/ / A dMB*»*»i 1 o. -^ A * O N c „ •^ cP^ f I .V -^ .^* '^^ >^ y^q.. "^^ •^ - 'f ^ i 1 •% •x^^" > ./>. ^^A V^ ^■^^.%\'^^ .^^ xO^^, ^'-^\n^.--; .-^^ "^J. ^^ •X*' ^ '* * O, '/ 1 , o „ ^>^■^ ''^^ 'A ..v^ .N -^ .ri^^ ■.O -0' V >;;._-' 'f 0( .<>'" ^s % o TO fishermen or traders, consequently there would have been no object for a visit before March, the ** old style " ending of the year, so when all ac- counts to be obtained are summed up, it is more than likely that the first settlement at Cape Porpoise was effected the summer before the land- ing of the Pilgrims, These early set- tlers, ever suspicious of the treachery of the red man, planted their colony on an island in the eastern harbor that they might more conveniently defend or make good their escape in case of a sudden attack. The places where the fishermen cured their fish in those days were known as ** fish- ing stages." This noted island (Stage Island) to the present day 23 still bears the name so honestly earned nearly three centuries gone by* Within one hundred and fifty years the burial spot of these pio- neers was well known, in tradition at least, as the ^^old burying-ground ** to distinguish it from the more mod- ern one located directly in front of Stone Haven Hotel* To-day the waters of the blue Atlantic ebb and flow at will over this very spot of earth where rested all that was mortal of these rude fishermen, all traces of that portion of the island having, long since, disappeared by the slow and steady work of erosion* Difficult indeed does it seem, after going backward through the lapse of time, to con- 24 ceive that ever this picturesque little province^ so peaceful and thrifty, could once have been the scene of a reign of terror, as the following ac- counts must truly bear witness of. While the fort on Stage Island was able to retain the few soldiers allotted to this section, the inhabitants man- aged to abide in partial safety. Somewhat encouraged by the peace- able attitude of the Indians for so many months, such enterprise as until now was never seen began to take root in all quarters* The flocks and herds, fast increasing, added much to the worldly possessions of the settlers. More attention was i given to their homes and a better sj^ feeling prevailed among the people. ^/ ^ The return of Governor Andros to Massachusetts after that unhappy, disastrous siege against the Eastern Indians was soon followed by the desertion of the soldiers from Stage Island Fort* The savages, about this time, appeared in such numbers that the thoroughly alarmed inhab- itants sought refuge, as a last resort, in the fort, the Indians coming after in hot pursuit* Forlorn enough was this company huddled together in this insecure shelter, nearly sur- rounded by deep water, the narrow neck of land (bare at low water) leading to the mainland occupied by the enemy, with little food and a scarcity of ammunition* Fortunate- ly, the pursued were somewhat pro- 26 w tected by a fine stone-wall, behind which effectual fire could be kept up when harassed by the Indians, who, having not even the friendly shelter of bushes, soon retreated, with the intention of either starving them out or surprising the fort. When the last charge was in the muskets (the bullets having been cut in two to complete the work), at this critical moment a little girl of seven sum- mers, clinging close to the side of the aged grandmother, besought her, in tones of anguish, to pray. Bow- ing her head in the midst of the awe-stricken assembly, she called upon the great Father above to avert their impending doom, if consistent with His will, or else receive into 27 His keeping the souls of the victims of savage hatred. After this most plaintive prayer the fort was soon deserted for fear of being surrounded and the hopeless people retreated to the southern point of the island; from this narrow point they were exposed only on one side. The only boat at their disposal was an old punt with one end nearly broken away. Brave Nick Morey^ inspired by the grandmother^s prayer, under cover of darkness courageously set forth for assistance, iwenty-five miles distant. By remaining in the whole end of the craft he managed to keep her afloat, while the suffering com- pany left behind, without food or shelter, although cherishing small 28 A Fishing Schooner hopes of his reaching Portsmouth, still strained their gaze in that direc- tion. Just as the shades of evening were closing in a sloop appeared heading for the Cape. As soon as she was safely within the harbor the crew discharged a swivel at the Indians, who fled, panic-stricken, to the forest. Hastily gathering the exhausted whites on board, they departed on the home trip, and neither did one of these inhabitants return for a space of ten years. Of all the Indian lore learned in childhood, this story is the one most frequently told, and we deeply regret that the subsequent history of Mr. Morey told to me by ^'Aunt Kattern AverhilP' cannot be substantiated, 29 as little proof can be obtained after diligent search in many directions. This old lady would declare^ in con- nection with the story^ that when the whites again returned to their old haunts Nick Morey made one of the number; that here he abode until death, when, granting his last request, his body was laid at rest in a beautiful spot on Green Island, plainly seen from the lighthouse. In digging the graves for the bodies of two sailor-men, brought in from a passing vessel, several human bones were discovered, and the old gentle- man from whom I learned this stoutly declared them to be the remains of the valiant fisherman. We never grow weary of singing 30 the praises of Paul Revere, Phil Sheridan and others, — school chil- dren receive inspiration from quoting their wonderful deeds, yet no more deserving of eulogy are any of these than this hero of heroes, the unpre- tending Nicholas Morey. The thrilling and fascinating events which have occurred between the coming of the first settlers and the present time must, for lack of space, be touched upon very lightly* Who would believe that, in the long ago, the dreaded whipping-post once occupied a conspicuous place in this same village ? Also that Cape Por- poise was, more than once, indicted for failing to procure stocks, which the Government required at that 31 time? It is gratifying, however, to relate that although these stocks at length were secured they were never used, their presence alone being sufficient menace to prevent any meriting punishment by this method. No such clear record of the whip- ping-post is given, we are sorry to announce, for more than one shady report used to be told concerning it* The story of the Watson girl, who gave such timely assistance to her muscular father just as the huge savage was about to gain entrance by forcing himself backward through the heavy kitchen door, is well worth a place in any book touching on this locality. The weird story of ** the haunted house,^^ told in detail, would add another full chapter of vivid in- terest. The fate of the first church, how at length affairs connected with this edifice of holiness became so muddled that a few, interested in its welfare, with good judgment, con- cluded the only way out of the perplexity was to burn the church. Accordingly, says an old report, two trusty youths, under shadow of secrecy, were chosen for the purpose. After faithfully executing their trust they repaired to a certain house to partake of a dainty supper, provided by two women who favored this method of settling the difficulty. At the first meeting following the dis- aster, a churchman, not cognizant with the true state of the case, gave 33 voice to his convictions something like this: ^^O Lord, this church had long been the scene of conten- tion and strife, and now, in wisdom, hast Thou sent a fire-brand from heaven and destroyed it/^ It would seem from the following diverting anecdote (once going the rounds) that boys were just as fond of mischief and merriment in the olden time as at the present day. Many years gone past the Widow Watson lived, by herself, in a com- fortable abode not far from the heart of present Cape Porpoise* Her rep- utation as a joker and her fanciful sayings drew unusual attention from the lads of the neighborhood* There came a time when the first monkey 34 made his appearance in town. Now for some rare fun with ** Old Lady- Watson/^ In her absence from home, one afternoon, they contrived to leave the new pet in full possession of the good dame^s house. On her return she found the little animal ensconced on one of the beams of her living-room, peering down with evident curiosity regarding the in- vader. The restless eyes of the monkey just then spied out a near-by basket of eggs and he began pelting them at the floor below, Mrs, Wat- son, having never before seen an animal of this kind, was half con- vinced that it was Satan himself appearing in this new guise. At last, finding her tongue, she addressed 35 him thus; *^Is this you^ Mr. Wat- son, or is it the Devil? (down came another egg just grazing her nose) I believe it is you, for you always loved eggs/* This was too much for the boys and they came forth from their hiding-place and thus ended the soliloquy. Little need be said of modern Cape Porpoise, — it speaks for itself. The chief business of the place is still, as of old, the reputable one of fishing. Here, for generations, has this quiet, peaceful spot been the abode of a race of intelligent people, thrifty and prosperous. Here the wayfarer is sure of a welcome, food and shelter. Here no poverty, in its true sense, is ever met with. Some 36 great writer has declared we may look in vain for gross ignorance in a coast settlement bordering any civilized country. The assertion is very true; nothing tends to sharpen or expand one's ideas like the influ- ence of life upon the ocean or on the border ground of its limits. The flourishing condition of the schools here situated is truly surprising. The following sweet little poem^ so characteristic of the surroundings, was a gift of one of the native girls, whose long-continued connec- tion with the schools, as a teacher, has made her faithful service appar- ent throughout the community. 37 DEPTHS. By Helen F. Ward. At an open casement sitting. On the sea beyond I gaze, Enrapt in a dream of ■wonder. That its mighty depths oft raise. And it seems some strange song singing, In a tone so deep and grand That I feel almost transported To a -wondrous distant land. How^ smiling now seems its surface. Reflecting the sunbeams bright ; In its mood a child most playful. Dancing in the golden light, Seeining never, never weary, — Pure azure both sky and sea. And the boat upon its bosom Floats amid tranquility. But spite of its smiling surface. Oh what depths far, far faelow^ ; What treasures its w^aters cover That -would make our eyes to glow^, Where even the storm ne'er reaches ; Its anger in foam and spray Is only of surface w^aters. In its mood now grave, no^v gay. Is it thus w^ith grandest natures, Oft seeming so free and glad ? Bright and sparkling in the sunshine, Yet but depths in gay robes clad ; 38 o And even the strife and turmoil, Though knocking at heart and brain, But rebound against this stronghold And cannot an entrance gain. Before we leave the subject of schools allow yourself to be led, in fancy, to a certain plot near the residence of Captain Frank Nunan. There, if you look sharp for a bit, the object of your pilgrimage will appear, in the shape of a good-sized bowlder, carted, by Nature's method, from the bed-rock away back in the hills of New Hampshire, Of course, you will think this not worthy of much notice, knowing that many lost rocks have been traced, with certainty, to their parent ledge for a distance of two hundred miles or more, but the interest in this 39 reminder of the mysterious glacial period is the fact that the elements of this particular specimen give its origin to any lover of the science, without any of the toil or trouble generally undergone in the researches of the geologist* *** Come, wander with me/ she said, ^Into regions yet untrod, And read what is still unread In the manuscripts of God/'^ Grim Death has recently claimed a rich harvest of the grand ^^old stock ^* so fast dropping out of the ranks, and as one familiar with the people of the place walks along the principal way they look in vain for some valued friend, whose departure 40 Mrs. Mary Austen. hence left a vacancy impossible to be replaced. The residence here given, while unpretentious in appear- ance, can readily be recognized as the happy home of ^* Uncle Tom '^ and ''Aunt Reallie/' Who, in this section, doesn't know these delightful people? Long may this charming old couple be spared to enjoy the rich benefit of numerous friends. And do not think the walk too wearisome to the ''Highlands,'' to make a call upon " Uncle John " and "Aunt Ruth," Here you will be told much of interest concerning the his- tory and improvements of the place. The accompanying likeness of the "Seavey triplets" is here produced as an especial mark of friendship 41 fostered by the family for the writer* Reared in an atmosphere of love, under the influence of Christian parents, these sisters have endeared themselves in the hearts of their neighbors and many friends by their kind deeds and loving interest in their welfare* Besides being very skilled in all the intricacies of the housekeeper, these sisters are pos- sessed of uncommonly sweet voices, which often blend in harmony around the parent fireside* Do not think of saying good-by without having first seen ^^ Uncle Stephen*^^ Truly he is one of the few remaining gentlemen of the old school* His hearty acknowledgment of your salutation will instantly enlist 42 50 W you in his favor and his charming way of presenting facts is more than fascinating. Under Uncle Sam's flag no truer disciple of the princi- ples of Republicanism ever lived. In fact, '^ Uncle Hutchins'' has been known to assert that the downfall of some friend of opposite political belief was chiefly due to close adher- ence to Democratic theories. Within a moon not yet passed and in the early morn, a shadow flitted like a leaf past my window, and in another instant the subject of my thoughts stood before me. Quickly extending to the visitor the courtesy of the house, we then del- icately inquired the object of the visit. ''Well," said Mary, ''some one 43 down home told me how you was writing a book and said you was going to have something about the Cape in it^ and I told ^em I bet you would like my picture if you could get iU I had some taken a few days ago and you shall have one if you want it/^ We readily acquiesced to the pro- posal. *'Now, what you going to say about me ? ** asked Mary. ** What would you like to see in print about yourself?^' was the inquiry. ** Wellf can^t you tell how hard I have worked, here, there and every- where, for twenty-four years, to keep my invalid brother from the 44 hands of charity? Who else you going to tell about down there? Now^ there hain't but three or four of the old standards left, you know, and 'twouldn't be any harm to mention ^em alL There's ^ Uncle Edmund/ didn't he always treat you well when you was the school- ma'am down there? And ^ Uncle George Avery/ over eighty years old and his memory just as good as ever, he'd feci slighted if you spoke about the rest and did not mention him. Besides, I s'pose you forgot about Mis Thomas Stone, as good an old Baptist as ever lived," — and in an undertone — '^I believe you are a Baptist, hain't ye?" Poor old Mary ! Who would not 45 be willingf to be the ** character ** of a community in which they live could they but possess the firm hold of the Christianas faith so evidently in the keeping of this simple woman? 'T^vill not be long, the eye of faith discerning The ^vondrous glory that shall be revealed. Instructs the soul, that every day is learning The better wisdom which the •world concealed. Until the electric railway found its way into Cape Porpoise^ the vil- lage put you much in mind of what Arcadia might have been, — with the ingress of the modern road the village loses much of the romantic features once its own. But that which has been loss in one direction is of inestimable gain in another, and the residents very willingly 46 endorse this. Unlike the old lady, farther up the "line/' whose only objection to the proposed road was the danger of *' smoke '' and ** cin- ders '' gaining entrance into her west room, — the generous people of Cape Porpoise have never experi- enced any discomforts from this source, — and so we leave them. What will be the future of this old- time settlement ? Who can tell ? 