with　every

shrill　variety　of　shriek　and　splash　…　after　which；　if　the　weather

be　at　all　fresh；　the　sands　teem　with　small　blue　mottled　legs。　　The

sands　are　the　children's　great　resort。　　They　cluster　there；　like

ants：　so　busy　burying　their　particular　friends；　and　making　castles

with　infinite　labour　which　the　next　tide　overthrows；　that　it　is

curious　to　consider　how　their　play；　to　the　music　of　the　sea；

foreshadows　the　realities　of　their　after　lives。



It　is　curious；　too；　to　observe　a　natural　ease　of　approach　that

there　seems　to　be　between　the　children　and　the　boatmen。　　They

mutually　make　acquaintance；　and　take　individual　likings；　without

any　help。　　You　will　come　upon　one　of　those　slow　heavy　fellows

sitting　down　patiently　mending　a　little　ship　for　a　mite　of　a　boy；

whom　he　could　crush　to　death　by　throwing　his　lightest　pair　of

trousers　on　him。　　You　will　be　sensible　of　the　oddest　contrast

between　the　smooth　little　creature；　and　the　rough　man　who　seems　to

be　carved　out　of　hard…grained　wood　…　between　the　delicate　hand

expectantly　held　out；　and　the　immense　thumb　and　finger　that　can

hardly　feel　the　rigging　of　thread　they　mend　…　between　the　small

voice　and　the　gruff　growl　…　and　yet　there　is　a　natural　propriety　in

the　companionship：　always　to　be　noted　in　confidence　between　a　child

and　a　person　who　has　any　merit　of　reality　and　genuineness：　which　is

admirably　pleasant。



We　have　a　preventive　station　at　our　watering…place；　and　much　the

same　thing　may　be　observed　…　in　a　lesser　degree；　because　of　their

official　character　…　of　the　coast　blockade；　a　steady；　trusty；　well…

conditioned；　well…conducted　set　of　men；　with　no　misgiving　about

looking　you　full　in　the　face；　and　with　a　quiet　thorough…going　way

of　passing　along　to　their　duty　at　night；　carrying　huge　sou'…wester

clothing　in　reserve；　that　is　fraught　with　all　good　prepossession。

They　are　handy　fellows　…　neat　about　their　houses　…　industrious　at

gardening　…　would　get　on　with　their　wives；　one　thinks；　in　a　desert

island　…　and　people　it；　too；　soon。



As　to　the　naval　officer　of　the　station；　with　his　hearty　fresh　face；

and　his　blue　eye　that　has　pierced　all　kinds　of　weather；　it　warms

our　hearts　when　he　comes　into　church　on　a　Sunday；　with　that　bright

mixture　of　blue　coat；　buff　waistcoat；　black　neck…kerchief；　and　gold

epaulette；　that　is　associated　in　the　minds　of　all　Englishmen　with

brave；　unpretending；　cordial；　national　service。　　We　like　to　look　at

him　in　his　Sunday　state；　and　if　we　were　First　Lord　（really

possessing　the　indispensable　qualification　for　the　office　of

knowing　nothing　whatever　about　the　sea）；　we　would　give　him　a　ship

to…morrow。



We　have　a　church；　by…the…by；　of　course　…　a　hideous　temple　of　flint；

like　a　great　petrified　haystack。　　Our　chief　clerical　dignitary；

who；　to　his　honour；　has　done　much　for　education　both　in　time　and

money；　and　has　established　excellent　schools；　is　a　sound；　shrewd；

healthy　gentleman；　who　has　got　into　little　occasional　difficulties

with　the　neighbouring　farmers；　but　has　had　a　pestilent　trick　of

being　right。　　Under　a　new　regulation；　he　has　yielded　the　church　of

our　watering…place　to　another　clergyman。　　Upon　the　whole　we　get　on

in　church　well。　　We　are　a　little　bilious　sometimes；　about　these

days　of　fraternisation；　and　about　nations　arriving　at　a　new　and

more　unprejudiced　knowledge　of　each　other　（which　our　Christianity

don't　quite　approve）；　but　it　soon　goes　off；　and　then　we　get　on　very

well。



There　are　two　dissenting　chapels；　besides；　in　our　small　watering…

place；　being　in　about　the　proportion　of　a　hundred　and　twenty　guns

to　a　yacht。　　But　the　dissension　that　has　torn　us　lately；　has　not

been　a　religious　one。　　It　has　arisen　on　the　novel　question　of　Gas。

Our　watering…place　has　been　convulsed　by　the　agitation；　Gas　or　No

Gas。　　It　was　never　reasoned　why　No　Gas；　but　there　was　a　great　No

Gas　party。　　Broadsides　were　printed　and　stuck　about　…　a　startling

circumstance　in　our　watering…place。　　The　No　Gas　party　rested

content　with　chalking　'No　Gas！'　and　'Down　with　Gas！'　and　other　such

angry　war…whoops；　on　the　few　back　gates　and　scraps　of　wall　which

