The Story of Our Sunday Trip to Hastings as Related by One of the Party; As Related by One of the Party

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1879. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER VI. AT THE SEA. HERE is no doubt that Hastings in former days was very lovely, and traces of its old beauty still linger, though modern builders have done their utmost to obliterate them. We saw little from the station but streets and houses in every direction, and to weary travellers who panted for coolness and freshness after the sultriness of London, it seemed at first as if we had only come from one hot, overgrown town to another. We left the train and waited in a shady corner till our fellow-passengers had dispersed, and then proceeded slowly through the station yard, and along a street that led towards the sea. It was past eleven o'clock. The bells were all silent, but we saw several places of worship, and through the open door and windows of one of them came a sound of singing, to which we tried to turn deaf ears. We had just paused to look at the Albert Memo G rial, when a gaily dressed young person saluted Mrs. Peters with many expressions of surprise and delight, and then with much simpering and blushing introduced a gentleman some five years younger, and as many inches shorter, than herself, as her newly-wedded spouse, Mr. Le Blanc. It appeared that the marriage had taken place during the previous week, and the happy pair were spending at Hastings their brief holiday after it. They were dressed in the extreme of fashion, and from their stylish manners and appearance, we by no means suspected that they were hoth shop assistants in Oxford Street, or that the young husband's real name was Thomas White. Our friends forgot our very existence in the delight of meeting these elegant people and paying them suitable compliments, until James, growing tired of listening to conversation in which we had no interest, proposed we should proceed to the...