"are you going to mrs. turtle's this evening?" asked a gay young periwinkle of his friend cockle, as they met on the sands.
"well, i don't know: what is to be done, and who will be there?" replied cockle, rather languidly, for it had been a very gay season, and he was decidedly "used up."
"there will be no dancing, for the alderman doesn't approve of it; but there is to be singing, tableaux, and a supper of course. it's the last night of the season; and, as they are having a farewell hop up at the hotel, we thought we would get up some sort of fun among ourselves. lovely lily crab will be there; the lobsters, barnacles, horse-shoes, and sea-snails, besides the mosquitoes, fire-flies, and water-beetles. i hear there are also to be strangers of distinction, a flying-fish, a water-shrew, and mother carey's chickens."
"hum, ha, well; maybe i'll look in for an hour. i rather fancy lily crab; and the alderman gives capital suppers. i'm going to enjoy a weed; so ta-ta, till this evening."
young cockle didn't mean a cigar, but a nap under the sea-weed. periwinkle took a weed also; and both were so much refreshed that they were among the first at the party.
the turtles were a very aristocratic family, for they were both ancient and honorable. their coat-of-arms was a globe resting on a turtle's back; and so many of their ancestors had been aldermen, it was vain to try to count them. even their diseases were aristocratic, for they always died of apoplexy or gout. some people said it was because they were such high livers; but the turtles insisted that it was hereditary, and couldn't be helped. they were very slow, and rather heavy, but intensely dignified and well-bred. they lived elegantly, gave fine parties, and had one son, who was considered a very eligible young turtle. it was thought that he would marry the beautiful lily crab, the belle of the bay; but she flirted sadly with oceanicus lobster, and no one could tell which she would take.
the turtles had chosen a fine, smooth place on the beach, with a pretty pool near by, for such of the guests as could not remain long out of water. a flat rock at one end was set apart as a stage for the tableaux; and at the other end the supper was spread. the alderman waddled importantly about before the company arrived, looking very portly and imposing; while his wife, in black velvet and gold ornaments, sat tranquilly by, and took a little rest before the labors of the evening began. columbus, the son, was elegantly got up in a new suit of black, with a white tie, and a flower in his button-hole. the moon served for a chandelier; and a party of fireflies had promised to act as footlights when they were needed. the tide was coming in; and, instead of carriages, wave after wave rolled up and left its load at the turtles' door.
the barnacles and mussels came first, for they seldom left home, and always got back again at an early hour. miss mosquito arrived, full of scandal and gossip, and kept up a perpetual hum in some one's ear, though everybody disliked, and tried to get rid of her. she was a vixenish spinster, thin, satirical, sharp-tongued, and so bad-tempered that people said her name, which was xantippe, suited her excellently. a modest little water-shrew, in quaker drab, came with the beetles, who took their places near the pool, being unused to crowds. the lobsters, always a peculiar family, came straggling in, one by one, in their usual awkward way, and were soon followed by the periwinkles and cockles. a party of petrels came marching in with the flying-fish, who looked, and doubtless felt, entirely out of his element. the bustle caused by the arrival of the distinguished strangers had just subsided, when columbus turtle and oceanicus lobster were seen to rush toward the door; young cockle put his glass in his eye, and periwinkle sighed. there was a stir among the ladies, and miss mosquito spitefully remarked to her cousin firefly, "dear me! what a fuss they do make about those vulgar people!"
"commodore crab, mrs. crab, and miss crab!" announced the servant, and in they came. the commodore had taken part in many sea-fights, and was famous for never letting go when once he had grappled with a foe. but he was rather shy in company, and so was madame; and often, when any one approached to speak to them, they both precipitately retreated backward, so retiring were the dispositions of this excellent couple. the commodore wore his orange uniform, and limped, having lost a leg in battle. mrs. c. was elegantly attired in green, with red ornaments. but miss crab,—how shall i paint that lovely creature? she was in snowy white from head to foot, a perfect blonde, and carried in her hand an exquisite bouquet of rosy seaweed, the sight of which caused young turtle to glare at young lobster, for both had sent bouquets, and lily had chosen his rival's. now her parents wished the young lady to accept columbus, for he was rich; but she loved him not, for she had given her heart to oceanicus, who was poor. still, having been fashionably brought up, she felt it was her duty to secure a fine establishment; and so she tried to like dull columbus, while she flirted with sprightly oceanicus. matters had reached a crisis, and it was evident that something would be decided that very night, for both gentlemen haunted the fair lily's steps, and scowled at one another tragically.
"i always thought there would be mischief there, for that girl's behavior is scandalous. there was a case very much like this at the hotel last year, and it ended in an elopement and a suicide," buzzed miss mosquito in the ear of madam turtle, who drew herself up, as she replied, in her most dignified tone, glancing at her son,—
"i have no fears in that quarter: such affairs are conducted with propriety in our first families. excuse me: i have a word for mrs. crab."