47 DINAH^S ROCK. O MAN^ times as has been our delight to walk the length of the main thoroughfare of this historical region^ the invigorating breeze from the ocean prompting us^ unconsciously^ to hasten our footsteps^ until as we draw near to the place of a tragedy of Indian days so unlike any ever known to the history of early times^ just so many times do we, thought- lessly, linger for an instant, as if impelled by invisible spirits, while we turn a regretful glance upon all that is seen of the well-known Dinah's Rock, The fate of Dinah, the good squaw, is, indeed, harrow- ing to relate. During the summer ./ 4S preceding her murder, a settler, liv- ing not far from this quarter, had allowed his little daughter to wander into the bushes near their house to gather her fill of the plentiful berries so tempting to childhood. The watchful eye of the parent, all un- suspecting of the danger lurking so near, was suddenly horrified to see a lithe savage spring from the underbrush, and before the agonized parent could lend any assistance the relentless hand of the assassin had buried the tomahawk, more than once, deep into the neck of his lovely child, and then rush away. Frenzied as he was over the loss of his child, he yet was calm enough to realize how fruitless would be the attempt 49 to set forth in haste for another victim towards reconciliation of his great loss. Something in the appear- ance of the white man caused her to take alarm, and she sped for the forest. She could easily have out- stripped the man in his maimed condition, but for the fatal mishap of catching the side of her snow-shoe in the crevice in the ledge. Before she could extricate herself her pur- suer had come up with her, and, giving deaf ear to her pleadings for quarter, he heartlessly brained her on the spot. For nearly two hun- dred years the ledge where all this occurred stood as a monument to commemorate the tragedy. The upper part was removed a few 51 years ago, and now serves as foun- dation of two dwelling-houses situ- ated at Cape Porpoise near the scene of the murder* While we greatly deplore the fate of the harmless squaw, still the motive leading up to its perpetration justifies the settler for this rash act of centuries ago* 52 H r THE BEAUTIFUL EXILE. ^^ lUNE, the fairest of all the S^~M sisterhood of months, shone I ^^^^1 with magnificent glory upon all the region round about. It had seemed to the anxious few who then eked out a somewhat com- fortable existence here that Mother Nature must somehow have gotten behindhand in her duties to this part of the earth, for it had been an unusually tardy season. The few straggling settlers had little enough diversion towards driving away the ever-present feeling of homesickness, so it came to be a great source of pleasure to watch the manifestations of our great Creator in Nature, more especially the signs of thrice-beloved 53 spring. This year there were so many disappointments. The wood hyacinth, which the Indians had taught the white man to believe was the true harbinger of spring — come, not to go away again — had not yet left its mossy bed to give hope to the fearless wayfarer. With the welcome appearance of June a great change appears. Dame Nature seems suddenly to realize that she has, somehow, proved lag- gard, for all at once vegetation, in countless varieties, springs forward with an haste such as was seldom seen in this land of the setting sun. Near the close of one of these June days whose atmosphere was 54 balmy with the sweets of heaven, a long-expected vessel from home appeared over the eastern horizon. Every other interest, of each and all, became as nothing, and one hasty rush was made for the nearest point to give welcome to all on board* In the confusion of the heartfelt greet- ings extended to the few new settlers brought hither by this schooner, no one seemed to discover the beautiful stranger, until coming modestly for- ward she asked, in tones of refine- ment, to be directed to the house of a certain fisherman, whose home was in the neighborhood of the Great Pond, not far from the head of Stony Beach in the region known as Sandy Beach Cove. All attention was then 55 turned^ with eyes of admiration^ upon the graceful speaker* Until this bright June day no such fair lady had ever set foot on these shores. Who of the colony would leave one stone unturned to add to the comfort of this distinguished new arrival ? Yielding to persistent persuasions, she finally consented to remain over night with these hos- pitable people^ to somewhat recover from the fatigue of the voyage on the ocean waters, before pushing onward to her destination. The morning following she was kindly escorted by several good women of the colony to the home of the fisher- man. Gracefully returning her sin- cere thanks to the fisher-wives for 56 their kindness in her behalf, and requesting that sometimes they come to see her, if so be it she remained at any lengfth among them, she passed into the house, leaving the wondering women with their con- jectures respecting her sudden appear- ance in the colony. A word here, a hint there, and the more curious of the people had learned that the esteemed wife of the fisherman was own aunt to the gen- tle stranger. Soon rumor whispered that although amply supplied with means for her care and support, the scattering neighbors believed her to be one more unfortunate seeking seclusion to hide her shame. So the hot summer wore away, with little to relieve the monotony of her solitude. Those who were privi- leged to claim her friendship went fairly wild over her beauty and love- liness of character. Autumn was nearly verged into early winter^ when^ one dark^ stormy evening, the watchful aunt sent one of her sons, in great haste, across the woods for a neighbor, who lived very near what is now the town entrance to the old Cape Road, while the fisherman himself was despatched for a woman who lived some little distance beyond Wells River, whose skill in certain cases was known from York to Saco, the extreme limit of the coast settlement. Tradition gives more than common^ 58 minute description of this valuable woman^ presumably because of her great importance^ in time of need, to the settled portion of this territory. Keeping to the shore whenever he could, and almost feeling his way when passing through the forest, crossing each river as it came in his way by means of dug-out boats, left by common consent to serve as a ferry, he at last arrived at his desti- nation. The fording-place of the first river was again quickly reached by the fisherman and his companion, but, to their dismay, the boat was gone — the swift-boiling current had snatched it from the moorings* Not one moment did this grand woman, of long ago, wait* Promptly giving 59 heed to her instructions, a rude raft was soon constructed by the fisher- man from logs obtained from a tumble-down hut near by, and they were again ready for a fresh start* For the first time the good man hesitated; he too well knew the tremendous risk of the attempt in that angry tide with so frail a struc- ture* Without a second lost in contemplation, the fearless woman sprang for the raft, commanding the man to follow* As if guided by the hand of Providence, they reached the farther shore in safety, not a little disconcerted by their late experience* After this adventure they proceeded with less difficulty, having no hin- drance at either of the other two 60 \ ''V. Among the Bowlders. rivers, and finally reached the fisher- man's home, to find the beautiful stranger and her child both dead* The poor aunt, stricken by the blow, utterly refused all comfort, and for a time the family was fearful for her reason. This humble home was now made up of the good man, his wife and two hardy sons, both sailor-men. It seems that only a short time before her death this lonely little lady called one of these sons apart from the house and, giv- ing into his care a package, pledged him, in case of her death, to deliver it into the hands of the rightful owner, also instructing him that among her effects he would find sufficient means to make the neces- 6i sary journey to England* This worthy cousin faithfully fulfilled the trust of his lamented relative by seeking out, at his earliest opportu- nity, the rightful owner of the pre- cious package — none other than the young Earl of Arundel. Well this haughty nobleman knew that this lovely girl had been his own lawful wife. As subsequent disclosures re- vealed, the couple had been secretly united some time before her coming to America ; when it became neces- sary for her condition to be con- cealed, the only thing that could be done was to send her, secretly, to her mother's sister, in whom he reposed great faith, with the deter- mination that when he came into 62 his inheritance he should most joy- fully claini her as his honored wife, but, for the present, do everything in his power to add to her happiness, although, in the meantime, all must be kept secret for fear of disinhcrit- ance. Never did faithful husband receive such news with greater dis- may* Losing no time, he made his way to this country, shedding bitter tears of sorrow at her grave, and wondering, in his gratitude, what recompense could he make for those who had so tenderly sheltered her. In his will the noble woman who made that hazardous journey to afford aid to his wife was remem- bered generously. The town also was made a bequest and the family 63 of the taithful aunt amply provided for. Pity to relate^ how, from lack of enterprise or some similar cause, these bequests w^ere never recovered. From the lips of the very old people, who, were they living, would far exceed the century and quarter mark, this story was handed down to us. And they also used to tell of the many, many years in which the children of the early settlers would go out of their way to pay a visit to the lonely grave of the fair Lady Arundel, THE GOLDEN-ROD. To comfort man, to whisper hope Whene'er his faith is dim ; For whoso careth for the flo^vcrs Will much more care for him. OMETIME, perchance, your inclination will lead you to the sunny ship-yard in the vicinity of the " old church.'' If you look carefully perhaps you may find traces of a one-time cellar where stood a solemn-looking resi- dence in by-gone days* This was, in its time, the home of a man of great wisdom, who had not neg- lected the talents so generously bestowed by the all-wise Father. Rather, had he parted with the friv- olous and alluring pleasures of life 65 that he might the oftener commune with the great teacher, Nature, No man ever lived who possessed a deeper interest in the knowlege of plant life. Not many years now passed, one might meet those who had availed themselves of this bright man^s instructions. This wise man, it is said, could tell us of the forty species, with their varieties, of the beautiful golden-rod which he could, quite easily, locate in the immediate country surround- ing our settlement. As a result of this attempt, by one not mentioned, the supposition will be — when the pleasure-seeker has found the twen- ty-third or twenty-fourth distinct kind of this weed he will suddenly 66 experience a new-felt interest in the *^rich man's flower/' the orchid, also said to be a habitat of these parts ; by the time his diligent search has revealed the hiding-place of the second species of this rare gift of Nature (rare here, but in other parts only a common flower of the for- est) — that, with his wet feet and tired frame, this seeking out our great Creator through Nature is attended with just a little too much toil and exertion for one in pursuit of rest and recreation* Not every one has heard of the value of our cherished golden-rod to the Indian in other days. In the first place, among them it was their national flower, its emblem being, 67 r as near as can be given in English^ ^* Faithful/^ since it never failed them. Whatever herb or plant proved tardy or absent, this hardy- North American specimen never forgot to put in appearance at the proper time* Again, one variety- entered very largely into their lini- ments for the healing of wounds, and was held so sacred on this account that the children of the tribes were never allowed to pluck the plant for any other purpose. Remember, the red man put as much dependence in his drink of tea as does his tired white brother, home for the night from his office or manufactory; to him it was just as much the drink which would invig- 68 H w •po orate but not intoxicate as now. From whence came this tea ? From the leaves of the golden-rod, and a fine drink it was, no after effects from this tea, just the promise of sweet sleep and quieted nerves — that was alL Once more, it was the only flower used in the burial of their dead. These simple children of the forest knew not that flowers were the emblem of the resurrection. Why, then, should they single out this particular variety, and this only ? Wait patiently and you shall learn. The Indian, as all know, had his own idea of the '^ great hereafter." For him it was the '' happy hunting- ground'' with only the one thing lacking — the beautiful golden-rod, 69 For this reason and no other^ these plants^ roots and all^ were always included in the last outfit of the poor Indian* "A worthless plant, a flaunting weed ! Abundant splendors are too cheap." Neighbor, not so ! Unless, indeed, You w^ould from heaven the sunsets s'weep. And count as mean the common day. Meseems the w^orld has not so much Superfluous beauty that ^ve may Blight anything with scornful touch. 70 THE FIRST DOMESTIC CAT. I AY the writer remind the reader of the time when the white man first made his abiding-place on this portion of the New England soil^ and found, with no surprise, that he had pre- ceded the domestic animal by some little space of time. To be sure, there were various wild animals, — the bear, the wolf, the lynx, the common wild cat, and even the beaver, if you please, was no stran- ger to this soil. Then the harmless and still more prolific creatures yet found, though not in large numbers, would almost trip you at every step. And the feathered tribe — Oh ! ye earnest disciple of the rifle and shot- 71 gun, could you, suddenly, be carried back through the lapse of years to an early spring morn in this olden time, what wonders in this line of game would you behold ! From accounts remembered, as coming from the lips of old people, concerning the immense collection of feathers from one season^s game, one can plainly form an estimate of the vast number of flocks of game-birds which, for- merly, frequented the coast of Ken- nebunkport* ^' Aunt Kattern ** had a story, often told to the delight of the children, explaining the advent of the first domestic cat ever landing on New England shores. A fisherman lover, returning from England by the 72 shortest passage, and wishing to further ingratiate himself into the affections of his buxom sweetheart, managed, not without much trouble and vexation, to reach her home at Cleave's Cove with a fine black cat, the first ever seen in this settlement. Great was the delight of the family at the reception of this rare present. The father happened to be absent at the time of the arrival, so their pleasure in the gift knew no check. Later, on his return, he expressed his displeasure over the offering by sternly forbidding its entrance to his house. "Who,'' he said, "could expect luck to follow the home shel- tering an animal of this description, for did not Satan himself betake the 73 guise of the black cat ? ^^ However^ the tears of an only daughter pre- vailed, inasmuch as his catship was allowed to forage for himself in the forests surrounding the peaceful home. Within a year of his arrival, a fisherman at one of the '^stages** farther east, now known as Turbot^s Creek, fell sick with a disease known as the ** shingles/* Now, the fate of the poor cat is forever sealed. What better cure did these ignorant people know for this malady than the application of the warm hide of the black cat ? Another year rolled on and again the lover returned, bearing this time as pretty a tortoise tabby as ever was seen. Shortly after the arrival 74 she presented her doting mistress with four beautiful kittens, among them a black one. So great an event was this to the infant settle- ments that the news soon spread all along the coast limit, and tradition tells of a visit from a fisherman and his whole family, by means of boats, all the way from York, just for the pleasure of a glimpse at the house- hold pet and her lively family. 