Evening star., 1900-09-24
YORK HARBOR HOMES
Places Visited That Are Already
Familiar Through Reading.
TREASURES IN QUAINT old HOUSES
Where There is Nothing New but
Books and Papers.
FLOWERS BY THE WAYSIDE
s;I,e,ilI Correspondence OF The Evening Star.

special Correspondence OF The Evening Star.
YORK HARBoR, Me-. Sept 10, 1900.
The salt air blowing in from the ocean not
only gives life and vigor to the men and
women who come here from all over the
country To spend few months by the sea,
but even the flowers seem to feel the pecu-
liar soft dampness and bloom with vivid
ness Of color that one never sees In the
same blossoms inland. The growth of the
plants themselves is more sturdy than else
where. The uasturtium vines. for instance,
send out shoots as large ones little fin
ger and the flaming blossoms seem even
more brilliant than their wont. China as
trrS enormous. | am sure some in
Portsmouth gardens measure four inches
across. while a sunflawer. with the seedy
part large as a dinner plate. hung
over a fence as | passed by. Sweet peas
flourish WELL and ten rows of the pretty
things bloom in garden there. each row
Of one kind. white. deep crimson, law
eEder the oldtime favorites, pink and
white. and so on.
Wild roses in their season have a depth
OF color that is delightful and out on the
Isles of Shoals they are at their best. Ce-
liza Thaxter. when she lived on Appledore,
had garden that a mass of bloom,
from which she constantly kept filled a
hundred vases in her cottage there. After
her death the house was still Kept open ana
visitors welcomed. and for time a maid
tried 10 follow in her footsteps and make
OF ii Il bower. but half the number of bou-
quetS proved too much Of task, and with
out the love that Mrs. Thaxter put into
her labor II was soon given up to a great
extent at least. A fine oil painting Of Mrs.
Thaxter hangs on the wall of the public IL
hrary in Portsmouth, and is very attract
I've. Quaker-l!ke arrangement of lace is
about the throat. while bunch of purple
pansies IS pinned 10 her dress. One of the
pretuest houses in Maine belongs to her
son, whose farm. stretching inland from the
shore. commands a beautiful view of the
shoals. entuined in memory with so much of
his family history. Celia Thaxter has
made the shoals familiar to many readers
VINO have never seen the rocky little isles
themselves, and the story of her early days
on White Island. when her father was light
house Keeper. is an interesting tale of lone
" NE there long before the tide of fashion
set that way and hotels and cottages made
q busy summer community
Both Old and New.
All throughout this region the old and
new are strangely mingled as to habitations
tpstart mdSets Of cottages with every
thing of the freshest pretentious names
over the narrow fronts attracting sarcastic
comment. are the features of some of the
stretches of beach; others intensely mod
ern, but with artistic comfort showing in
all their lines and proportions baautify
other neighbOrhoods while here and there
Isolated ones seek some specially promi-
heht cllfl or SAND. or SequeSter themselves
among the oid-time farm houses scattered
about by the sea or river. Side by side
without being near enough to jostIe each
other. and FAR enough from the electric
car iine to be perfectly secure from the
observation Of the crowds who use It, are
two perfect exempificatiuns of old and new
homes. both equally adapted to delightful
summer life on this Maine coast" The
newer house IS dark red, and is set among
trees. ar Sba Ip5
with vines larticed windows in the gables
affect an old world air, while the freshly
sprlnk.ed dust Of the country road in front
tells Of the modern conveniences at hand
for comfort Such houses as these
are delightful ana are scattered over our
land in all accessible and even inaccessible
places. and, therefore, no novelty.
Nearly Two Centuries Old
few rods farther on and we reach the
other house, much rarer one too for it is
one Of the very old farm houses belonging
TO one family since ii was built in 1713, and
kept up with loving care so that only ven
ersble age, not decay, is visible. Low,
white. with green blinds il has a beautiful
situation close by the river, with tower
Ing elm a. the gate stalwart guard.
The entrance through the brass knockered
door is on 4 level with the ground. leads
into small hail nearly square. furnished
with an old mahogany table. over which
mirror hangs. and high backed chair.
Turning to the door on the left one steps
down three steps 10 the sitting room,
which. following the slope of the ground,
lies much lower than the hall This is
corner room, and has two windows on
each Of the sides: Il IS low for its size and
charmingly attractive. One end Is paneled
and hung with interesting old engravings
from Shakespeare; high bookcase, with
glass doors, Is between the windows. Sofas,
chairs. tables all are old, and among the
latter are some shapes which | have never
seen elsewhere. beautiful colonial SIDE
board is on one side. with old china and
some pieces of brass, and an antique fruit
dish Of Leeds pottery, with the open-work
border of dish and platter of peculiarly
laCe-like design. The only modern things
~ this room are the books and magazines
scattered about the tables.
Quaint Sitting Room.