Telegram-herald., 1890-09-21

Sad piers; znd these arc resting con
lenle1ly fgoas thesr gets l2tos Al se@.
ihe remainder have gone hOWe Sna
turned inf loF gOoa s-eep. me NO
men relieve tAem II AL responsibility
the moment thS to2ts sTe docked.
lney even 70 50 far IS - carry tne
purse and dole oug What JACK OF SANDY
shall spsnd shlle ashore fne rsn have
been got out of the boats ard are
ranged Ia boxes, which hold about 10
pounds each n the open space Of eur
i0as old Mxin-st.. fronting tne hsfoor-
Ia tins vii be seen mOre snan thou
sand people, 90 or TO of whom are tsh-
wives, the remainder comprising hack-
sfers, children, curious tourists, rtTzn
from kdinburg and half dozen elst-
ant aucnoueeEs. These get sixpenee
per pound sterling value on sales. All
tsh are sold outright 20 tne highest
bidder for cash; and II the wives OF al
entire boats crew should De sellers OF
fish they must purchase their fish IA the
open market precisely the same as any
other huckster VINO may come 10 buy.
The best prices are secured az the ear.
liest hour; getting 10 the guidwlyet OF
Edinburg before breakfast time, beng
counted an advantage. There are IN
Vulnerable odd characters buying here
besides the fishsives-weezened old
men with hand-baskets, women and
men with donkeys and carts smaller
than themselves, saucy lads and saucer
lasses, bareheaded. barelegged and
brave in their strength and ways. But
for 500 years, just as II viii be with
those who come after them as long as
Newhaven, Edinburg and the Firth OF
Forth are here. the fishwives have been
those who undisturbed and unruffied by
time and change trundle daily away
from Newhayen pier with nineteenth OF
all the fish brought 10 il from the sea.
Their creels contain from 20 10 so
pounds of fish. These carried on their
backs, are held in place by broad leather
straps about the forehead. Uncount-
able are the skirts they wear. These
fall lust below the knees, and two or
three of the outer ones are gathered
back over the launches III voluminous
putfs. Stout woClen stockings, stout
buckled shoes, and q stout pea-jacket
complete the raiment; save that the
married women wear a handkerchief, /,
or "mutch" cap, upon their heads;
while the maiden tishwives go bare
headed. While at their labors, every
article of their dress, save cap and
shoes, is of dark blue woolen goods.
If shopping is done in Edinburgh, CT
when visiting themselves, their attire is
of WIDE; gorgeous-striped linen, petit
coat upon petticoat, and their frllls,
furbelows and jewelry, would sicken
even the "show gvpsles" OF Seville with
Chnsa ubn rarnasra n pnONa and
others who during the afternoon have
returned, gather IN most picturesque
groups about the stair-heads Of quaint
old Main street, which runs parallel
with and next TO the sea front of tlpe
village. Here they gossip over loca
affairs, cobble the nets, bait the lines
and do all odd things that women do IN
these strange fishing communities
save quarrel. They do not quarrel IN
Newhaven. Perhaps 1t is because they
are truly religious folk. For SO IT IS.
| that when entered their Free Kirk ON
Sunday | saw more than two thousand
of these people worshiplng with great
devoutness. Stranger than that,
| the dark pettlcoats and striped
petticoatS were gone. Not one gar
| ment marking their waterside vocation
could be seen. Sober grays and rich
blacks. costly as the attire at the fam
Gus old st. Giles, had taken their place.
| And as | stole out again before the
| doxology was ended, the myriads of
| creels hanging at deserted stair-heads,
miles of nets drying in the sun upon
| the piers, and the iswaying spars above
hundred boats rocking in the harbor,
were all that could at last give Sabbath
testimony that mere was the largest
single fishing community, and always
the most seif-sustaining and character
| istic one, that the world has ever known.
EDGAR l.. WAKEMAN.