75 THE SWEET SINGER, ROM the time when we children, by various modes of stratagem, managed to escape the vigilance of our mothers and wend our way to the ^^Old Locks ^^ to watch with interest the exciting but weary method of bring- ing down river the beautiful ship so lately launched at the ^^ Landing/^ two miles above, down to the pres- ent day, this enchanting spot has been the trysting place not only of lovers, but ever including all periods and conditions of life. Just this side of the picturesque grove is noticed a a pleasant plot, facing down the river. I never pass this little clear- ing, but the story I am about to 75 H relate comes^ like a dream, to my memory. Just across the little cove from this point can be seen, very plainly, the old '*Tristam Perkins^' house, so famous in the history of our town. In the owner^s lifetime he took very great pride in the cul- tivation of berries, fruits, etc. My mother had sent me over to pur- chase currants, to serve as dessert for expected company, and I had gladly offered to assist in picking them, secretly hoping that in the meantime I should be able to learn from his lips one of his interesting stories of the olden time. Somehow he didn^t seem inclined to say much this morning, and the pail was fast filling with the luscious fruit» " Mr* Perkins, they say you were a great singer in your day/^ This was enough. I had touched the responsive chord* *^WelI, I suppose I was, if all accounts are true, but this makes me think of a story of that piece of land over there/^ pointing in the direction of the bluff* ^^You pay good attention to what I tell you and you can make a good composi- tion out of it for your next exercise day at school/^ You had better believe that pail was hung on the fence in a hurry, for I must not lose one word* ** To begin with,^^ he says, ^^ there are many incidents of the past long since forgotten (more's the pity) of this ancient old section, which, could they any way have been preserved, would have been of untold interest in the history of events/' Then he went on with the story, ^^ Right over there on the part nearest the hollow once stood the rude home of an old-time fisherman. There is no cause for wonderment why he pitched his tent here, for everything combined to make it the ideal abode for one of his calling. I never wearied of hearing my grandmother relate the story of the tragedy which befell this poor family. Driven nearly to desperation by their im- poverished condition at home, they, not too willingly, set out for the home beyond the ocean, about which 79 many vague reports lately had reached their ears* So the next we know of them is at the snug little hut near the site of the * Old Locks/ If they were dreary and homesick for the old associations^ they still had the solace of hoping to so im- prove their fortunes as to be able, one day, to return to the haunts of their youth and there again enjoy the sweet companionship of loved ones so reluctantly left in ^Merrie England/ Time passed on and the efforts of these brave people met with such encouraging results as to partially reconcile them to this wil- derness exile, and they were already half induced to found a permanent home just here in this new land. 80 With its abundant resources^ their little ones might escape the possibility of the poverty with which they both were once so familiar. All this time the Indians seemed well pleased over this invasion; in fact, they realized not that the coming of these fishermen betokened their downfall, the robbing them of their rightful possessions, and all the other evils which have followed the ingress of the white man, — but this is a digres- sion. At the time of this story you would find many an Indian settle- ment scattered up and down this romantic river, and of late these neighbors had become more or less annoying in the way of stealing the good man's wealth of fish he was Si so diligently accumulating^ ready to be forwarded home later to procure the needed comforts for his little family. Unfortunately, this man possessed a violent temper, so when at last he caught a well-grown Indian lad in the act of robbing his flakes, he lost all control of himself, fell upon the thief and beat him in an unmerciful manner. From this very moment the little wife^s fears were aroused for their safety, no longer was her sweet voice heard trilling the plaintive airs learned so long ago in her old home; but after a day or two of suspense things began to assume their old cast, the Indians apparently giving no atten- tion to the affair whatever. Full 82 soon the horror-stricken fisherman learned that they were only awaiting their time, for not long after, return- ing in the early dawn with the dug- out boat well laden with his catch of fish, what hideous vision is this to meet his gaze, — no vision, how- ever, but a terrible reality, — the smoking ruins of his home, the mangled forms of his wife and babies, Akhough the Indians pro- fessed great regrets at the time, still there is left no manner of doubt of the crime resting at their feet, for, very soon following this murder, the family of the Indian boy disap- peared by one of the many paths leading northward through the forest/' 83 In concluding this story I must mention the difficulty of obtaining a story from the old people without a touch of the supernatural* ^^ Uncle Tristam^^ was a believer in ghosts* No one could persuade him from the conviction that even his own habitation was one of the haunted, so I listened patiently while he told me of the years that the locality of the fisherman^s home was annually visited by the spirits of the butchered family, the sweet voice of the wife being clearly distinguished at certain times of the year by the boatmen passing up and down the river. : S4 -^^m-^..^^'- ^ V' aV- THE TRIPLETS. OW take a walk with me this pleasant morning and I will show you a roman- tic spot, where once was the home of an early settler in whose family happened an event well worth handing down to posterity. It was autumn, the corn crop had almost proved a complete failure and direst poverty was felt on every hand. It is in just such times as these that the nobler element gains full sway ; acts of self-sacrifice and generous sympathy rendered each to the other often cause those who have passed through these '* breakers of life'' to rejoice that this was the means of bringing out all that was worthy in 85 their friends and neighbors and unit- ing them in a common cause. This abode about which the story is to be told would hardly answer for a home for a respectable family of swine at the present day, but we are very sure the occupants had found the true philosophy of life, — contentment with their lot and cour- age to endure and wait* At the first snow-fall their supply of meal was just two quarts* On no account must this be drawn upon for every- day use ; there must be something reserved for the emergency* What do you suppose was the ^^food stronghold ^^ for this poor family, with winter just upon them, and every omen pointing to a season of 86 unusual severity ? Why, the clam- tlats, to be sure, and of excellent quality were the clams in those days, and withal an abundant supply along the coast* In the course of the winter the worthy dame of the household presented her liege lord with triplets, the first event of the kind ever occurring in New England and, for more than a century, the last. Even though the cruel north wind often drove the treacherous snow through the stray crevices, until, perchance, it found its way to the couch of the mother, still these little fellows grew and throve, not faltering when, in her extremity, the mother was compelled to help nour- ish them with the broth which came 87 from the clams roasted on their smouldering fires. And the glad springtime found them healthy, rosy and well-grown. It will be of some interest to many to have recorded the names of these tiny treasures. About this period it was not uncom- mon for a child to bear for his given name a whole passage in Scripture, so when ^^ Great Expectations/' ^^Wonderful Deliverance/' and ^^ Little to Depend Upon'' were chosen, after much discussion and delay, one might be well satisfied that, for the time in which they lived, their names were not only appropriate but very modest indeed. We can follow the path of these people but little farther, for a maiden 88 aunt having died, leaving to the nephew a considerable property, they, soon after the time of my story, left for '* Old England,'' never again to be heard from by those they left behind in this coming '' Land of the Free/' 89 TALE OF MY GRANDMOTHER^S GOOSE. IBOUT a mile east of the ** Tavern on the Hill ^^ in Kennebunk was the happy home of my great-great-grand- mother. It had not been with them, as with many of the pioneers, that they had found a spot already cleared, with traces of corn-fields once carefully cared for by hardy squaws, for the fearless Yorkshire husband had redeemed every inch of this fertile land from the then majestic forest. These sturdy Eng- lish people found little time, in their struggle for existence, to consciously admire Nature, yet when their foot- steps guided them to this quiet 90 locality they felt a sort of a serene calm pervading the place that caused them to choose their home just here* Truly there must have been a vein of the artistic in their natures, for who could pass, even at this day, without casting an admiring glance? Here these good people raised their family. The father tilled the ground as only the early settler knew how. The mother cared, as best she could, for the round little family. From the ashes of the maple she made her soap ; from the sap of this same tree she obtained her sugar. The care- fully-tended flax-fields produced her linen. The sheep were held in as much regard as the children, for on their backs the thrifty housewife 91 ^y^. saw the clothing for the family* But the especial pride of these ^^ grand- mothers/^ however^ were their geese^ and what luck used to attend their efforts* You know, at this early period, the raising of this branch of the feathered tribe was about the only way of obtaining comfortable beds* Let a farmer^s wife to-day attempt this industry, and as a result you will probably see, along in June, an important gander and a proud goose with one sickly gosling wad- dling between them* Well, to go on with my story of " grandmother's goose,'' — not far from their home was the snug home of the geese; indeed, it was con- structed with far more care than the 92 home of the family. The goose mother had fulfilled her mission^ — the last egg of her litter had been laid and she was now contentedly " setting '' on the cozy nest so will- ingly provided for her, while the father goose was proving himself the very best of sentinels by con- stantly standing in the goose-house door, watching this way and that, ever on the alert for invaders. It is said that American wives are the best used of any country that bears a flag, I, for one, sincerely believe it, and I never meet a father goose without a desire for his portrait, life- size, simply because he is such a reminder of the good husband of our well-beloved country. 93 In this little home all was peace and harmony ; the Indians had been gone for a long time now and the white men were having strong hopes that they had seen the last of their troubles with them in these parts, at least, when late one night, while they were sweetly resting on their beds, came the dreaded sound of the war-whoop, the signal that the battle was on again. Did these brave people quail? Not a bit of it. The husband simply remarked that it was early in the season for them, and at once took means for the defense of his family* This man knew that the red man was deadly afraid of fire-arms, nothing would cause one of them to face the mouth 94 of an old musket. So he began firing, to warn them that he had in his possession the dreaded match- lock, which at this time always kept them at bay, for fear of losing a man in this way, — the Indian believing sincerely at this remote time that whoever among them lost his life at the mouth of the gun of the white man was eternally debarred from their ''happy hunting grounds." They passed the night in safety in spite of the Indians, but when morn- ing dawned the father directed that hasty preparations be made for their departure to the garrison, now the old tavern house on the hill. The journey must be made by way of ^'blazed trees," for there was no 95 road» The mile or more was passed with no adventure* The only re- gret the mother felt was leaving her cherished goose. Before she left she provided the geese with plenty of food until such a time as she should return, for she secretly resolved that, Indians or no Indians, she would look after those geese. When the day came for the goslings to arrive, although disobeying orders, she stole quietly from the garrison, entering fearlessly on her mile walk intent only on securing her geese, if lucky she should find them undisturbed. When the distance was half passed^ right before her in the path was a mother bear and her two cubs, — now what was to be done? She 96 did the only thing she could do, shook her home-spun apron with a vengeance, and the bear, with motherly instinct, fearful for the safety of her young, disappeared in the bushes, and the brave woman pushed on, with bears ahead of her and Indians around her, ever intent on her purpose, the recovery of her geese and their family. As luck would have it, she found the geese all right — why the Indians had not molested them no one knows — every 2§^g had brought out a sturdy gos- ling excepting one. With the goose under her arm and the goslings in a home-made basket, with the gander following and bristling behind, she reached the haven of safety amid 97 the cheers of the garrison. This story is every word true, just as it happened, and I will state in con- clusion that although these women of our ancestry were brave and women of circumstance, we to-day produce just as noble a type of womankind as then. There is no ** new woman/^ — everything else is new or improved. There can be no change in this direction. In the Latin we find two words for man, — ''Homo,'' the human being, ''Vir,'' the war hero. No such distinction is needed for my sex, however; the one word, "Femina,'' a woman, embraces it all. r ./^ 98 /2^ -w^W-T** ' ■^'- rs.