The Afro-American advance. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1899-19??, 1900-08-11
PouI's Honor

by A. D. de Mile.

THEY still tell the story Mt Ten
nant's when the fleet Ii home In
summer or wnen the cargo hunters
are stormbound in winter. What chief
Is puzzles me Is how first II got abroad,
for Paul Fralic was lost. and the other
two were moat like 10 keep the matter
hid. But set IL down here-Bot In the
picturesque fisher speech, which II god
less and unreilned--as IL was told me
one summer twilight with the sky
like flaming gold and all the hills asleep,
he IL known that the south coast Of
Nova Scotia Is q rampant OF solid rock
fronting the Atlantic surges. Some
times the fog wells it's stern precipiees
and gray.bmcked waves beat in from
She shroudcd sea. and sometimes great
calms descend, when the headlnnds
glass themselves all day In the quiet
water. There are huge lodges cropping
up out OF the deep and sunken rocks
where the surf takes on a heavier note,
and mile on miles of frowning cliffs
where - anews lie strangely white
In winter. hut there are also broad
harbors and sheltered coves where the
fishermen find shelter In time Of storm.
The place called Tenants Ia a good
example OF the latter. II IL wide and
deep. with narrow entrance and a
girding of rocky hills. Al it's mouth
stands fat white lighthouse, put
there, not for the Importance Of the
place, but because Tenant Cap sticks
Tar out into the Atlantic aud the light
guides coastwise vessels To the town
30 miles away. Seward, east Of the
entrance, lies a rock on which many a
tall ship has come to grief The charts
mark Il by q cross aud the Legend
''Breaker nearly always shows" The
fisher folk call II "rhc Bull" because,
hours before a storm rolls up Its hoarse
complaining can be heard alonr ME
coast. Currents which know no law
beat upon Il In stormy weather, and
OF all the seafarers who there have
met their doom no, one has ever
reached the shore, alive or dead. The
bull claims lie own and guards It's Sc
eret well.
Az the head OF Tenant Harbor there
Il small village two or three streets
of whitewashed houses. with n few slim
wharyes thrust out into the stlll waters
beneath. During certain seasons of the
year the place is lively enough when
the little fleet of bankers Ia dttlng out.
for example, and the harbor Is astlr
with the passage OF loaded doriek. or
when the sehooners reeurn deep laden.
and the gaunt tlsh skids creak beneath
their whitening burden, hut ordlnar.
fly all Il quiets the men are absent half
the year. while the women and chit.
dren sill the rough farms or tend the
COWS and goats which find seant pas.
turing on the stormy hills,
Tenants impressed something Of its
own character upon the early genera
lions az ita settlers. 0f former DAYS IL
was secluded from the world~-with.
drawn among It's granite rock and
Gomher pine scrub The lie and Gu.
vironment bred a sturdy class; fisher,
men who piled their trade from Labra.
dor 10 Cape Ann, from the Grand Banks
90 the Georges: sailors who built their
own ships and took them round the
world. There stlll survives a certain
capability OF hsroism-~rough often un,
eouth, but none The less genuine.
For many years the place retained
itk quaint customs aud modes Of liv,
ing. The house OF a former dan.
crammed with relics OF ancient ,ovar.
ings, suiticed the flsherfolk. The wom.
en- elung 10 their huge hand looms aud
wore the strong gray and blue cloth OF
their own weaving, The schooling OF
the children consisted OF what thsy
could pick up from the old Catholic
priest, who taught them their letters
as the spirit moved him or the rheum
atism permitted. and of much unholS
lore gathered along the water front.
but In course Of time the govern
ment decided that the place required
the dressings of modern education. %
. school Was organized aud the primal
charm Of Tenants vanished away.
Thus. one summer. the white and
red sehoolhonse stood finished. A sifn
young man. with q beautiful training
arrived from the city 20 take charge
gather In recruits and generally d
modify the opinion OF Tenants thai
teaching and teachers were the diFee;
agents of the devil.
The fishing aeet had come home
earlier than usual that season; By the
end OF July all the schooner we're