ide ocean, which, when we were six year olds, we passed
over on our maps with the thought, I wonder if they have Sundays there.

Situated nearly one hundred miles, in a south-easterly course from the
city of Boston, and about thirty miles from the nearest point of main
land, Nantucket lifts her proud head from out the broad Atlantic, whose
waters, even when lashed to madness, have been kind to her. And now, on
this oppressive July morning, let us throw aside our cares, and come out
from our daily round of duties, where we have been scaling with our eyes
the tall brick barriers which shut out God's beautiful blue sky and
sunshine. Yes, let us off, anywhere, to get one glimpse of Nature. On
board the good steamer "Island Home," a two hours' sail carries us over
that distance which separates Cape Cod from Nantucket. If you have not
passed most of your days among the Connecticut hills, you pay little
attention to that "green-eyed monster," who considers it a part of his
duty to prepare the uninitiated for the good time coming. Arrived at the
bar, which stretches itself across the entrance to the harbor, our
first impressions take to themselves the forms of sundry venerable
windmills, church spires and towers, representing various orders of
architecture; but that which strikes us most is the scarcity of
shipping, not more than a dozen vessels lying at the wharves. In former
times Nantucket numbered as many whaleships belonging to her port, as
did any town on our seaboard. Indeed, she was built up from the produce
of the ocean, and carried the palm for years as being first among the
American whale fisheries; but her number has dwindled away, till not
one-fourth of those homeward-bound ships are destined for the port of
Nantucket.

The town, we find, is situated on the northern shore of the island, at
the harbor's head. The houses are compact, and most of them built of
wood, with little regard to beauty; though some few residences there
are, of modern style, which do credit to their designers; but the
greater number speak only of antiquity, with their shingled sides; and
you will rarely see a house that has not a "walk" upon its roof, with
which they could by no means dispense, as in case of ship-wreck near
the island, the roofs of the whole town will be alive with men, women,
and children, spyglass in hand. Besides the town there are but one or
two small villages, "Polpis," and the far-famed "Siaconset," or
"Sconset," as it