^^^p> HOW ''AUNT REBECCA" KEPT THE SAVAGES AT BAY. FTEN have I passed a knoll^ on the direct road to Walker^s Mills^ where happened, nearly two centuries ago, a thrilling affair, the account of which is well worth being repeated to successive generations for all time to come. It is with fear and trembling I include this story, for not many years ago the same narrative, in the main, appeared in some magazine or paper, which I do not now call to mind. The facts of the story must have been suggested to the author by some one who had lived in these parts, for we surely claim L.tfC. 99 the honor of its occurrence, there- fore I dare to add it to my collection in this little volume* It was March, the month when the thrifty women always made their soap. There was many a reason why this particular time was chosen. In the first place, after the long and tedious winter, the collec- tion of ashes was very considerable ; again, the brooks and hollows were busy taking away the great deposits of snow and ice in this form. The skilled women well knew that the water formed from snow was the very best in assisting the soap ** to come,'^ and this indeed was no whim. While not a chemist lives who can explain, it is nevertheless true that there is a vast difference between the liquid that comes from the beautiful snow and plain rain- water that falls from the clouds* All the preparations for this one great event of the year had been made. The day preceding ''the mash'' (which must be about so much Chaldaic to the present gen- eration) had all worked like a charm^ and as the shadows of even- ing approached in the little clearing the year's supply of this article was nearly completed and the whole attempt crowned with success. I may take time here to explain that this homestead was made up of the shrewd grandmother, a maiden aunt, the married daughter and her family, consisting of a husband and children nearly grown down to the ** infant in arms/^ On these busy days the children must look out for each other as best they could, — little regard was paid to the ^* outgoings '^ or ** incomings ** of childhood in these days of yore. The sun had nearly lost itself in the west when a little lad of the family rushed to the house in a state of great excitement, explaining as best he could that while playing in the underbrush, not far below the house, he had seen the most ugly face peering from the bushes and then disappear before a good view could hardly be taken. This was enough; all these women of the o H CO household knew what that face meant^ — the Indians had again re- turned among them. Not that they were much disturbed for their own safety, since this particular house was one of the kind then often found which of itself was a sort of a garrison. Every one knows that neighbors then often meant miles of separation, and the garrisons were not too convenient, so now and then a house would be built unusu- ally strong, with port-holes at the corners and a lookout over the main entrance, so constructed that hot water or something worse could be thrown on the head of the savage in case of too close an invasion. It was just such a house as this on which my story hinges. Every family of this neighborhood knew that^ in case of a sudden attack, this was the haven to which they would flee for protection. The last kettle of soap was already bubbling over the fire in the gener- ous fireplace, and the porridge had been set aside on the hearth, prepar- atory for the evening meal, while in the ashes was slowly roasting the precious potato, in anticipation of the return from the distant grist-mill of father and the eldest son. Now their fears were wholly turned to these loved ones ; perhaps the Indians had already waylaid them and their mangled forms might even now be lying in the forest, food for the hun- 104 gry wolves which infested this part of the country. But for a time this anxious household must turn their efforts to the protection of their little stronghold^ knowing the ways of the savage so well* Hasty prepara- tions were made for their reception when the attack should be made. They did not have to wait long. In this particular raid their plan, from the first, was to ^^fire^' the house; but the women, equal to the emer- gency, were nobly keeping them at bay and there was no question but theirs would be the final victory. After a short period of exciting defense the Indians retreated. Well the keepers of the little fortress knew the meaning of this movement. The 105 next attack would be the ** battering- ram " at the entrance, ** Now^ girls, let^s make ready for them. Rebecca, take yourself in a hurry to the lookout. Prudence, you stand ready to pass the buckets and I will bale the hot soap from the kettle. Benjamin, you keep a sharp watch at the eastern port-hole, and Mary, you have the bullets handy.^* So this grand old ancestor had not long, for here they are already with the huge log, borne at the door end by four or five of the burliest among them. '' Wait till I give the word/' cau- tions the grandmother ^^Here, Prudence, pass up that crock ; now, Rebecca, fill it from this bucket; io6 CO c 3 3 T3 o have all in readiness, and when they attempt the battering down of the door give them hot soap quick and fast/^ All these instructions were obeyed to the letter and such yells as fol- lowed their scampering retreat were seldom heard. Never did swift- running Indian run as now, and the little household was soon left alone with their anxiety for the safety of the father and son. A short time after the retreat of the enemy the male members of the family returned, a little belated on account of the bad paths of March, greatly astounded by the harrowing news awaiting them, for, unaccountable as it may seem, they had seen neither *^ hide 107 nor hair ^* of an Indian on their long, wearisome journey. In conclusion I must ask indul- gence while I tell you that ever after the Indians avoided that habitation as they would a pestilence, supposing the hot soap must be the work of evil spirits, and all white men who could reach that little stronghold in times of danger felt as safe and secure as though not an Indian remained on this side of the great ocean. io8 '■a THE OLD FALLS. EACHER, would you like to go with us to-night to the Old Falls May-flower- ing?'' so said a bright-eyed little maiden^ at the close of a tedious afternoon session, so long ago, that teacher herself was only a demure little girl, scarcely past the time-mark of sixteen summers. To her these ** Falls " had such an interest, for did she not see still the clearing made so many, many years ago by the faithful squaws. All the tradi- tions point to this sequestered place as once the seat of the largest Indian settlement to be found in this portion of the country. Also it corresponded with that period when the fishermen 109 first began to make homes for them- selves on the coast bordering the same section. So this village grew and grew until the women of the clans could no longer drag wood from such a distance to keep the camp-fires bright^ and one night every man, woman and child for- sook this beautiful spot for a home where their fuel could be more easily obtained, leaving the fertile hillsides with the sunny corn-fields for the occupation of some future settler in the years to come. For a long time it remained the trysting place of wild animals and birds of various kinds, until one day two English brothers, seeking a locality where could be operated a crude saw-mill^ decided this to be the place sought and without delay removed their families thither, bringing with them a third family, who had been close friends in Old England, For several years they found their home here, living at peace and hannony with each other, knowing but little of the doings of the outside world, friendly with the natives, happy and contented. With the dawning of a new spring the relations with the Indians seemed not too encourag- ing. The cause had seemingly been slight, but nevertheless the few scattering settlers began to appre- hend great fears for their safety. It was now the families at the "Falls" removed to the edge of New Hampshire, the three families remaining in company as before* Very romantic is the future of two descendants of these families driven about by the many vicissitudes of life. Long years passed on, — m a family who claimed their ancestry from these English brothers was a likely daughter, with whom a son descended from the third family fell deeply in love* The young lady's father sternly objected to the lover, for reason of suspected intemperate habits. The dutiful daughter finally yielded to the importunities of her parent, not without many a sigh for her lost love, but because this old- time daughter firmly believed that no luck would follow a marriage not sanctioned by a father's blessing. Not long after, the young man's family, English-like, took to roving, finally settling near the extreme western limit of ^^The Ohio,'' the term generally applied to the West in those remote times. The faithful young woman, after long months of sorrow, was finally able to crush down her devotion for her early lover and married the man of her father's approval, who only lived about six years to enjoy the companionship of this sweet woman. Years this lady remained a widow, beloved by alL Then her family decided to improve their fortunes by going ** West," by the usual mode '13 'W.^1 of travel adopted in the early part of the last century* Of the fatigue of the long and wearisome journey nothing need be said, until one day the little widow, walking cheerfully along after the ** prairie schooner/' to help relieve the monotony fell to musing on the scenes of her girl- hood* Of late the discarded lover of her youth was always in her dreams, whatever she might do to dispel them. Suddenly she awak- ened from her reflections to find the wagon out of sight. After hurrying forward for some time she became fearful of having lost her way; great was her relief to see, in the distance, a comfortable house appear in view. Her gentle knock was 114 'V, ^ 4 answered by a dignified gentleman of middle age. After the first glance each was too mystified to utter a word — but only for a brief moment — for in the quiet traveler the lover recognized his sweetheart of long ago. A few more words and the story is told. The lady had walked straight to the home of her first love, now for some years a widower. Within three weeks from the time of this remarkable meeting this lady was installed as mistress of the substantial Western farmhouse. A very prominent business man of one of the rival cities of the West is a son of this marriage, their only child. We often hear that ''truth "5 is stranger than fiction." However this may be, the story is a reality, and the names are withheld only for fear of giving offense to parties interested. --W^^-itUlllii Ii6 THE VESSEL WHAT LAUNCHED HERSELF/' HERE is probably no river of its size in the State of Maine that has borne upon its waters so many craft of different kinds as the Kennebunk, Its green banks were settled by a race of men who naturally turned to the sea for a livelihood. Near the ^^ upper tide water " the shipyards were numerous^ and it was at one of these places that the unlooked-for launching took place. The vessel was about one hundred and fifty tons, a large craft for those days, and was planked and partly finished outside. The painters had removed some of the shores or sup- 117 ports and did not properly replace them, and that night occurred a heavy spring rain, which melting the ice under the remaining shores so loosened them that the vessel fell on her side and ** took ^' to the river. The next morning was very foggy, and at about six o^cIock a. m,, when the workmen began to gather for their day^s work, one was observed standing on the ** brow stage ** and gazing into vacancy. No vessel! nothing left but the chips and debris usually surrounding a new craft. He summoned his companions, and going to the water^s edge they could dimly see through the fog the faint outlines of the ^^runaway,^^ across the river, high and dry, but reclining ii8 ?o * on her side, apparently resting after her sliding experience. She was soon surrounded by workmen, who finished one side as she lay, and with infinite labor turned the other side up and so finished their work. She was then launched, apparently none the worse for her nocturnal adventure. Her top was finished at the wharf. Women in those days, as in our own times, must have played an important part in local affairs, for this craft had a queer name, *' Mary's Pantaloons.'' The model from which she was built can be seen to-day, in a good state of pres- ervation, with that name on the ** label end." Neither history nor 119 tradition records the floating of that name on the high seas, but if so the answer to ** Ship, ahoy ** must have caused laughter and surprise to the hailing vessels* Perhaps — who knows ? — that may have been the small beginning of the ^^ woman's rights ^' to don the unmentionables* What they hoisted to masthead to designate the craft's name to inquir- ing minds is a question on which tradition is silent, and we will be* A few rods above this locality a slip was built from the brow of the hill to the water's edge, and used for sliding lumber from the banks to scows that conveyed their loads down the river to vessels loading for the West Ipdia trade* A famous cow owned by Captain John Bourne was pastured in this vicinity, and coming one morning to the slip attempted to cross. At the foot of the slip lay a scow waiting for a load, and the first installment to that end was the cow, in a demoralized condition, on the bottom of the scow. This second impromptu launching was a finished product. Speaking of vessels built about this time (1814), they must have been the pride of their owners. It could not have been for their shape or comeliness, but for a liking for a craft that would ''walk the water" like a thing of life. A vessel was built about this time in the Gilpat- rick yard, near Wonder Brook, and named the ''Old Favorite/* Tradition says she was a lucky boat and did well for her owners, A year or two afterward another was built in the rear of the McCuI- lock house and called the ''New Favorite/* Whether she was the equal of her sister is an unanswered question* Nothing remains of the old shipyards but the site; also of the men who made these places busy hives of industry but very few remain. The Fishermen. CLIPPINGS. MONO the well-known characters of the early- part of the century was one whom we will call Jotham Jones* Jotham was equally addicted to the intoxicating cup and to the composition of impromptu verse. One evening he was visiting the principal grocery store, where, in those ante-prohibition days, West India rum was a prime staple* Jotham's stock of ready cash was quite exhausted, yet he longed ardently for another sip of his favor- ite beverage, so, approaching the storekeeper with his most insinu- ating smile, he made this modest suggestion : — 123 Mr. Moody, if you will Let me have another gill, I declare, by sin and sorrow, I'll fetch you in the money to-morrow. It need hardly be added that the gill was forthcoming. On another occasion^ being asked his opinion of a new house of wor- ship then in process of erection, he promptly replied : — A very nice church And a very nice steeple, A very nice minister. But a hard lot of people. The visits of the Muse were not confined, however, to Kennebunk- port, for the writer has always been told that a disconsolate widower in the adjacent town of Lyman placed over the grave of his departed part- ner the following inscription : — 124 Be she dead? and am she gone ? And is I left here all alone ? O cruel Death ! that wast inclined To take she 'fore and leave me 'hind. He was^ perhaps, of a more sen- timental nature than another worthy of the same town, who while taking a walk over his farm with his new pastor remarked, with a pensive air, as he waved his hand toward a little graveyard, ^'Fve got two or three real good women a-Iayin' there/' The New England virtue of thrift flourished here probably as well as anywhere* One of the natives went to the village to buy a pair of boots for his younger brother, a growing boy, who would be well fitted by number sevens. At evening he was 125 seen returning, bearing in triumph a huge pair of cowhide elevens* ** You see/^ he explained, ** I found they was askin^ jest as much to the store for the sevens as they was for the ^levens, so I thought I might's well git my money's wuth/' And the poor fellow had to drag the ponderous number ^^'levens" around all summer. Sectarianism was often intense and bitter in those early days, but Christian charity was not altogether lacking, for we know of one good old soul who was wont to affirm that she ^^ didn't believe it made any difference what abomination any- body belonged to if they was only good." 126 o A THANKSGIVING ANECDOTE. Then praise for the past and the present ■we sing. And, trustful, await what the future may bring; Let doubt and repining be banished away, And the •whole of our lives be a Thanksgiving Day. jHIS festival, which began with the earliest settlement of New England, has now become so peculiarly appropriate, as an expression of gratitude to God, that the day is little likely to be superseded by any set apart, not even our much-honored Memorial Day. As each succeeding year brings about events which must lay a greater claim to the historian's annals, it is feared that the whole story of the origin of Thanksgiving Day, as taught a generation or two 127 passed by^ will eventually not find a place in the histories of the youngest nation. To me it is the prettiest story recorded^ — how these Pilgrim Fathers^ ever mindful of the bless- ings they received from the ** Giver of all Good/^ set apart a day for " thanksgiving and prayer to God ^* for His watchful care over them in preserving their lives through the year and in giving them an abun- dant harvest. But mine is no history^ only a few reminiscences, so I will tell what happened in a little neighborhood many years ago. There was once a time when there lived a toil-worn widow in the neighborhood known as ^^Saco Road.