Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1877-08-09


The msckerel loves the sea.
And ]. | love hut thee, Mary Ann;
Mary Ann. Mary Ann; Mary Ann,
Mary Ann; Mary Ann. love but thee
Jake Hazard shouted out 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," inquired Hosy
Long with n comic cast of his eve across
the boat al Jake as he showed at her other
side with brawny shoulders and deep
breaths OF effort.
"Iiaw. haw." roared Jake. "Aint YOU
smart. Hosy: 'xpect you can see through
4 milestone s quick's the next mani"
Hosy grinned horribly; he was not a
brilliant creature, but he could catch fish
better than any man on the shore. and
when you 60 blue-fshIng that's the sort Of
companion you want.
Now. everybody in Sandy Creek knew
Jake Hazard was mortally IN love with
Mary Ann Tucker; he had made no secret
OF it. and she, being a born coquette. treat
ed Jake in cat-and-mouse fashion. till he
was as rearly crazy as hard headed
young fellow with no nerves and mighty
digestion can possibly be. II said Mary
Ann was the prettiest girl in town / should
do her great Injustice; for she was the on
ly pretty girl there; the two or three tan
ned. freckled, good-natured daughters OF
the Hazards, and fuckers, and Conklins.
who were the girls" OF Sandy Creek, new
er pretended TO be pretty; they went their
way In peace dug clans. baked short-cakes.
made chOwder, and darned stockings, un-
disturbed by lovers or rivalry; in due time
somebody married them, because everybo-
dy couldn't marry Mary Ann. and thereaf-
ter 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 beyond all tan
ming, and fit was little freckled nobody
saw il In the abundant and lovely color OF
her rounded cheeks. A low,wi fo rehead.
dimpled chin, a saucy nose, full scarlet
lips. and pair Of wicked,s laughing dark
eyes, with lashes and brows of deep brown
RCD. made up fair catalogue of charms
And then she was ''everlastin' smart -
Nobody kept SO clean q house as she did
for her father. nobody made such sea pie.
cbowder or clam fritters. She fried fish
people always wanted to stop at Sam Tu OK
er's when they had city company and took
them out fishing, but Miss Mary Ann did
not approve of "keep'n' tavern" she said,
so the light keeper had thereafter to fry
his own fish. Then she was exQuisit ely
neat; virtue rare among fishing 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 q fshy flavor
But Sam fuckers doorstep was always
swept OF every grain of sand or bit of re-
fuse. Two little posy beds boarded up
against the wall sweetened the air with
pinks, sweet basil, and few hardy roses
in their season, there was q scrupulously
white bit of curtain across every little
window. and the well-scrubbed floors and
bright rugs here and there where foot of
man might rest. and save the planks need
less stain or spot. If the curtains were old
cotton or bits Of sail cloth, they were still
snow white; and that the rugs were braid
ed of rags, scarlet shirts worn beyond any
more patching, or the remains OF bright
blue petticoat, or gray vest, and black
list which the tailOress gave away, did not
make them less gay and tasteful OF tint.
Old Sans clothes were patched with
such neat patches. the buttons so invaria-
BILE. the red shirt always SO bright that he
was q matter of wonder and admiration all
along the shore. And II Mary Ann did her
house work and secured her tins and floor
and weeded her posy bed. protected bya
big crash blue apron and slat-sided sun
bonnet, when the apron came off, and she
sat down to knit or sew. or strolled on the
beach in the afternoon, then she was al
ways arrayed in neat aud pretty calico
gown. or deep blue gingham; always
with some white thing abeut her round
throat, not the last shape OF fashion. to be
old collar, clear-starched to. perfection or
. strip Of eoarse lee lied in such q trim