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 soft voices died away, at the end of each verse. And to look at each young face uplifted with fresh sweet feelings of piety and love to me seemed a picture of what we might see hereafter in that other and brighter world, "which eye hath not seen, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive." The fair blooming face of Sybil contrasted well with the brilliant dark eyes and fine countenance of Gertrude, while the slight statue-like form of the graceful Serena, with her small head and beautiful throat bent over her book, completed their picture. And a smaller group stood beside them equally pretty to look at, equally wrapt up in the solemn duty they were performing. The taller Zoë in the middle, her black hair drawn from her fair and lovely profile, one little hand resting, on the pretty sparkling Winifred whose arch look was sobered into childish gravity, a pretty demureness hiding the merry blue eyes, and leaving long curling dark eyelashes to veil her cheeks; while on the other side, hanging or leaning, or both, stood Lilly, her long black curls swept in every direction, and falling in rich masses over all three as the wind listed to blow them, the prettiest face in the world, peeping from between the dishevelled locks, with rosy mouth parted, and violet eyes upraised to heaven, as she sang with bird-like clearness above the rest.
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, that was deemed necessary to ornament all they wished at home. The two good boys prepared with the gravity necessary for so important a business, to fish for our dinner, speculating upon what bait the fish would take that particular morning, and what they would not. To which we listened in solemn propriety, though well aware all the time they jumped at a bit of red worsted, as much as any other thing.
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 an almost inaccessible crag, and Gatty tore her frock every five minutes.
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."