^^ With all her 128 might and main she struggled to keep together her little brood, but many a time grim Want would loiter at her door, let her do as best she might to banish him. The lot of this good woman had ever been a hard one» Wedded in her earliest youth to the lover of her choice, she had, too soon, found that the staff upon which she leaned was nothing better than the rotten bamboo. His persistent habits of intemperance, added to slothfulness and lack of enterprise, very quickly brought him to be only one more burden added instead of the helpmeet which Heaven designed* Thus matters grew worse and worse, until this wretched man, greatly to the relief 129 of the community m which he lived, returning homeward from one of his drunken orgies, deliberately walked through DurrelPs Bridge, then in course of repair, and by so doing performed for his family the greatest kindness that could ever be credited to his memory. Although beyond the power of neighbors to always keep this poor woman above want, still there must be one day of the year in which full and plenty should be found in her house* So as the day appointed for Thanksgiving approached, each neighbor vied with the other in their provision for the widow. Then there came a year when the praise-deserving mother thought how happy she would be if it were in her power to prepare a Thanks- giving feast at her own home; that her children, in after years, might remember that they had seen mother, once at least, cooking at her own hearth the savory food to which they looked forward from one year to another. So the good neighbors this time provided the raw material for this " day of days/' The arrangements for the occa- sion were nearly completed; the earthen pan was filled to overflow- ing with savory mince-meat, all ready to be constructed into pies for the feast. The final task of gather- ing fuel to heat the old brick oven would complete all the arrangements 131 for this great occasion^ so she called her eldest child^ Joe, who had ever been the best of lads, to assist her in dragging from the grove the needed quantity, leaving the younger chil- dren to care for themselves. Oh! what a great day was this to those little people! When the mother finally returned to the house, what was her dismay to find that the hungry little ones had devoured the last morsel of mince-meat, leaving the awkward earthen pan as clean as though its late contents had never been there. Then the tired little woman, for the first time in all her trials, utterly broke down, and wept bitter tears of disappointment for her lost mince-meat. Cd "X During my childhood days, return- ing from school one day for my noonday meal, what was my sur- prise to find a well-dressed, elderly gentleman occupying the place of the honored guest at my mother's dinner-table. This gentle old man, noticing my perplexity at the familiar way in which they addressed each other, as "Sallie^' and ^^ Joe,'' by way of explanation related the story given above, and concluded the nar- rative by declaring that his mother's tears at the loss of her mince-meat were the means of influencing his whole future* As he told his mother by way of solace, '^ When I am a man I will have things different from this." A year or two after — yj^y^ and he completed every mile of the long journey to the new country of the Aroostook on foot; succeeding^ by his honesty and integrity, in accumulating sufficient wealth to insure (as he said) the respect of all his immediate relatives and friends. 134 c 3 Ou n THE ROPE- WALK. EAR the present site of the Maling house^ away back in the long, long ago, stood the head-house of the famous old rope-walk. What a pity such a reminder of the flourishing days of the great West India trade could not have been preserved to the pres- ent time, to afford interest and gratify the pleasure-seeker in his search for relics of by-gone days. When we come to consider that not one person now survives who can give authentic information about it, surely does the past industry become a subject of speculation. Like a dream we call to mind that the old folks used to have 'Mong as the rope- walk" in speaking of objects of unusual length. One old friend said, in her estima- tion, it must have been a quarter of a mile in length* What a curiosity! — the quaint old wheels, one at either end, each provided with six spindles, that six crack spinners might operate at one time. So often have the old people told me of their mode of spinning the flax, that in my fancy I think I can see them to-day just as they appeared* You will know that these spinners must ever walk back- ward; that the hank of flax from which they spun the rope was car- ried around their body and drawn out in this way; that one hank was sufficent for the journey down the 136 walk and back; that a curious old bell was employed to give signals to the boy at the wheel to stop; that these same lads would patiently turn these wheels until the day was done for the pittance of fifteen cents ; that these spinners never drank water, considering that liquid good enough to wash in occasionally, but on each return trip, before starting with the next hank, drank copiously from the bucket of grog always to be found in the head-house; that in laying up the rope and cables two magnifi- cent horses of great beauty were employed ; that the rope made must have been of inferior quality, since so much tar was used in its con- struction, — the trade at this time being mostly to hot climates^ this tar would naturally form a great objec- tion when heated by tropical climes ; that the employees of this rope- walk held one day of the year in especial veneration — St. Anne^s — for the rea- son that this good Queen once paid a visit to a rope-walk^ spun a rope- yarn, and at the same time raised the wages of the workmen. The business of this particular rope- walk must have been for a time a profitable one, since the busi- ness of the West India trade called largely for its several products* It is said by some of the ancients that the last eight-inch cable turned out from this place was divided among persons interested and kept for a 138 Olcl as Capt. Gosnold. souvenir, since products of this kind were no longer needed, their use having been replaced by chains. Few are the reminders now left of the great West India trade, which did so much in the building up of the settlement, the prosperity of which led many to believe this to be the future Portland of Maine, 139 LOSS OF THE BARQUE ISADORE. ^i^;: HE one great tragedy in the ^gS: later history of this town^ ^^M the loss of the Barque Isa- dore almost in sight of the town, will always remain fresh in the memory of the inhabitants. The story has too often been told to need a place in this little volume, but the tragic cast of the circumstances con- nected with it are so thrilling that one never loses his interest in their recitaL Sailors are ever a superstitious class. The stopping of a vessel on her ways, from a seaman^s point of view, betokens bad luck ; no sailor leaves his port willingly on Friday. Again, these people entertain great 140 f{ I I -fiuHH faith in dreams and omens. All these bad indications, so ominous to the seaman, attended the starting out of the fated '' Isadore/' Among the seamen to first sign ^* articles'' for the voyage was one Thomas King, a sailor of much experience. Three or four days before the barque sailed, King had a strange dream, which so disturbed him that he made up his mind not to ship, and those to whom he told it were also impressed. King disappeared a day or two before the vessel sailed and did not show up again till four days after tfie wreck. He offered to pay back his advance wages, but the owners had little disposition to blame him for the desertion and refused to 141 accept his offer. The most singular fact in connection with the fulfillment of King's ghastly dream was that seven bodies were recovered to fill the seven coffins he had seen in his dream. Mr» King never fully recov- ered from the effects of the shock. A month after the tragedy the body of the cabin boy^ George Perkins Davis, was cast up from the sea. Remembered by the few who now survive him as a lad of uncommon promise and high character, also possessed of very rare mechanical skill, it would seem strange indeed why so suddenly he experienced so great a longing for the dangers of the sea. Not even the persuasion of his only sister, slowly dying of 142 consumption, could dissuade him from his purpose. The parting between brother and sister was more than touchiiig. Realizing that upon earth they might never again meet, she counseled him regarding his future, ** Promise me/* she said, ^*that, v/hatever your calling in life may be, you will strive to be noble, true and steadfast/' The final good-by was about to be said when he confided to his sister his impres- sion that he would be the first to be taken, and so it proved. In the old Pump and Block Building, devoted to his father's business, some years since destroyed by fire, was to be seen his full name, carved so artis- tically by himself the last thing before 143 going on board the ** Isadore ^* that none could ever pass without having their attention attracted to this fine piece of workmanship. 144 PEDESTRIANISM. ROM the time when those uncouth fishermen of the seventeenth century re- ceived their shock of surprise at the uncommon speed of the Indian. lads down to the present day^ Kenne- bunkport has ever retained the dis- tinction of being remarkable for its feats of pedestrianism. With rare delight the Indian children would loiter about the homes of these early settlers^ curiously watching every movement they made^ often greatly puzzled at the domestic doings of the women, so unlike the methods of their own people, until between their strength of numbers or long continuance, these visits many times 145 became annoying. Then the white woman would offer the largest some trifling gift^ such as a piece of pork, for instance. Immediately after re- ceiving the donation they would start on the quick run by one of the paths leading homeward, and so far as the eye could see them, in their flight through the forest, they were still holding the same gait, and it was a well-known fact that these children of the red man could com- plete the whole journey to their vil- lage at the Old Fafls, four leagues or more away, and never find them- selves an iota the worse for this trial of their feet* So-called civilization has taken the kink from their limbs ; at the present they boast of no more 146 celerity than comes to the share of the enlightened white brother. Before the time of the railroads, bold sailor-men were often compelled to cover the distance to the ships upon which they would embark in Boston by means of the rough ** post road/' It is believed they experi- enced no dread of this long walk, generally going in company with some congenial messmate, varying the monotony of the task by an occasional draft of West India rum at the convenient houses of enter- tainment scattered along the route. Many charming yarns are afloat of these early crusaders ; your patience, however, will be wearied with the relating of only one or two. It seems 147 that a stalwart seaman was walking in company with a burly African, the proposed cook of the voyage; being thirsty, they sought the favor of a drink of cool water at the first tavern they reached* The bar- tender, having an especial aversion for a man of color, was openly inso- lent to them both* Not wishing to have trouble with this renowned athlete, they took a hasty leave and hurried onward* The farther they •v^alked the more the white man brooded over the late indignity* It was not his wont to brook affairs of this sort in any such peaceable man- ner* The negro by his side trudged patiently on, little caring what rough jokes should fall in his pathway so 148 A profound scholar, who lost no opportunity in seeking to elevate to a higher standard of knowledge those about him, now promoted to the higher education not revealed to earthly mortals. long as he reached his destination in safety. After traveling a long dis- tance from the place of the encounter (the one who told me said ten miles) he confided to the colored man his conviction that he must return and settle with the offender as his case deserved. The negro gave the assurance of holding the culprit while the other should administer the thrashing, and return they did, the punishment there received being so conclusive that the next time we hear of the recipient is in the capacity of the itinerant clergyman. Little things often turn the natural bent in the future of one's life. Another account, according to an old citizen (who always told the 149 truth), is here given* A well-known Cape Porpoise resident had obtained employment at his particular craft in the city of Boston, Thanksgiving Day drawing near at hand, he de- cided to spend a part of the day, at least, with his family. The hour of four in the afternoon of the day pre- vious had already struck before the faithful man could get under way for the journey homeward* He had proceeded but a few miles when he overhauled a man of slight stature, on his way to Wells, heavily bur- dened with a good-sized ham and a large spare-rib* They quickly made each other^s acquaintance, but the Cape Porpoise man had grave mis- givings of his companion reaching 150 CO his destination with that heavy load. Unfortunately, he could give him no assistance, being well burdened him- self with bundles of his own. To the great surprise of the larger man, his fellow traveler never faltered in the long distance passed, and they reached Wells at eleven in the fore- noon of the next day. The Cape Porpoise man, after parting with his new-made friend, pushed on with renewed courage towards his home, arriving in time to do justice to the substantial feast prepared for this occasion. Then, paying his large circle of friends and relatives a flying visit, he started to return and, in company with his Wells friend, reached Boston in time for work the 151 following Monday, neither none the worse for their mammoth effort of the last few days. Later we hear of the farmers' daughters allured to the busy hum of the factories, ten miles away* Not very often could these charming maidens endure a Sabbath away from the cheerful home, so at the close of the long Saturday of labor hasty preparations would be made for the weary walk homeward, and this is not all, for so precious was their wardrobe that, nine cases out of ten, the principal part of their earthly possessions would accom- pany them on each of these trips. But the great pedestrian of all is *^ Life,'' — you would know him 152 should you happen his way. Of him it is related in good faith that once, starting in the early morning, he proceeded to Biddeford, ten miles away, to secure a whitewash brush and returned in season to faithfully perform the regulation day^s work at his craft. Now, Mr. Weston! now. Bertha Von Hillern ! beat this record when you may ! One word and this subject is concluded. The wise men at large, not so many years ago, realizing that Scripture was being fulfilled, and each generation was surely growing "weaker and wiser,^^ set about for every possible means to avert the inevitable of this assertion. All the manly sports and devices 153 that we hear so much about from our colleges and other institutions of learning were certainly brought about with this in view* To what degree of perfection this sensible attempt has reached, every intelli- gent person is well aware. But, with all that is done, we somehow notice a lack in the training of the feet* The great masses of our broad country do not exercise them as they should* Too few recognize the great benefit of a delightful walk* Perhaps the censured football game may have, among the many objec- tions offered against it, this virtue of tending to bring into play muscles in the human mechanism otherwise so sadly neglected* 154 -«< 7/ TEN-HOUR SYSTEM IN KENNEBUNK. REVIOUS to I85I the hours of labor in the ship- yards were from five o^cIock in the morning until seven o'clock at night, divided as follows : from half-past six until seven o'clock for breakfast and at noon an interval of forty-five minutes for dinner* It was a long and dreary day. The idea of shorter hours of labor was being agitated in a quiet way, for it was believed that the employers were so strongly opposed to a change that an immediate suspension of work or the prompt discharge of the men advocating the same would follow* 155 The first move was made by demanding and taking one hour at noon for dinner* The bell, as usual, rang at 12.45 and but two men responded and they afterwards re- turned to their seats on the first handy stick of timber. At one o^cIock one of the strikers rang the bell and the men promptly responded with a cheer and an immediate starting to work. After this gaining of their point the hour at noon be- came a fact. In the opposite yard, operated by Mr. Jacob Perkins, the men did not have the courage to de- mand their hour but resumed v/ork at 12.45 p. m. The next day at noon they remained seated until one o^cIock, when they went to work 156 w with a will accompanied by a cheer from Titcomb's yard. The