Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-03-14
NAKEMANS WANbERINGS
THE LITTLE MANx ISLAND AND
IT'S FOLK.

and Home siongings-Ampiitudo Tenn
pcred by Thrift-uotnoIy but Pleasing
Pictures OF ManS Interiors ling
vcrre""
Copyright, isN by Edgar L. wakeman.l
PEEL, Isle Of Man, In a some
what extended study o. the home life II
ManNmen have come upon many strik.
Ing similAritics between the character and
habits Of these folk and those oftho States
men" Of Cumberland and the fisher folk u
Cornwall.
Cumberland statesmen" the actual
peasant owners In perpetuity Of little noun.
tain tracts ~ land which have passed from
father 10 eldest sou since the border ncccs.
stiles Of foudal times compelled the war
like northern harons 20 parcel out their
lands 20 their serfs ARE tall ofstaturp, stout
of frame. grave Of aspect, but with Ger.
tain fire Of calm and conscious indepcnd-
ence In their great gray eyes which on oc-
casion would hame into exalted hcroism.
All this you SEQ IN Manxmen In their
comfortable homes, and one has only to
ncquaint himself with the heroism Of this
handful Of ISLANDERS In the past to know
That their looks do not belle their real char.
pctor There j. nowhere on English soil a
greater contrast 20 be found to the head
nucking. tuft pulling, fawning human
whom the English land system has merged
Into hcrcdltarily oringlng, farthing split
ting vassal called an English small farmer
You would be chased down n mountain
hide or tossed over clii here In Mainland
n you offered money for any form Of hospi.
tally. The host Of farmhouse or cottnge
regards your coming ~ an honor. your
staying u pleasure. your going with regret.
From time immemorial no tramps or men
dicants have been allowed to land upon tho
shores Of Man. Not 20 very long ago any
vessel breaking this law was forfeited.
Locks aud keys are unknown In the coun-
trysides. Utter simplicity and complete
rcpose reign In all farm aud cottage homes.
"Civillzaiion." represented by an influx VI
sightseeing strangers from all parts OF the
world. has not yet disturbed the serenity
OF apparently chnngoless thought, feeling
and habit. Strangers are rs gratifying TO
the cquablc interest Of Manxmen as the
simplicity Of the latter ~ satisfying to the
curiosity of those who como from far lands.
Outside Of the towns uncvcntful life to
these honest souls
I. measured In three parts.
A simple way--the birth, the toll, tho rest.
The Manxwoman is ruddy Of face. broad
Of girth and has tongue which deals IN
cordial onndor This face u hers Il comedy
withnl. and there Is light behind her
pleasant eyes which tells that her iine rosy
mouth aud ready tongue arc not given to
decciving, II Is "A better face altogether
than you will find in any Of the Latin coun-
tries. You are not "a afraid Of It ns you nro
Of the more roguish Irish face. ltislcss sci.
ilish than the faccs Of women you see In Eng
land. and II Is not conjuring III " you. ~
The Scotchwoman sometimes makes you
conscious. Altogether Il speaks loyalty,
carncstness, some sympathy and about all
the trace Of merrimcnt you will fluid In lit
tie Mainland.
Only la the more ancient quarters will
one find folk and customs peculiarly char
hcteristic OF the little Manx nation In
towns. In Douglas, Ramsey, mud even here
IN antiquatcd Peel. the humble folk live
much rs they do In all little old English
coast cities The real Mhnx home. pre-.
terved In Its material aud human entity
Tor many hundreds OF years, Ia tho home Of
the Manx highlander or fisherman. or Of
both. All habltations OF these Mnnxmen
hrc places of genuine though rude and
simple comfort. Ia wandering In all man.
her OF out Of the way places on the fair
island ! have not been able To lind ono
pDout VI gtoiHhu Ut lNntIflhu Wntlt pow
prty IL apparent. Even discomfort Is sci.
HON seen. Cleanliness and snugness arc
hniyorsnl
Nearly every cottage Is like the Cumber-
land "statcsman's." II IL low, broad, AM
pile. Its walls are practically indestruoti.
Bile, and the building, hooded with snug
brown matching, runs out IN all manner
pf picturesque ways into stables, cow
houses, sheepfolds and cart sheds These
tell their own pleasant story Of prudent
preservation Of posscssionsa and kindly com
fort for dumb beasts. There f. always u
ine garden. This Is not only bit Of rare
bloom and color In summer, rich oou.
trast to tho vast breadth Of golden ever
blooming gorse, the purple heather aud
llchen covered rocks, but MRuNmen get as
much as Hollsnders for home comfort out
bf these richly titled half acres The earth
en fences incloslng the garden aud every
hedge between the fields are beautiful
from painstaklng care. Enriched with
roses, where tho tiny Burnet rose Is mar
vel OF color and fragrance, with hawthorn
Ind honeysuckle, they furnish ole Of the
most exquisite charms OF tho island.
within the Manx ycoman's home the
picture is honiely, but pleasing, The house
place, living room and kitchen combined.
Is at one side OF green painted door aud
short passage. On the other isa narrow
pip Of n paror, for, IA with the Stafford
shire potter, tho parlor Is u hereditary and
necessary dignity with the ManXman. II
Il, MS usual with other places Of dignity,
the only place Of discomfort in these kindly
island homes. In the center OF this room
will always lbs found little square ma
hogany table. A family Bible rests upon
st. a half dozen ancient mahogany chairs
are adjusted against the walls with view
10 their support. a short, low backed ma
logauy framed chlutz settle is In the win
dow. over the mnntelpoce Is u huge mir
lor whose texture Is rs chuppy rs the sur
face Of the Man eneircling sea, but this re-
fleets IN zggag way u marvellous colloc-
lion OF stuffed birds dried grasses, china
pogs, vases and rampant shepherdesses,
with suudry carvings from Druldio days
lind huge shells which sailor sons have
brought from faroii shores,
But the comfort Of the r0omy old house
place and kitchen atoncs for all this The
stone hearth is deep and wide, and the feet
Of great family might all have place up,
on IL, with room for hide and seek for the
little ones between the owners chairs. The
llreplaces are broad and deep and high for
burning peat or wood, with huge, vast
chimneys above them, where Awhole sheep
or pig might be roasted, and the great
chains aud hooks for singing the pots
above the fire would bear the weight Of a
cow or an OK,
Z In some OF these habitatons the chin.