The Crescent Beach Interlude
The Captain and Ann BarbaraThe bright, doomed summer when the Antin family kept a refreshment stand with the Wilners on the Massachusetts shore.
increasing
Bearing strength in each event
decreasing
Arrival at Crescent Beach

Arrival at Crescent Beach
The New Home by the Sea
After Boston, the family moved to a cottage on Crescent Beach, where Pinchus prepared a refreshment booth with his partner Mr. Wilner.
A Child's Paradise
Mary played in the surf, watched the sun and moon, and learned the ocean. The beach was historic ground in the annals of her family.
The Growing Time
The idle summer by the sea stretched her mind. She was more than commonly alive to impressions.
The Wilner Family Swarm

The Wilner Family Swarm
Twelve Little Wilners
The partner had twelve children of every age and size, who swarmed through the cottage like monkeys. The majestic Mrs. Wilner ruled them by the clock.
Friends in the Surf
Mary played with the smaller Wilner boys in the water like a duck. They dared each other farther out than was safe.
The Rude Taunt
When the tide turned, the boy mocked her with "greenhorn." She vowed never to walk with him again.
The Refreshment Stand

The Refreshment Stand
Soda Fountain and Potato Chips
Mary admired the shining soda fountain, the pyramids of oranges, and the sausage chains. Mr. Wilner's potato chips were famous on the beach.
Pride in the Establishment
She was proud to run errands for the stand and hoped people noticed she belonged to it. Her father looked well in a white apron.
The Business of America
Mary supposed the family was getting rich. She had learned the motto: America is not Polotzk.
The Wading Adventure

The Wading Adventure
Out Too Far
Mary and a Wilner boy waded out across the shallow water until the tide turned and swells lifted them from their feet. They were miles from dry land.
The Run Back
Four bare legs plowed through the water while fear drove them on. They reached the high-water mark six hours before full tide.
The Lesson of the Sea
The boy taunted her for being scared. She walked away angry, but she had learned the sea's power.
Dissolution of the Partnership

Dissolution of the Partnership
Trouble with the License
There was a license fee or fine, and a storm damaged the soda fountain. The promising partnership was dissolved.
The Stake Torn Out
The jealous Atlantic, in conspiracy with the Sunday law, tore out the family's stake. The Antins moved to Chelsea in search of luck.
End of the Paradise
The jolly seaside life ended. Mary carried the memory of the ocean into the slums.
two weeks after landing in Boston
the summer at Crescent Beach
the summer at Crescent Beach
one low tide at Crescent Beach
at the end of the Crescent Beach summer