propri- etor, Mr, Perkins, on hearing the noise from the men, stepped upon a large stick of timber to ascertain the cause of the cheers, and he was told that in future one hour's respite from labor at noon would be claimed by all of his employees. The carpenters at Kenncbunk- port in the meantime had obtained a concession of eleven hours, previous to which they marched in a body to the several yards at the Landing to help what they could the men employed there. The writer of this sketch was a young man, working at fastening, which at that time was job work. Hearing the discussions 157 going on around him by the car- penters, and thinking that action was better than words, he formed a plan which he thought would be successful* He was fearful, as many- others were, of a discharge or some- thing worse, for one of these con- tractors had been interviewed and had in a most decided manner (it was not the Titcomb Brothers) inti- mated that the ten-hour system met his views exactly, but it should be ten hours in the forenoon and ten hours in the afternoon. In J 852 he passed to that land where it is prob- able the whole twenty-four hours are used, for it is said of that locality, ^* There is no night there/^ The individual or writer mentioned 158 above wrote some notices calling a meeting of all those interested in the ten-hour question to meet at the old brick schoolhouse on a stated even- ing, there to discuss this question and to take action if possible. To show the feeling on the question at the time, this notice was posted after nine o'clock in the evening. A set of resolutions was prepared for the occasion, of which the following is a copy: Resolved, That ten hours' labor shall constitute a day's work. Resolved, That we, the carpen- ters employed at this time, will work under no other system but that called the ten-hour system. Resolved, That every carpenter and employee in the several yards 159 be invited to sign these resolutions and aid in carrying the same to a successful termination. These resolutions were prepared before the meeting by the writer to save delay and were presented to the men assembled as the first action to be taken. Some funny speeches were made^ some earnest and to the point, one notably by a present resi- dent of the Landing (Mr, M, C, Thompson), who said he was soul and body in favor of the resolutions and had come to the point that he did not care whether school kept or not, his books were torn up. The meeting at this time was at fever heat and the resolutions were passed by an almost unanimous vote. All 1 60 present were then invited to the desk to sign their names to the res- olutions, and all did sign but some few noted exceptions, who would rather work fifteen hours than incur their employer's displeasure. Some out-of-town, transient they called themselves, were not willing to sign, as they considered it a local affair* One man then made a humorous speech in regard to the action taken and moved that these resolutions, with the signers' names, be presented to Mr. Titcomb by a committee appointed by the chair. These res- olutions were presented to Mr. G. P. Titcomb the next day and were received in a courteous and genrlc- manly manner. He immediately i6i granted their request^ or their plea embodied in the resolutions, and presented a paper on his part, which he wished every one of his employees to sign. It read as follows : ^*The signers of this paper agree to be bound by the following rules. The hours of labor in this yard shall be as follows, — commencing promptly at seven o^cIock a* m., working until twelve o'clock ; com- mencing at one oVlock p. m. and working until six p* m. Each man expected to be promptly at liis work at hours named* Tardiness in com- mencing work and loitering and inattention during working hours will be followed by a prompt dis- charge of the offender/' All the men signed this paper* There was no strike, no stoppage 162 of work. It became a certain fact without any friction, no hard feeling, and good conduct on both sides. Let me here pay a tribute, well deserved, to one party on this question. He was the workmen's friend, for in many ways he kindly advanced their interests. Regard- ing his rights as an employer, which properly belonged to him, he granted their demand, all they asked in fact, without a protest, and he is remem- bered to-day by a few survivors, who were connected with this affair, as a good employer, a good friend and an honest, upright man. 163 IN WAR TIME. S EACH year sinks^ with all the preceding, into oblivion, it slowly but surely lessens the number who have a vivid recollection of the War of the Rebellion. For my own part, when all things else fade and are forgotten, the impression made on the plastic mind of my childhood will be as distinct as though the work of the present time* Although the principal theme of conversation in my humble little home, the events which led up to this terrible strife, as then heard by me, were like a confused jumble. At any rate, I remember that my dear mother had no sympathy whatever with the 164 yo n struggle and only regarded the whole thing as a needless massacre of the ^Mlower of our manhood/^ which headed the conflict between brother and brother in our well- beloved land. How clear to my vision is the scene of my home the morning the news reached us of the bombard- ment of Fort Sumter, Child that I was, I could fully realize that now the struggle was surely begun ; no earthly power could now quell the quarrel ; the fight must now go on to the bitter end» And was ever war commenced in a more remark- able manner? Think of a contest between eighty and three thousand men for so many hours and not a i6.s man lost on either side* After this event things get confused again in my memory, until one morning I knew by my mother^ s demeanor that, for some reason, she was in great trouble* I had heard them talking of the *^ draft ** for some time, but could not understand its mean- ing* How could a girl of eight summers know that the United States, if necessary, could raise, at a short notice, the largest army of any nation on the globe by this very means? It was harvest time, and the women of the community were occupying all their spare time in gathering husks from the corn in a neighboring barn, for then very few fine mattresses were found in the i66 \lf H n = I. homes of the middle class^ the usual method being a bed of sweet husks, surmounted by a famous one of feathers, both resting gracefully on a clean, corded bedstead, all com- bining, I assure you, to give a resting place upon which even an unhappy king might repose in peace. On this particular afternoon there was an unusual number gathered in the barn, all busily at work on the odorous corn, each one working in silence, with grave forebodings of what was to come, when lo! a messenger appears with the belated newspaper. Never before did our boasted freedom of the press bring such dismay to so large a company gathered. It seemed, for a moment, 167 that all were speechless; then a neighbor by my side breaks the stillness* ^^Read^ let us know the worst; it will be best/' Then he begins^ and^ will you believe me, not one person there but had some dear one represented in that draft, which included all able-bodied men from the age of eighteen to forty- five* Dollars were not too plenty in our midst at that time, and many there knew that should their cher- ished husband, son or brother pass the hands of the surgeon at Port- land, nothing could save them from their terrible doom, for this is just the way they all looked upon it, in their ignorance of warfare in those days, I remember the very words i68 of one woman between her sobs: "If my husband has to go, I shall bury him when he leaves me; he will never return, it is impossible/' This poor lady was the mother of six children, an infant in her arms at the time. For my own family not one escaped the draft, down even to the third and fourth gener- ation. You may be sure no more husking was done that day. Almost as soon as mother and I reached home we were joined by a saintly old lady, who called to offer condo- lences to my mother on the draft of her only son. Before taking her departure she engaged in fervent prayer, and such a prayer — it seems to me, if called upon, I could repeat " ^, r* it word for word, but it would be sacrilege to do it* As soon as she was risen from her knees she glided softly to my mother^s side and said in an undertone, which my quick hearing caught, ^^Now, see here, couldn^t you cheat a little in his age ? You know he looks small to be as old as nineteen/^ My keen sense of the ridiculous, even then, caused me to see the incongruity of the suggestion, especially so soon after committing all human events to the wisdom of God, and I could hardly restrain a snicker, although I rea- soned that perhaps in such trying times as these even God Himself would need a little help. It would take too much space to 170 o !? ;m^ relate the many interesting occur- rences which immediately followed the draft. Perhaps^ however, one little happening would not be out of place. In one way and another all the good men were relieved from duty as a soldier, unless wishing to serve, except one friend of ours, the father of a large family. Every neighbor was greatly concerned for his future, should he be found battle worthy. Then the women held conclave, — something must be done to save ''Uncle Nick'' from the war. My mother was a surgeon, in a way, so she decided on the course to be taken. Years before, while ''Uncle Nick" was yet a youngster, he had been afflicted with 171 a frightful abscess near the ankle joint; in healings a most hideous scar had remained^ but the ankle was as good as ever. Now what did these wise women do^ but with certain home-made preparations cre- ate a bad-looking sore just above the old scar; of course all this would result with no harm to the limb. When called for examination ^' Uncle Nick*^ went limping in and was accosted with the somewhat impa- tient salutation, ^^Well, what ails you, neighbor? ^^ (The surgeon had not been very successful in obtaining recruits from this county.) *^ Oh ! ^* says ''Uncle Nick/' ''I am all right, I have rather a bad ankle, but I reckon it won't hinder me being a 172 soldier/' The surgeon now made examination. Oh ! those bandages — these wily women of the last gener- ation knew well how to bother the surgeon — every pin inserted in such a way that its head could scarcely be found ; the crossings, this way and that, were such that, on any other occasion, one who knew how work of this kind should be done must have been provoked to fits of uncontrollable laughter* But this official felt very little like merriment ; his duties just then were of the kind not mirth-producing, you may be very sure* Oh ! these were trying times in the history of our land! When, at length, the last wrapping was removed the officer started back 173 in dismay, ^^How long have you had that scar ? ^* he inquired, ** Uncle Nick/^ ever himself whichever way the breeze, replied, ** That, sir, has been there now for abouty twenty years/^ The surgeon, supposing the abrasion above to be a continu- ation of the old trouble, hastily re- placed the wrappings, directed him to pass on, informing him that with such a leg as that he could be of no assistance in marches, and conse- quently not wanted in the service. So soon as ^' Uncle Nick^^ closed the door between them he hastily turned about and, shaking his closed fist in the surgeon^s direction, gave vent to his feelings something like this : ** These two legs, you darned 174 Old-Fashioned Corner. old quack^ will take me to Kenne- bunkport inside this and twelve o'clock to-night '^ (it was then about five in the evening), and no persua- sion could induce him to avail him- self of the return ticket to this place, for walk he would and did, arriving home a little before midnight, in time to take part in the substantial feast prepared fcr the occasion. For so sure was the good wife of the success of the ruse, that eleven pounds of corned beef had been secured as a nucleus of the supper to be given to all who participated in the affair. For my own part, I cried myself to sleep that night, being denied the pleasure of counting one more at this most famous tea-party ever given in the old town of Ken- nebunkport* People have^ long ago, grown weary of tales of this most cruel war, for such it was, — the battle of Antietam alone being the bloodiest day ever known to modern history. Still the young among us find inter- est in hearing of how the school children of our village, instead of passing Wednesday and Saturday afternoon holidays in their usual pastimes, repaired to an upper room in the Custom House and under the guidance of the teachers there pre- pared lint, for the wounds of the soldiers, from old linen furnished at the hands of the matrons. Then there were also the amusing 176 features* One worthy, well-known Irishman willingly took up arms for the glorious cause. When he was bidding his wife adieu at the final moment he cautioned her, should she hear that he was killed, not to pay the least attention to the report until she heard from him. I think one of the most pathetic events which I call to mind was the case of a heart-broken mother mourning the death of a favorite son, who fell in the blood-curdling battle of the Wilderness. Her con- stant entreaty was that his body might be returned to its native soil. After almost superhuman efforts the remains were forwarded to the old home. At the very moment of 177 burial some one discovered that it was not the son at all, but ^he body was committed to the dust and the fond mother never knew, to the day of her dying, that the grave con- tained any other than the beloved form of her darling boy* With the lapse of years the sad as well as the humorous events of this time are fast being forgotten. It is earnestly hoped that any feeling of bitterness that may still lurk in the hearts of the again united nation may be banished, and the rising generation sensibly acknowledge that if there was wrong on either side it did not happen yesterday, therefore the present line cannot be blamed for what their fathers brought about 178 in their zealous protection of what they divined were the rights of the government* No more shall the war-cry sever. Or the winding rivers be red ; They banish our anger forever When they laurel the graves of our dead. Under the sod and the dew, Waiting the judgment day, Love and tears for the Blue, Tears and love for the Gray. 179 MY CRUISE UP THE RIVER. Do we ever glance far back-ward To that race of long ago ? Their canoes then sailed this river, Just as ours sail up and dow^n. And 't^vas then unbroken forest Where is no^w the smiling town. OT every girl or boy of larger growth yearns for those happy days of child- hood, especially after meditating on the restraint which generally at- tended them. However, if there be one spot reserved by stern fate where child-life was full and free, it was in old Kennebunkport during this period of life in our generation. Mentally reviewing our own life, there passes the memory of a certain afternoon when my uncle so kindly I So n interceded for me to return with him to his home far up the river by means of his awkward wherry, the pride of his sailor heart. Oh ! the pleasure of that trip taken so long ago! for would not the dear aunt, whom I loved next to my mother, be sure to meet us at the door to extend a welcome such as we may never know again until, are we so worthy, the portals of the great beyond are entered. But the trip up the river, — uncle knew from boyhood every foot of the shore on either side — as who of his time did not? So he talked and told, while we so faithfully listened ; explained the dangers and troubles one might experience in passing the ^* Falls,'* iSi iust above the *^ Old Locks ^^ ; related to me the sad story of the sea-cap- tain's charming English wife^ who, lured to her husband's quiet estate on the banks of this river, was well content until her beautiful boy, the one child of their union, was snatched by the relentless hand of Death, leaving the despairing mother to silence her woe by plunging into ** forgetfulness '' from the wharf, then so plainly seen opposite the captain's estate. When the Upper Falls were reached we must loiter in our cruise, while he looked for the Indian grave his grandmother so long ago had pointed out to him. Then, when the story of the grave was told, we must go across the river to see the 182 po H^-* very spot where a settler once passed through such terrible danger and yet outwitted the Indians. Very near the close of the seventeenth century, said my uncle, there could be seen, about half a mile above these ^* Falls,'' the typical home of a powerful pioneer, so fearless of the various dangers surrounding him that even the blood-thirsty Indian, with all his hatred for the white man, possessed a feeling akin to awe for this determined representative of Old England soil. One afternoon this settler was suddenly disturbed by the unusual sound of the bcU attached to the neck of his one great treasure, the family cow. 183 So he took his trusty matchlock And into the forest hied, Following the distant jingle Where it seemed his steps to guide. But he very soon discovered That the ringing seemed to be Right and left, and then up yonder As if sounding from a tree. So he knew^ the cunning Indians Had decoyed him in the wood, But determined to elude them If, by any chance, he could. No'w upon the ground w^ere lying Trunks of mammoth hemlock trees, HoIIow^ loRs, how^ very easy He could hide in one of these. So he crept into the nearest And w^as soon well out of sight. Where he found the space so ample He had room lo sit upright. Of the futile attempts of the Indians to rout him from his place of security little need be written. Knowing the methods of the savages so well, he concluded to wait with patience until they grew weary in their efforts. 