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the discovery of
Thaxter's future wife.
Later
Wentworth wrote to his mother:—
We had a nice visit from Levi, he brought the loveliest seaweed and gave a glowing account of Appledore.
But
Mrs. Higginson's version of the visit was somewhat different, for she declared:—
Last Wednesday Levi appeared with a cod and several Salt Mackerel (awful things); we are trying to give them away.
After an expedition to the
Isles of Shoals, where he met for the first time the fair young
Celia Leighton, with her necklace of sea-shells,
Mr. Higginson wrote:—
There is no passion so beguiling as boating and I could sympathize with Levi in that; Levi has still his beautiful boat The Lady of Shalott. . . . As to his other Lady I grew more and more attracted to the sea maiden; Celia has a lovely nature, simple, true, confiding, brave and of perfect serenity of temper. . . . And the more I think of her, and remember that she is but fifteen; the more I feel that there is no predicting what she may not turn out.
In writing nearly a year later of the Thaxter marriage,
Mr. Higginson said:—
Characteristically enough the great event was decided on, the priest sent for to the mainland and the ceremony performed all in one day!
