The Argosy — page 230: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Under Northern Skies. 213 was a crowded, crushed feeling about this little town, Allinge, a want of airand space. Any longer sojourn than one night would hardly have been tolerable. The morning came, and in its early freshness Allinge looked less objectionable than it had seemed last night. Darkness and shadows had disappeared. In broad sunlight, even the narrow thoroughfares lost their close, uncanny feeling. And the sea stretched out like a sapphire far as the eye could reach, sleeping, flashing in the sunshine. Last night we had had a star-gemmed sky, this morning we had a star-gemmed-sea. This would have reconciled us to a far worse spot than Allinge ; would have purified—we had almost said sanctified—a AX AA ZA ez as ig QV Wi va HS +a ™, BS far more objectionable settlement. i: Away out on the surface of the water was the small island of Christianso, a mere fortification, looking white and beautiful, calm and hazy, like a cloud resting upon a painted ocean. All this we saw whilst breakfast was preparing at the hands of the bustling maiden, who helped one to the sweets of life in the form of delicious honey, and stimulated one’s nervous system with coffee of the finest brew. Even Allinge had its good points in these small luxuries and refinements, which play no inconsiderable part in making life bearable. Nevertheless, we were not sorry to turn our backs upon the little place. Man is not always as grateful as he might be. Small mercies seldom stir up great emotions, though they make up largely the sum and substance of existence. Very often, if we only knew it, we turn our backs in this calm, deliberate manner upon what would have CoOnnicbooks (C©) im