184 At last, every scheme known to them was exhausted except facing the mouth of the log; this they would not do for fear of the trusty matchlock; the Indians firmly be- lieving that whoever lost his life by means of the white man's musket was forever debarred from the ^* happy hunting ground/' After awhile all was silent in the forest, and still the white man waited until fully sure of their departure he came forth from his hiding to make hasty strides to his home, unmolested. There he found the precious cow peacefully chewing her cud, all un- mindful of the fearful danger to which her doting master had been so lately exposed. 185 During the relating of this story the old wherry was making good time towards reaching her destina- tion; now, as Durrell^s Bridge appeared in sight, he must relate the story of the Durrell family and the Indians, altogether too harrow- ing except for history. Here, in this vicinity, was repeated the land slide which so disturbed the early settlers, causing gruesome reports to be handed down from one generation to another. Above the bridge a good-sized volume could be filled from accounts of occurrences still preserved in one way or another. Perhaps, to many, nothing to be found along the banks of the river would be of greater interest than the 1 86 ^'old mortar/^ plainly seen in a flat ledge on the east side of the river, marking the site of a considerable Indian village of the long ago» 1 87 THE SEAMEN. Heaven is as near from the ocean as by the land. ITH sadness we revert to the gradual thinning of the ranks of seamen, once so frequently met with in our seaport town. Theirs was an individuality peculiar to no other class. Where is the person, young or old, who would not be fairly entranced by their gift in the recital of adventures such as will be known before long only in tradition? Rarely do we meet, in our daily walks, a single type of this class, when, not many years since, fully half of the male population were either seafaring men or connected with the business of 1 88 Says Uncle Thomas: "There are three times in a person s history when he is equal with all mankind: when he is born, when he is at the polls and when he is dead." the sea. Somehow^ we who inherit the sailor blood cannot accustom ourselves to this gradual decay. The mariner's way of speech and their nautical phrases ring with a certain charm on our ears not no- ticed by any other form of speech, be it ever so elegant. While pon- dering on the history of Kennebunk- port in the days when this class of men were so often met, there appears the recollection of two or three who were more or less ** characters '^ at the period in which they lived. Not so many are now about who remember much concerning that typical old tar, Elias Hutchins. Among the earliest recollections of the writer there comes distinctly 1 89 before us a certain night, in early harvest time, when this old fellow was our guest over night* We had seen men of his calling as company of the father before, so we well knew it meant the best part of the night passed in exchanging their thrilling yarns, or comparing notes of times when they were messmates. To the great delight of the children, curiously lingering to hear the first stories, was the calling up by each of their presentation to the ** God of the Sea/^ In imagination these old fellows recalled the busy prepara- tions made for this initiation, as the 'Mine of the equator ^^ drew near; of the consent, always willingly obtained from the captain by the 190 first officer, to allow all arrange- ments for the ceremony to be carried out in a style befitting so ancient a custom. Then, when all was ready, '' Ship, ahoy '' would be heard from the weather-side, ** Hello,'' the mate would answer, and the name of the ship, from whence and the destina- tion would follow in quick succession. When finally ''Old Father Neptune '' had been conducted to the seat of honor prepared for his majesty, the landlubbers would be brought for- ward for the ceremony of initiation, without which they were not, in those days, full-fledged seamen. The impromptu barber, fitted out with his barrel-hoop razor and dish of lather, created from coal-tar and 191 other ingredients more or less vile, together with the needful brush, usually made from the end of an old lanyard, found himself a person- age of great importance in this most exciting event of the sea* Occasion- ally the tables were turned and the object of the ceremony would send the participants in hasty confusion forward, and only for the timely interference of the mate would his majesty himself escape a downright good thrashing* If, however, the occasion was attended with no drawbacks, the second and final act was the baptism of the victim by means of the practice known as keelhauling. Finally, after the affairs of the ship settled down to the usual 192 tenor of their way, the newly pre- sented member mentally concluded that he had justly earned his rights to the privileges of '' Old Neptune's '' domains. Old age creeping on, ''Uncle Ellas'' found, all too late, what a serious thing it may be for a man to come down to the evening of life without the whereof for his keeping, and the time came when a contro- versy arose between our town and the adjacent one of Hollis to decide which should bear the burden of expense incurred for his mainte- nance. The improvident sailor, contentedly musing on some inci- dent of life on shipboard, sat serenely gazing at nothingness throughout 193 the whole controversy, A day or two after he confided his sentiments respecting the business of the law as follows: '^I vow and declare, before the lawyer from HoIIis was done talking I was fully convinced of my belonging to Kennebunkport. Before the fellow for the * Port * had finished his plea I was sure I was a native of HoIIis; but when the judge gave his charge to the jury I concluded that I hadn^t a being on God's footstool/' Poor, old'* Uncle Elias!*' for many a year has the grass been growing as peacefully over his allotment of six by four of this Mother Earth, and his memory as well cherished on account of his sunny disposition and shrewd phi- 194 losophy, as those of his time who had financially made life a greater success than his own. 195 THE CHURCHES. P^p ITH a feeling approaching fSmm reverence one gladly refers ^ ^^1 to the churches overshad- owing their native village* What recollections flit^ like a panorama, in the memory of one past the middle mark of life* Now a gay wedding, at which some beautiful maiden sails forth to a distant home, full willing to leave behind the large background of cherished relatives and doting friends* Again the dole- ful sound of the funeral bell, calling us away from the busy cares of life to assist in the last sad rites of some loved one whose familiar face would be seen among us no more* How sweet is the remembrance iq6 of my early childhood! Oh! those busy preparations for church — how carefully was the little blue and white checked gingham suit brought forth from its hiding place ; then the shoes — did ever princess of royal blood wear the like of my blue morocco shoes? And, to crown all, there was the beautiful leghorn hat, decorated with real blue ribbon, even to the bridle, so indispensable in the adornment of this article* But you must know that this elegant costume could be donned only on Sabbath- day* Never was it worn on any other occasion. Now how patiently I waited through the eloquent ser- mon of our beloved pastor, Rev, Mr. Nott. Then at the close of the 197 service dear, old "Aunt Lizzie Life ^* was sure to be onhand, in the church entry, to call together the little ones, her especial charge, and expound to them in her own sweet way the blessed truths of the GospeL How this respected lady loved her church, and how more than faithful was she in the cause to the very end. Then that great landmark, the Orthodox Qiurch. Why, when I was a small girl the quick peal now and again of the church bell told of the presence of fire in our village. If the warning smoke was in the direction of this old church, instinct- ively my trust would be that this valued building might still be safe, selfishly regardless of what home or place of business might be in immi- nent danger from the flames. Often has it been said that the designer of the stately steeple was taken from the poorhouse in Portland that this monument of his skill might be con- structed, whose great architectural beauty none can dispute. What a pity for a man of such genius to die an object of charity ! Last, but not least, we have the Methodist Church, so cheerful in its appearance. For many long years this house of God remained silent while the others rang out so sweetly the call to come and bear witness to the truths of the doctrine. Within a few years a wealthy church-goer, realizing the great need of a suitable 199 bell^ generously bore the expense of having one of great value placed in the belfry* An amusing incident goes concerning it* It seemed, to the ears of one of the communicants, the faithful sexton caused the bell to peal forth, in dirge-like tones, these words : S-a-m G-o-u-l-d gave the b-e-l-I, S-a-m G-o-u-I-d gave the b-e-I-1. On being told of the semblance, he declared, in good humor, that they might rest easy, never would that bell thus hold forth again, and it never did* Perhaps can be said of the popular Woman^s Aid Society of this denomination that it boasts the dignity of a male member among the number. Of course the applica- tion for membership was only a joke, but the honorary life brother always responds, without a demur, when his yearly dues are presented for payment* It is of a couple of the most worthy of the sisters of this church that the following is told. Phronie — everybody knows Phronie — lives a long way from church; the way also is very lonely. One dark evening, at the close of the ser- vice, these ^* mothers in IsraeV^ for such they are, remarked to Phronie, "Don't you feel timid to go by yourself that long, lonesome road? We should be very much afraid.^' ** Well,'' answers Phronie, *' I sup- pose you would. Those who serve the devil by day are always afraid of him by night." In summing up the little talk of the churches^ it will not be out of place to declare that the most of us who claim the advantage of many- years of life under the shadow of these different places of worship could hardly decide which we could spare the best, and, God granting, may they long continue to thrive and prosper, for who would live where they could not boast of the influence of Christian churches? w r "UNCLE JOSHUA'S" ULTIMATUM TO SPAIN. (Parody on an old Yankee song.) You government of Spanish Dons, your King and Cortes, too, Consider well what you're about and what you mean to do. If you go to war with Yankees Fm sure you'll rue the day When you rouse the sons of Liberty in North Amerikay. You think our navy are but few and we are traders' sons. And since you sent the '^ Maine" up we have not many guns; We'll give you a little history per- haps you do not know, How we fought for freedom and our rights and won them long ago. Our mother was a stern old dame, she had a heavy hand, She fought us on the ocean and also on the land ; We fought for freedom from our yoke as Cuba does to-day, We gained the prize and licked her, were victors in the fray. And then when we were growing old she tried a bran^ new plan. She took our seamen from our ships her own stout ships to man. Once more we battled for our land, we won in hard-fought fight ; We did not fear to fight our foe, for we were in the right. 204 a o 51 n Once more, FII tell you of the time when a million of our sons Marched forth to aid their native land all armed with Yankee guns. The war was long and bloody, but freedom won the day; We banished slavery from our land and from Amerikay* A cry comes from a Spanish isle near to our southern shore, A cry from starving thousands who are dying by the score; They stretch their fleshless hands to us for succor and for life, They ask for freedom and for food, for us to end the strife. 205 We are bound to heed their thrilling call, for we ourselves are free, We will burst the chains that bind them, we^U give them liberty ; We will save them from your savage hand, the hellish work shall cease And in the place of starving men We'll make a lasting peace* Another loud and anguished cry comes from your Spanish isle, It tells of Spanish treachery, it tells of Spanish guile; It calls aloud for vengeance for a most damning crime. The darkest deed, unparalleled in the annals of our time. 2C6 This crime and others at our hands will meet with sure redress, And satisfaction for the wrong we forcibly shall press, For we feel that justice must be done in every nerve and fibre, So you had better give the island up and call it '' Cuba Libre/' We know a Spaniard found our land in 1492, If you wish to find it again all you will have to do. Like the gas-man for a leak with lighted match in hand, You'll surely find us in your search, both on the sea and land. THE TOWN HOUSE. ANY have been the uses and purposes to which the time-honored Town House has been devoted* One large volume could easily be compiled from the amusing incidents which have occurred at the annual town- meeting during its long lifetime* Many times it has been the scene of a protracted series of religious meet- ings* The writer will never forget the pathos and fervor attending these gatherings* Could some of those dear^ familiar faces now gone on be seen once more among us^ what a welcome there would be for them* The business of ship-building 208 often brought strangers of many climes into our midst, so it was not infrequent for your ears to be gratified with something like the following: ^^Dear sinners, I was out in mine boat one day, my frent and mine, and de winds blow, and de wave he did roll high, and de boat he did shook, and dear brodder, dear sister, I was no more 'fraid than you would be to sit on that red-hot stove over dere/' Certainly the youngsters would grin over the like, but the sincerity and earnestness of the speaker left their impression, nevertheless, and there is no question but many have chosen the *^ better part ^' from hear- ing just such distorted offerings as this, 209 Upon another occasion, when ship-building was very flourishing, there were found among the stran- ger employees quite a number who leaned towards the Adventist form of belief. So removed were their views from those of the true creed of this denomination that one of the younger members, who possessed a talent for impromptu rhyme, was tempted, in a mood of contempt, to produce these verses : — Could old King David just for once To the Town House repair, And hear his Psalms there w^arbled iottb. By gracious, how he'd swear. Could old St, Paul just venture forth, From higher scenes abstracted. And hear his Romans there explained. By George, he'd leave distracted. One dear old brother, ** Uncle Wheelwright,^^ who formerly was a W"^^ 1!P m ■ w K^, % hx, j'^^u 1 1 i 1 ■lEn :^ 1 ..jB^3B r A^r- r^^^iiL the life of these meetings, has, long ago, reached the end of the heavenly way. What a power was this Christian man in those social meet- ings! There was a certain manner in the way he