Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-08-09
Calls aud Skstehes.
NARY ANN'S MIND.
The lobster loves the lobster pot,
The mackerel loves the sea,
And l, | love but thee, Mary Ann;
Mary Ann, Mary Ann: Mary Ann


Mary Ann, Mary Ann; Mary Ann,
Mary Ann; Mary Ann, love but thee!
Jake Hazard shouted this snatch OF sea
song at the top of his pleasant voice, as he
pushed his old whale boat off the beach
on the reluctant rollers, and at last
launched her in the water.
That's tellin'. amt it ?n inquired Hosy
Long with comic cast of his eye across
the boat at Jake, as he showed at her 9TH
er side with brawny shoulders and deep
breaths of effort.
'llaw, haw ~ roared Jake. ".Aint YOU
smart, HosyP 'xpect you can see
| through milestone s quick 8 the next
MANI
Hosy grinned horribly; he was not T.
brilliant creature, but he could catch fish
| better than any man on the shore, and
when you 60 blue e-tishing that's the sort OF
| company you want
Now, everybody in Sandy Creek knew
Jake Hazard was mortaly in love with
Mary Ann Tucker; he had made no Sc.
cret OF 1t, and she. being born coquette,
treated Jake in cat.and-mouse fashion, till
he was as nearly crazy as hard-headed
young fellow with no nerves and q nigh
~ digestion can possibly be. If said
Mary Ann was the prettiest girl in the
town should do her great injustice; for
she was the only pretty girl there; the
two or three tanned, freckled. good-na-
tured daughters of the Hazards; and
fuckers, and Conklins, who were 1.-The
girls" OF Sandy Creek, never pretended
to be pretty they went their way in peace,
dug clans, baked short-cake, made chow
der, and darned stockings, undisturbed
by lovers or rivalry in due time some-
body married them, because everybody
couldn't marry Mary Ann, and thereafter
they lived their lives out as they might,
but at Mary AIMS feet. sooner or later,
every young man in the town bowed down
and fell.
She was very pretty girl. Her long,
thick hair, of.the darkest, richest red,
waved in great loose ripples to her knees
when it fell out of the heavy braid in
which she wore it. Her skin was fair be-
yond all tanning, and ii it was a little
lreckled nobody saw it in the abundant
and lovely color of her rounded cheeks.
A low, wide forehead, dimpled chin,
! saucy nose, full scarlet lips. and pair of
wicked. laughing. dark eyes, with lashes
and brows OF deep brown-red, make up
fair catalogue of charms.
And then she was "everlastin' smart"
Nobody kept so clean a house as she did
for her father, nobody made such sea pie,
chowder or clam fritters. She fried fish
to such crisp perfection that the light
house people always wanted to stop to
Sam fuckers when they had city company
and took them out fishing. but Miss Mary
Ann did not approve of 'keepin' tavern"
she said, so the light-keeper had thereaf-
ter to fry his own fish. Then she was ex-
ouisitely neat: a virtue rare among fish
ing people familiar with the unsavory
produce of their nets, as heads, tails, or
shells lie about the doors, flavorous if not
ornamental. till the very hens eggs have
a fishy flavor, But Sam fuckers door
step was always swept of every grain OF
sand or bit OF refuse. Two little posy
beds boarded up against the wall sweet
ened the air with pinks. sweet basil. and
a few hardy roses in their season, there
was scrupulously white bit of curtain
across every little window, and the we'll
scrubbed floors had bright rugs here and
there where foot of man might rest, and
save the planks needless stain or spot. Ii
| the curtains were old cotton or bits of sail
cloth, they were still snow white; and that
the rugs were braided of rags, scarlet
shirts worn beyond any more patching, or
the remains of bright blue petticoat, or
gray vest, and black list which the tail
Dress gave away, did not make them less
gay and tasteful of tint.
Old Sans clothes were patched with such
neat patches, the buttons so invariable.
the red shirt always so bright, that he was
a matter of wonder and admiration all
along the shore. And if Mary Ann did her
house work and secured her tins and floor,
and weeded her posy bed, protected by
l hInp OF AaA
bonnet, when the apron came off, and
when she sat down to knit or sew, or
strolled Oh the beach in the afternoon.
then she was always arrayed in neat and
pretty calico gown, or deep-blue ging-
nam always some white thing about her
throat, not the least shape of fashion, to
be sure, but a clean and pure rutfie, or
queer old collar clear starched to perfec-
ton, or strip of coarse lace tied in such
a trim bow. When you capped this full.
wholesome figure and clean attire with
the beautiful, saucy, rosy face, shining un-
der wide black straw hat that Sam Tuck
er bought for his ''gaf' years ago in Bos-
ton, hall with an idea that it was respect
tul in her to have "a black bonnet" as he
called it, because her mother was dead
(poor woman, she had been dead six years
then), and half because, having seen
very pretty girl at White Rocks, where he
went every year to take out sailing par
ties. with Just such hat, he thought Ma
rv Ann would become it-then, though
you did not see Broadway belle, you saw
a wonderfully pretty girl, especially when
the old black hat was set off by a plume of
grass from the salt marsh, a cluster OF
pink wild roses. a string of glittering yell
low shells, garland of gay sea MOSES,
or a pompon of rich golden sod put in
with the artistic effect of French milli-
ner's fingers might have longed to initiate
and longed in vain. Moreover. the girl
had good straight form OF her own;
there was room in the shapely chest for a
CHEEKY. ringing voice that was the delight
of old sam as it trolled the quaint songs
of the fishermen or good loud Metho-
dist hymn, and her strong arms, II they
We're not white ,swere both round and dim
pied.
No wonder that Mary Ann had so many
lovers. Perhaps no wonder that she did
not choose one. 1t is pleasant as we'll As
| prov;Jant N hava a Uood rnapv 1T ~.