"if that is a sample of the manners of 'our first families,' i'm glad i don't belong to 'em," scolded miss mosquito to herself. "ah, if i had my way, i'd soon spoil your beauty, miss," she muttered, looking at lily crab. and so she would; for this spiteful creature used to delight in stinging the pretty girls up at the hotel, especially their poor dear noses, till they weren't fit to be seen.
the snails came late, as they always did; and one of them, on being introduced to the shrew-mouse, began to complain of her servants, as fashionable ladies are apt to do when they get together.
"there never was such a perfect slave to a house as i am to mine," she said. "we see a great deal of company, and things must be in order; but they never are, though we keep ten servants. how do you manage, ma'am? you look quite plump and serene; and here am i worn to the bone, with my worries and cares."
"i come from the brook over the hill, and we country people live much more simply than you city folks. i keep no servants at all, but do every thing myself, and bring up my eight children without help," answered the shrew-mouse, settling the folds of her white shawl with a tranquil air.
"dear me! how remarkable! but, you see, an active life doesn't suit me. you have always been used to that sort of thing, i dare say, and so get on very well. i was brought up differently." and, with a cool stare, the handsome violet snail moved slowly away, while the shrew-mouse and the beetles laughed among themselves.
"pray, how came a person who does her own work to get into our set?" asked madam snail of a testy old horse-shoe whom she much respected.
"because she is a very charming person, and i advised turtle to invite her," replied the horse-shoe, in a tone as sharp as his tail.
"dear me! what are we coming to?" sighed the snail, who, being very conservative, disliked progress of all kinds.
"my dear sir, i assure you, it's a splendid investment,—perfectly safe, and very desirable," said old lobster to the alderman, whom he held by the button-hole in a corner.
"are you the president of the bank?" asked old turtle, with a sly twinkle of the eye.
"no, sir, not even a director; but i take an interest in it, and, if i had your means, i'd invest there, for the safest bank i know is that of my friends oyster, mussel, and company," replied lobster, who was as deep an old party as ever swam.
"i'll think of it, and make inquiries, and, if it's all satisfactory, i'll take your advice, for i value your opinion, and have confidence in your judgment," said turtle, who considered lobster an unprincipled speculator.
"praise from you, sir, may well make me proud. you will certainly be re-elected, and remain an alderman to the day of your death, if the influence and vote of a. lobster can keep you in place," answered the other, who looked upon turtle as a thick-headed, easy-going old gentleman, whom it would not be difficult to defraud of his money in some strictly business-like way.
"it's all right: he'll nibble, and we shall float in spite of fate," whispered lobster to his friend hercules mussel, in a tone of exultation, for the fact was the bank of oyster, mussel, and company was in a very desperate state, though few suspected it.
meantime miss lily was driving her lovers to despair, by being extremely amiable to both. she sat on a sea-green sofa, fanning herself with a tiny coral fan, while the two gentlemen stood before her, trying to annoy each other and amuse her.
"sad affair, that of bessie barnacle and young cockle, wasn't it?" said columbus, in his slow way, thinking it would please lily to pity or condemn her former rival.
"what was it? i've been shut up for a week with a sad cold, and have heard nothing," replied the young lady, fixing her large eyes on columbus in a way that confused him dreadfully in his story.
"why, you know, she was all but engaged to phillip periwinkle, cousin to tom who is here to-night; but just as the thing was considered settled, charley cockle cut in, and they eloped. her family insist that she was torn away; but i doubt it."
"so do i. any girl of sense would prefer a fine fellow like charley, without a cent, to a noodle worth half a million, like phil periwinkle," said oceanicus, in a tone that made the blood of columbus boil.
"it was a most improper and ungentlemanly thing to do, and no one but a low-born puppy would have done it," he answered grimly.
"well, i should say phil was the puppy, to take a beating so quietly. i consider it a spirited thing on charley's part, and i fancy miss lily agrees with me," returned oceanicus, with an insinuating smile and bow.
"you oughtn't to ask me such naughty questions," simpered lily behind her fan. "it was dreadfully improper, and all that sort of thing, i know; but then it was so romantic, and i adore romance,—don't you, mr. turtle?"
"decidedly not that style of it. in good families such things are not allowed; but it is no more than i should expect of a cockle," remarked columbus, with scorn.