presented his convic- tions any great divine might crave to possess. So when he honored these simple gatherings with his presence, those who were privileged to be there were sure to be richly benefited by what they heard. This school of people, we are so sorry to say, are fast disappearing. Very seldom are their quaint sayings now heard. We, in turn, of middle life must seek to adapt ourselves to the present phase of society, and so adjust our manners and ways to those of the coming generation that our memory to them will be a pleas- ant reminder of days long gone by. Close neighbor to the dilapidated, old Town House is an edifice known in history as the Church of Burbanks HilL Formerly the site was occu- pied by one of much larger size, supported by the same denomination. About these two old churches many traditions can be gathered. One stern old divine would enjoin upon his people the importance of their diligence in searching the Scripture, In pleading tones he would exhort them not to leave their Bibles on the shelf until the word ** Damna- tion ** could be plainly written in the dust on the cover. Tradition gives H ^^ s m^ n c 3 this church the first to be heated by means of a stove* In the early days of this church such an absurd- ity as artificial heat by any means would not have been tolerated, the people of that time believing the true Spirit of God within of sufficient warmth to suffice all purposes. The day came at last when the first stove to be placed in a house of worship found its way into this church. From tradition we learn of the stern disapproval of a goodly portion of the assembled congrega- tion. Very soon the heat became so intolerable that improvised fans were seen moving vigorously in various parts of the church. The sequel of the whole proceeding, how- 213 ever^ is quite amusing^ since no fire as yet had been started in the inno- cent cause of all this discomfort* The old First Churchy organized at Kennebunk Landing in \ 750, and afterwards removed to the meeting- house now occupied by the First Parish (Unitarian) at Mousam Vil- lage, was, I think, the first religious society of any importance in the two towns* Residents of Lyman (not then called a town), Wells and Arundel attended at this place* The salary of the minister was paid in English money and by sub- scriptions* Colonel John Mitchell, who built and owned the house recently occupied by Amasa and Milo Huff, was a liberal supporter 214 at one time of this infant church, A new minister (Bourne's History- will probably give his name) was employed and a subscription paper started for funds to pay his salary, church expenses, etc. Colonel Mitch- ell placed his name on the paper for ten pounds sterling as his share in keeping the machinery in motion. At the end of the first year the Colonel refused to pay but five pounds, as he thought conscien- tiously that was all he was worth as a preacher, and high at that, and so endorsed it on his bill. 215 >^ H-. EXTRACTS FROM A FAMOUS PLATFORM. HE subjoined extracts are taken from a copy of reso- lutions written in a spirit of mischief by an intelligent lady of our vicinity^ Mrs, A, A. Wells, While we would differ with our esteemed friend in some points of her platform^ were we President of the United States, yet the true liter- ary worth of the production is not unworthy of notice, J St. I shall stop rum manufac- ture, put all there is in the bottom of the ocean; put all the tobacco with it, then if it kills the fish I shall save the men, and as it costs our nation twice as much for rum as it 216 Mrs. A. A. Wells. does for bread, and as much for tobacco, and if I have this money- coming in, I shall be getting rich fast, and the people will have for their part clear heads, contented, happy homes and comfort instead of vexation and hankering for drugs. I shall have peace in many homes that are now far from it. With this money I shall strive to elevate and educate the masses, for I should not be proud to be president of a nation where progress, peace and prosperity did not abound. I ever feel that to have happiness in this world and the next we must form correct hab- its here and must try in our limited way to shed happiness on others. 2d. I should not have the off- 217 scourings of the old world poured upon our shores^ but strive to edu- cate and elevate our own people* 3d» I should elevate and educate the women of the land^ for noble sons have noble mothers, and if woman has an incentive to engage her mind in things of practical utility, will not those whom they present to the world receive an impetuosity for good ? Madame De Stael once asked Napoleon, ** What can we do to increase the glory of France ?^^ He replied, ^* Educate, elevate and improve the mothers of France/^ 4th* I should settle all disputes by arbitration. When a mother has trained through infancy and child- hood up to manhood^s prime a lovely 218 son, and when he is ready to act his part on the journey of life, to see him shot like a dog for the reason some one has quarreled whom he never saw, would be a deed I should not be proud of, 7th, I should strive to have our ministers who now preach for the rich preach and realize from this text, ** The way to show our love to God is to show it to our fellow men/' 8th. I should have our college students work off their love of hazing by tilling an acre of land to keep them in vegetables and to help the old people from wearing out on their account. 9th, I should place all the taxes 219 on the land, so foreign syndicates that have bought up our land to get rich on the industry of the toiler may be glad to part with it to set- tlers at reasonable prices, 10th, I should strive to have all classes realize the sacred truth that God^s laws do not bend to suit man^s whims, whether in or out of marriage, and that an interest in each other^s welfare should be the tie that binds beings together, I would not complain were the parents the only sufferers, but when we see the children forced into life from many ill-mated beings it is sorrow- ful to behold. SOME FAMOUS MEN. IHERE once occurred one of the most harrowing of _____ Indian massacres, just above DurrelFs Bridge, is to be seen an old homestead, commanding a fine view of the winding Kenne- bunk River together with the coun- try surrounding it* Our attention is called back to the memory of the original owner of this estate, not only for the reason that he was one of the great founders of the profit- able West India trade, but because through his line we were able to furnish for our government, in its greatest trial, a Secretary of the Treasury, who succeeded in honor- ably discharging his trying duties with satisfaction crowning him on every hand* The old folks used to have many interesting tales of this typical old Scotchman^ some of them very humorous indeed* It is related that once a customer at his store on the Landing was caught in the act of stealing a pollock fish* Mr, McCuIIoch, who could be stern upon occasion^ although generous to a fault and hospitable beyond degree, willingly forgave the theft on condition that the offender would repeat after him these lines : From Adam McCoIIoch I stole a pollock. And now^ I'm sorry for it. The man, who was something of a wag, instantly repeated the lines, exactly imitating the tone and voice ^ " ^ fa Ik? " ^ A Respected Citizen. of the merchant, who had the pro- nounced Scotch accent, ^'Darn you, I didn^t tell you to say it that way/' said old Adam. However, the laugh went round the store, the great man participating as heartily as any there gathered. Not long since a prominent lady of our community was speaking of a most pleasant call made by her at the Washington home of the late Secretary. The old gentleman re- ceived her with great delight, extend- ing extreme hospitality, since her early home was very near his own, and her father had been a valued friend of his youth. Said he: ^^I wish to talk of the old times, when I was a struggling young man, 223 teaching the children of the neigh- borhood that I might obtain means to further pursue my education/' In bidding her adieu he took occa- sion to tell her that to her father he owed much of his future success in life^ since from him he received the impetus for a higher education, so hard to obtain then, as nearly all men of intellect were so deeply en- gaged in gaining wealth that they were obliged to neglect the storing of the mind with the wealth which never loses in intrinsic value* That he must have been uncommonly handsome is proved by the following little story* While sojourning with an old sailor uncle I one day heard him rejoicing over some article in 224 praise of the late Secretary* " Uncle/' I said, *' I think you must be very proud that Mr* McCuUoch was born and raised in our midst/' ** Why, child/' he said, ''I should be glad to own him for a fellow townsman even if he had never made a name for himself, for you know well that it has been my privilege to see many a noted man, not excepting His Imperial Majesty, Alexander E. of Russia, and even he could not compare with this man in personal appearance/' An amusing story used to be told concerning the old family tomb, built so long ago* This ancient-looking resting place can be seen plainly on the line of the Sanford & Cape Porpoise Railroad, I would caution tourists against making the attempt to read the interesting inscription on the slab, since the arches, after the *^oId country ** custom, were probably- constructed of wood, which during the lapse of years has, most likely, become ** unsea worthy/^ The representation here given is the great house of the village, gen- erally known as the '* Mansion/* The circumstance that it was begun and completed during the Embargo, or while the second War of the Independence was going on, also the knowledge of its having been con- structed solely to aid workmen to obtain a livelihood during this starv- ing period in our country^s history, 226 together with the many interesting anecdotes connected with the build- ing of it, combine to cause every native or relative of ^^The Bunk" to regard this structure with a pride approaching reverence, not enter- tained for any other abode found in these parts. For years and years this fine, old homestead has been the summer residence of the late Charles P. Clark* The news of his recent death in a foreign land fell like a pall over the whole commu- nity. The recollection of this noble man will ever be most pleasant among the villagers. While being truly great, his demeanor towards those he met while sojourning in the town was simplicity itself. When 227 taking a morning ramble, one might often hear the heartfelt salutation, ^^How do you find yourself this morning, * Old Silvertop ^ ? ^^ Then would follow the kindest of inquiries for the health and welfare of his old f riend. Again, ** Good-morning, ^ Uncle Horace,^ things have changed in Old Kennebunkport since the time when I was a student at the ^ Bread and Molasses High School/ ^' In justice to the ** Bread and Molas- ses High SchooV^ it may well be said that if for lunch this delicate dish constituted the principal part of the menu, then was it well for the learner, for does not that wonderful production of the past, ^^The Tal- mud,^^ direct that if a man would 228 5« 9* r r be wise let him eat freely of bread ? The meaning of this declaration is quite obvious* Results, however, tell the story, and the derided ^* Bread and Molasses High Schoor' cer- tainly claims its share of commenda- tion in the making of the character of the late lamented gentleman. Gliding along the banks of our romantic river, one may notice a quiet homestead, now famous as the boyhood home of a great and noble man. Senator George C» Per- kins and ex-Govcrnor of California* As falls to the share of every noted person, the varied accounts of the successes and achievements of Mr* Perkins are too well-known to the country at large to be held upon, at 229 lengthy in the present sketch. It is believed that this plain^ little home of other days has never, for a mo- ment, been forgotten by the Senator, even the old well by the roadside would claim the honor of a visit to furnish a quaff from its pure depths on each of his many visits to the haunts of his youth. This illustration gives us Captain Frank Walker, the favorite sea-cap- tain, as he appeared when driven from his office for three mortal hours by a large colony of wasps. The wise insects naturally supposed the Captain to be the cause of their exile and hastened to show proper resent- ment, if, for once, he attempted entrance at the office door. Perhaps 230 CO o 3 (« o O n O o3 n n 5 all the nautical phrases allowable from the quarter deck were not vented for the benefit of the uncon- scious offender, who so recklessly destroyed the home of the wasps, thus causing all the merriment of that fateful summer afternoon* We give the ship ** Vigilant ** and barque "Hiram Emery ** in course of construction in 1878. The respected builder of a hundred or more of these craft, Captain Nathaniel L. Thompson, has, long ago, been gathered to the home of his fathers. Perhaps no business man of his time ever possessed a firmer hold on the affections of the people than did this worthy descendant of a fine, old family of Revolutionary fame. 231 A MODERN GHOST STORY. O BOOK of this kind could be complete with- out a genuine ghost story- sifted in here and there* The one I am about to relate is of the kind which will not draw upon sensitive nerves, neither will sleep be banished from having read the account of it. Once there lived in these parts a family of brothers, seven in all, who, as the time came for them to leave the family nest, each and all took to the sea as willingly as though this division of the earth^s surface was truly their natural element* Years came and went, and these hardy sailor brothers occasionally met at the old home, there to discuss 232 their adventures, exchanging thrill- ing tales of their life on the ocean, dwelling mostly on their hair-breadth escapes from the rough waters they had met. For diversion, like all seamen, they took keen pleasure in playing tricks upon each other, to the great amusement of the neigh- ix)rs. One evening the conversation turned upon the uncanny. How these brothers scouted the idea of the supernatural. Then the jolliest among them decided he would test the metal of him who was most skeptical. Now about two miles distant lived a favorite aunt, a wom- an of uncommon intelligence. This particular brother, the hero of my story, dearly loved to linger at her 233 house* The distance to her home was greatly shortened by a cut across lots^ the path leading the whole length of a large, country burying-ground* The very next time he set out in this direction the mischievous brother concluded to avail himself of the opportunity to have a little fun at his expense. He purloined from his mother^s generous store of linen a large, old-fashioned sheet, secreting it safely in the shed until the shades of night should afford friendly aid in the success of his project, ^^Now,^^ he reasons, ^* brother may return at nine, but more likely it will be eleven; how- ever, I will be on hand, whatever time he passes through the grave- 234 ?o I o yard/' So for two mortal hours he crouched behind an ancient grave- stone^ whose generous size was amply sufficient for the hatch-door of the ship he had so lately parted company with. When his brother was nearly opposite the stone^ he suddenly rose^ shrouded in the snowy-white sheet as if just risen from the grave^ and made attempt to embrace the brother. For an instant the astonished brother was spellbound, then, recovering his com- posure, he pitched into the appari- tion with such a vengeance that there was a *' resurrection " in a hurry, and the baffled ghost was only too glad to beg for mercy* The offender was let off only on 235 condition that he would try the same trick on a younger brother who often went the same route, not always to see the good aunt, for in this case there was a charming sweetheart who unconsciously drew him in that direction. The promise made that night to the brother was faithfully kept, and with what suc- cess the victim can tell himself, if he pleases, for he is often seen about these parts, I am sorry to have to account for the spirit in this case, for no one enjoys having a good ghost story exploded. However, I am obliged to confess this to be the fate of all goblins I have met, being able every time to prove their identity. 236 4 r 3* — ■ O-a < ~ a- a- TO Qu M a, St O^Ou "• Sj '^ a* ^ O^ <*_ o" Qu v^^;^i5^^ . 4 ■v^ "oo^ . •^.<., .^'^^ ,M ' " . ■''..