riquets
characteristic of their appearance or pretentions. There was one young
man from the West, who would have been flattered with the appellation of
"dude," so attractive in the fit of his clothes, the manner in which
he walked and used his cane and his eyeglass, that Mr. King wanted very
much to get him and bring him away in a cage. He had no doubt that he
was a favorite with every circle and wanted in every group, and the
young ladies did seem to get a great deal of entertainment out of him.
He was not like the young man in the Scriptures except that he was
credited with having great possessions.

No, the principal occupation at Bar Harbor was not fishing in the
house. It was outdoor exercise, incessant activity in driving, walking,
boating, rowing and sailing--bowling, tennis, and flirtation. There was
always an excursion somewhere, by land or sea, watermelon parties, races
in the harbor in which the girls took part, drives in buckboards which
they organized--indeed, the canoe and the buckboard were in constant
demand. In all this there was a pleasing freedom--of course under proper
chaperonage. And such delightful chaperons as they were, their business
being to promote and not to hinder the intercourse of the sexes!

This activity, this desire to row and walk and drive and to become
acquainted, was all due to the air. It has a peculiar quality. Even
the skeptic has to admit this. It composes his nerves to sleep, it
stimulates to unwonted exertion. The fanatics of the place declare that
the fogs are not damp as at other resorts on the coast. Fashion can
make even a fog dry. But the air is delicious. In this latitude, and by
reason of the hills, the atmosphere is pure and elastic and stimulating,
and it is softened by the presence of the sea. This union gives a
charming effect. It is better than the Maine Law. The air being like
wine, one does not need stimulants. If one is addicted to them and
is afraid to trust the air, he is put to the trouble of sneaking into
masked places, and becoming a party to petty subterfuges for evading the
law. And the wretched man adds to the misdemeanor of this evasion the
moral crime of consuming bad liquor.

"Everybody" was at Bar Harbor, or would be there in course of the
season. Mrs. Cortlandt was there, and Mrs. Pendragon of New Orleans, one
of the most brilliant, amiable, and charming of women. I remember her
as far back as the seventies. A young man like Mr. King, if he could