"now, really, my dear fellow, you ought not to be so severe, when your cousin theresa did the same thing, you know."
as oceanicus said this, he looked straight at young turtle in the most impertinent manner. but for once columbus was his match, for he said coolly, "old barnacle vows he will have cockle imprisoned, if he can find a fit place for such a young rascal, and i advised him to try a lobster-pot."
now that was a direct insult, for oceanicus had been caught in one not long ago, on his way home from a frolic, and would have been boiled if his friends had not gone to the rescue. it was considered a sad disgrace to die by boiling, or to be caught in any way; so the lobster family hushed it up as carefully as the turtles did theresa's runaway match. oceanicus gave columbus a look which he long remembered, but said nothing to him; and turning to miss crab, as if they were alone, he murmured regretfully, "my dear lily, it must be dreadfully dull for you with no dancing. won't you let me bring you something to eat? i see they have begun supper at last."
"i was about to take miss crab down myself," said young turtle, haughtily.
"now don't quarrel and be absurd about me. i am going to stay here, and you may each bring me something. i could fancy a shrimp, and a glass of briny," said miss lily, hoping to soothe the angry gentlemen.
both rushed away; but oceanicus, who was always brisk, got back first, and whispered, as he handed the glass, "remember after the tableaux."
"oh, dear, no! i couldn't think of it!" cried miss lily, with a little scream. "now you may hold my things, while i eat. be careful not to break that, for i value it very much," she added, as she handed turtle the fan he had given her. "how sweet they are! i do so love flowers," she went on taking a long sniff at her bouquet before she gave it to lobster to hold. then, taking off her gloves, she coquettishly sipped her wine; and, holding the shrimp in one delicate claw, she daintily picked off its legs, putting them bit by bit into her mouth, till nothing but the tail remained, which turtle kept as a love-token.
"my dear creature, how miserably you are looking: i'm afraid this gay season has been too much for you. people at your time of life should be careful of themselves," said miss mosquito to fanny firefly, who was a universal favorite, being a bright, merry little lady.
"i'm very well, thank you, dear, and none the worse for my gayeties. if you can stand a dissipated season, i guess i can, for you are older than me, you know," returned miss fanny, sweetly, as she walked away with tom periwinkle, who shunned "miss skeet," as he called her, as if she had been a walking pest,—a flying one she certainly was.
"poor girl! i'm sorry she is losing her good looks so fast, and getting so sharp and sour. she used to be rather pretty and amiable, but she is quite spoilt, and having neither money nor accomplishments she will soon be quite forgotten," said xantippe, with a sigh that said plainly, "if she was like me, now, she'd be every thing that was good and charming."
"how are the horse-shoes getting on, miss mosquito?" asked mrs. turtle.
"i don't see much of them, they are not in my set, you know. people who rose from mud, and still have relations living there, are not the sort of persons with whom i care to associate," replied xantippe, with a scornful perk of her long nose.
now both the turtles and lobsters had connections in mudville, and so of course were offended by that speech. old mrs. lobster turned as red as if she had been boiled; but mrs. turtle never forgot herself, and changed the subject by saying politely, "we are going to have supper early on account of the tableaux: as you are going to act, won't you step down with me and have some refreshment before the rush begins?"
"thank you, i'm going to supper at the hotel by and by. i'm rather delicate, you know, and i find the things i get there agree with me better than common suppers. i see mrs. barnacle is expecting me to come and amuse her, so i must fly. pray take care and not excite yourself, my dear lady, for you know apoplexy is sadly fatal to your family. you, mrs. lobster, are happy in being free from that aristocratic complaint." and with these farewell stings, miss mosquito buzzed away, leaving the two old ladies to exclaim angrily, as they settled their cap-ribbons, "xantippe gets quite unbearable. she is regularly blood-thirsty, and stabs right and left with her cruel tongue. let us go and have a comfortable dish of tea, my dear; i'm sure we need it."
it was very amusing to see the company at supper; the alderman trying to think of his guests before himself; the young ladies delicately picking at their food, and pretending to have no appetite after taking a hearty tea at home; the young men eating every thing they could lay their hands on, and drinking more than was good for them. the old ladies were rather neglected, but made the best of it, and slipped a few trifles into their pockets for the dears at home; while their stout husbands stuffed till they were speechless.
after supper, there was singing; and the petrels came out splendidly, for they were a glee club, and sung all sorts of sea-songs in fine style, particularly "a life on the ocean wave," and "rocked in the cradle of the deep." miss mosquito, in a shrill small voice, sang tennyson's "blow, bugle, blow;" and mrs. shrew-mouse gave a lullaby very sweetly. old lobster, who was a gay fellow still, warbled "i know a bank," which made old turtle laugh till they thought he would certainly go off in a fit; and, to lily's delight, young lobster's serenade entirely eclipsed young turtle's barcarolle. after this, the flying-fish performed some wonderful feats in the pool; and the beetles were allowed as a special favor to show the young people the new grasshopper-step which was all the rage.