the　limits　of　our　watering…place　afford；　but　the　Gas　party　printed

and　posted　bills；　wherein　they　took　the　high　ground　of　proclaiming

against　the　No　Gas　party；　that　it　was　said　Let　there　be　light　and

there　was　light；　and　that　not　to　have　light　（that　is　gas…light）　in

our　watering…place；　was　to　contravene　the　great　decree。　　Whether　by

these　thunderbolts　or　not；　the　No　Gas　party　were　defeated；　and　in

this　present　season　we　have　had　our　handful　of　shops　illuminated

for　the　first　time。　　Such　of　the　No　Gas　party；　however；　as　have　got

shops；　remain　in　opposition　and　burn　tallow　…　exhibiting　in　their

windows　the　very　picture　of　the　sulkiness　that　punishes　itself；　and

a　new　illustration　of　the　old　adage　about　cutting　off　your　nose　to

be　revenged　on　your　face；　in　cutting　off　their　gas　to　be　revenged

on　their　business。



Other　population　than　we　have　indicated；　our　watering…place　has

none。　　There　are　a　few　old　used…up　boatmen　who　creep　about　in　the

sunlight　with　the　help　of　sticks；　and　there　is　a　poor　imbecile

shoemaker　who　wanders　his　lonely　life　away　among　the　rocks；　as　if

he　were　looking　for　his　reason　…　which　he　will　never　find。

Sojourners　in　neighbouring　watering…places　come　occasionally　in

flys　to　stare　at　us；　and　drive　away　again　as　if　they　thought　us

very　dull；　Italian　boys　come；　Punch　comes；　the　Fantoccini　come；　the

Tumblers　come；　the　Ethiopians　come；　Glee…singers　come　at　night；　and

hum　and　vibrate　（not　always　melodiously）　under　our　windows。　　But

they　all　go　soon；　and　leave　us　to　ourselves　again。　　We　once　had　a

travelling　Circus　and　Wombwell's　Menagerie　at　the　same　time。　　They

both　know　better　than　ever　to　try　it　again；　and　the　Menagerie　had

nearly　razed　us　from　the　face　of　the　earth　in　getting　the　elephant

away　…　his　caravan　was　so　large；　and　the　watering…place　so　small。

We　have　a　fine　sea；　wholesome　for　all　people；　profitable　for　the

body；　profitable　for　the　mind。　　The　poet's　words　are　sometimes　on

its　awful　lips：





And　the　stately　ships　go　on

To　their　haven　under　the　hill；

But　O　for　the　touch　of　a　vanish'd　hand。

And　the　sound　of　a　voice　that　is　still！



Break；　break；　break；

At　the　foot　of　thy　crags；　O　sea！

But　the　tender　grace　of　a　day　that　is　dead

Will　never　come　back　to　me。





Yet　it　is　not　always　so；　for　the　speech　of　the　sea　is　various；　and

wants　not　abundant　resource　of　cheerfulness；　hope；　and　lusty

encouragement。　　And　since　I　have　been　idling　at　the　window　here；

the　tide　has　risen。　　The　boats　are　dancing　on　the　bubbling　water；

the　colliers　are　afloat　again；　the　white…bordered　waves　rush　in；

the　children





Do　chase　the　ebbing　Neptune；　and　do　fly　him

When　he　comes　back；





the　radiant　sails　are　gliding　past　the　shore；　and　shining　on　the

far　horizon；　all　the　sea　is　sparkling；　heaving；　swelling　up　with

life　and　beauty；　this　bright　morning。







OUR　FRENCH　WATERING…PLACE







HAVING　earned；　by　many　years　of　fidelity；　the　right　to　be　sometimes

inconstant　to　our　English　watering…place；　we　have　dallied　for　two

or　three　seasons　with　a　French　watering…place：　once　solely　known　to

us　as　a　town　with　a　very　long　street；　beginning　with　an　abattoir

and　ending　with　a　steam…boat；　which　it　seemed　our　fate　to　behold

only　at　daybreak　on　winter　mornings；　when　（in　the　days　before

continental　railroads）；　just　sufficiently　awake　to　know　that　we

were　most　uncomfortably　asleep；　it　was　our　destiny　always　to

clatter　through　it；　in　the　coupe　of　the　diligence　from　Paris；　with

a　sea　of　mud　behind　us；　and　a　sea　of　tumbling　waves　before。　　In

relation　to　which　latter　monster；　our　mind's　eye　now　recalls　a

worthy　Frenchman　in　a　seal…skin　cap　with　a　braided　hood　over　it；

once　our　travelling　companion　in　the　coupe　aforesaid；　who；　waking

up　with　a　pale　and　crumpled　visage；　and　looking　ruefully　out　at　the

grim　row　of　breakers　enjoying　themselves　fanatically　on　an

instrument　of　torture　called　'the　Bar；'　inquired　of　us　whether　we

were　ever　sick　at　sea？　　Both　to　prepare　his　mind　for　the　abject

creature　we　were　presently　to　become；　and　also　to　afford　him

consolation；　we　replied；　'Sir；　your　servant　is　always　sick　when　it

is　p