Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-11-25


TIE fshwives Of Newhaven, sunbIrnt,
hrewry Asnaznns. with short skirts and
I,rr,ad shoalders--ihese fshwives troop
ia.o Edinburgh every morning, each hav-
Frr : hinge haskei strapped on her shoul
S.rs tl,ee1a.cnis Of which impregnate2 the
ar FOR half a block TO lecward- lou can
rsn doru ~ the sea Al Sewhayen In halt
- hour There long row Of souatsione
bnnssS line the beach for mile or two.
The place loogs windy and weather-worn.
Tar, Is,nv plers reach out into the Prifii of
Forth two piers hung thick with sea
rvnss a, the ends Of which rise those vel
Como teacons, the lighthouses. Up and
down these piers all day pace the children
az fhe village. who as YET are only useful
a. the reciuients al a fair proportion Of
vicfnals and all the ouigrown clothing Ia
The neighi,orhood. The very air is redo
Ient of Ash and dried weeds: everywhere
there are toass drawn out Of the water and
turned over on their sides, as if comforta-
bly sleeping after battle with the waves
There + hospital where the MANNED are
cared for. and there is cove under shelter
az one of the piers crowded with boats
sl,at rock a; anchor and ting At their chains
~ II impatient 10 be of again sporting
u,ith the big waves Of the breezy FIRTH.
The men are mostly off n sea; their sails
drift up and down the horizon, and the
fishwiycs come out and look at them under
the palms Of their hands. for the fshwiyes
are the queens Of the village. They sent
their husbands, fathers, brothers, lovers
away At the gray dawn, aud were waiting
10 welcome the toilers on their return and
10 reckon the sum of their spoils. The
wives prepare the fish for market, 20 up
to Edinburgh by train in droves OF fifty or
hundred, sell their merchandise. and
return with the profits, which they are
careful TO keep in their own hands
No doubt good husband gets his
drink. money and suit Of clothes now
and again, but the husbands seem
To know little of the world beyond
that part of il which smells Of Newhayen
and the broad FIRTH that glowcrs or
glasses itself abreast Of their humble
homes. The children paddle about allow
tide with their skirts tucked up under
their arms. hunting seaweed and limpets
in the sbaaow pools where their images
are reversed. These sea.bred babies are a
hardy lot; they speak lingo that is quite
nnIntelligible to any but Scotch ears, and
they chew seaweed like little animals and
evidently relish il. There are rare fish
dInpers TO be had ut "The Peacock"
There Is nothing else In the place worth
noting, save the industry OF the people
and the very practical way that their lives
are spent from the day they first enter the
salt water till they are laid at last I'M
der the short, crisp grass In the dcsolate
cemetery on the hilltop. A buxOm lass,
In thick shoes and coarse, blue homespun
stockings, Of uncommon plumpness; in
skirts that must be numberless, judging
from their circumference, and having
shoulders broader than most men, meets
and loves one of the supplejointed lads
who hang about the boats when they are
drawn 10 shore, as IL they were the dar-
lings Of their lives. Probably this maid
takes this man In her net just as II he
were some delightful marine creature, and
he accepts his fate as the fish do, with
faint struggle that IL as hopeless as IL Is
brief Then they settle in one Of the cot
tages, hang their nets out OF the window
in the sun, cover the sidewalk with fish.
scales and enjoy life. When the warm
weather comes and the men go down 10
the pier and leap off into the sea like
brown savages the women follow them
and applaud the best swimmers. IL Is n
very simple existence and they seem hap
py, but the odor Of il Is II triiie loud
Chartes Warren Stoddard.