Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1883-09-06
Women and Their Interests.
THE NEwHAyEN FI>HwIvKS.

Most picturesque of all the figures to be
seen IN Edinburgh are the Newhaven fish
wives. With short, full blue cloth petit
coats, reaching barely TO their ankles, white
blouses and gay kerchief; big, long -sleeved
cloaks of the same blue cloth, fastened at
the throat, bIt tiyinG loose, sleeves and all, ,
a. ii thrown on in haste ; the girls barehead-
ed the married women with white caps,
standing up stiff and straight in a point on
the top Of the head; two big wicker work
creels, one above the other full Of fish.
packed securely, on their broad shoulders,
and held in place BY stout leather strap
passing around their foreheads. they pull
along at 4 steady, striding gait, up hill and
down CARRYING weights that il taxes mans
strength merely to lift In fact. il il a fish
wtt's boast that She Will run with a load
winch \ takes Two men 70 put on her back.
II The women. and Their immemoI:iia :i Fl bno6rf
" exercising IT, perhaps also from other
causes far back in the early days Of Jutland,
where these curious Ncwha,en fishing folk
are said to have originated, it has come
ahou, that the Newhaven men are ,lngu-
!ar.y duc!!e and submissive race. The wives
keep all the money which they receive for
the fish. and the husbands take what is Civ
en- ,hem-a singular Ieversion of the situa-
tioa IN most communities. | did not be-
.ievc this when Il wa, told me, so | stopped
three tishwiyea one day. and, without mine
ing matters, put the question direct to them.
Two Of them were Young, one old. The
young women laughed saucilv. and the old
woman smiled, hut they all replied unhesi-
tatingly that they had the spending of all
the money
Its A spent / the hoos." said one, anx-
iou> not to be thought too selfish-"it's a
Spent i the hoos The men, they cam home
an tax their Sleep, an then they'll be aft
agen."
1T I'D never do for the husbands 10 stoop
III tha city an be spenln' a the money"
added the old oman, with severe emphasis.
Whoever would see the Newha,en FISH
wives At their best must be on the Newha-
ven wharf BY o'clock in the morning, on
day when the trawlers come in and the fish
Is sold. The scene is a study for painter.
The fish are in long, narrow boxes on the
wharf, ranged at the base Of the sea wall
some sorted out in piles. each kind By itself;
skates. with their long tails, which look vic
ious, as if they could kick hake, witches,
brill, sole, founders. huge catfish, and her
rings by the ton. The wall is crowded with
men, Edinburgh fishmongers, come to buy
cheap on the spot. The wall is not over
two feet wide, and here they stand, lean
over, jostle, slip to the right and left of each
other, and run up and down in their eager
haste TO catch the eye Of one auctioneer, or
to get first speech with another. The wharf
is crowded with women-an army in blue,
two hundred, three hundred at a time
white caps bobbing, elbows thrustins, shrll
voices CRYING, fiery blue eyes shining, it is
sight worth going to Scotland for. If one
has an affection for Christie Johnstone, it is
a delightful return Of his old admiration for
her. \ dozen faces which might be Chris
ties own are flashing up from the crowd :
one understands on the instant how that
best Of good stories came to be written. A
man with his eyes in his head could not
done less. Such fire, such honesty, such
splendor Of vitality, kindle the women's
faces. TO spend a few days among them
would be 10 see Christie Johnstone drama
tized on all sides. II. H., IN September At
idntic