then came the tableaux. a row of fireflies made capital foot-lights; a thick cobweb was the curtain, and two spiders were engaged to work it. monsieur hyla, a tree-frog, piped sweetly between the pictures, and every thing went smoothly. the first was a scene from "the tempest." a venerable horse-shoe was prospero, and his stiff tail was very effective as the magic wand. lily crab was miranda, and looked lovely as she gazed admiringly at oceanicus, who played ferdinand. a hedgehog did caliban; a firefly was ariel; and the picture was a great success everybody said but columbus turtle.
the alderman himself consented to appear in the next as the ancient mariner telling his story to the wedding guest. his face was wanting in expression, and he was rather stout for the haunted man; but as several members of his family had led seafaring lives, and died at fabulously great ages, he felt it was an appropriate part for him. young lobster was the detained guest, and was really fine in the longing look he gave at the bridal train just passing by. columbus was the bridegroom, and lily the bride, and very sweet she looked under her veil; while turtle was absolutely brilliant with momentary excitement.
the "three fishers" followed, and was the gem of the whole, for one of the petrels chanted the words as the scenes were shown. first, the fishers were seen "sailing out into the west" on the pool in large shells. a jelly-fish, young cockle, and tom periwinkle were the fishers, and the ladies applauded violently, as they rowed gallantly away. then the three wives appeared up in the light-house tower, which was made by collecting the fireflies on the top of the rock, while the shrew-mouse, miss beetle, and miss snail, as the wives, looked anxiously out for the boats "that would never come back to the land." the gentlemen quite brought down the house at this, but the ladies thought it "just a trifle flat." the last scene was really thrilling, for the "three corpses lay out on the shining sands," and "the women were weeping and wringing their hands" most tragically. young jelly-fish was very ghostly, and the anguish of mrs. shrew-mouse so capitally acted it was evident she had known sorrow. "the lily maid of astolat" followed, for that and the "fishers" are always favorites at the seaside. of course lily crab was the maid, laid on a bed of splendid sea-weeds in the great rosy-lipped shell which was the boat. in the prow sat a toad, as the faithful old dwarf who steered her down to camelot, and his ugliness made her beauty more dazzling. on the shore of the pool stood the handsomest petrel, as king arthur; another was lancelot; and a pretty miss periwinkle was guinevere. a good many of the company had not read "idyls of the king," and hadn't the least idea what it all meant; but they took care to look as if they did, and patted their hands with an approving, "very sweet," "quite exquisite;" "really, it does the young people a vast deal of credit;" "altogether commy la faut," as old mrs. lobster said, trying to be elegant, though she was a very ordinary woman, who could do nothing but make salads, for her father kept a restaurant years ago.
the last one was the "corsair's bride." columbus was the stern papa, and lily the lovely daughter, both in the greek costume, and it is easy for one to imagine how becoming it must have been.
this was an acted tableau; for, as haidee lay listlessly on her divan, thinking of the gallant being who had sung under her window one moonlight night, the same gallant being magnificently got up as a corsair burst into the room, followed by his band. oceanicus looked as dark, fierce, and melodramatic as half-a-dozen byrons, and quite electrified the audience by knocking down the stately papa, exclaiming, "tyrant, i defy thee! ha! ha! she is mine!" and rushing from the stage with lily on his arm.
this thrilling display of tragic power produced round after round of tumultuous applause, and cries of "lob! lob!" from all parts of the house. the curtain rose, but no one appeared except columbus, still on the ground, having been half-stunned and wholly bewildered by the attack, that not having been planned beforehand. he lay staring blankly, and looking so forlorn that the wags who had pulled up the curtain dropped it, and raised him instead. everybody laughed at him, and praised oceanicus. the lobsters quite glowed with pride; the young ladies declared it was "perfectly thrilling;" and the young gentlemen vowed that "lob outdid himself, by jove!"
by the time the excitement subsided, people began to wonder why the "stars" didn't appear to receive their honors. but nowhere could they be found, and mrs. crab began to look anxious. some one suggested that they might be strolling on the beach to cool and compose themselves. a careful search was made, but no trace of them was discovered, till an old jelly-fish who was lying on the sand informed them that a young couple had sailed away not long before, and that he heard them say there would be just time to stop at the rev. dr. cod's before they caught the outward-bound steamer.
when this dreadful intelligence was carried back to the party, mrs. crab fainted dead away, and the commodore stamped about, using very strong language. miss mosquito triumphantly exclaimed, "i told you so;" and every one was much excited.
the party broke up at once, and as the last wave left the door mrs. turtle said with a long sigh, "for my part, i'm glad the season's over, that we are done with fashion and frivolity, and can go back to our simple, sensible ways, and live like respectable creatures."
