The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-10-15
SUMNER LIFE AT CAPE COD.

who passed the summer at Cape Cod, has
returned enthusiastic over the New Eng
| land coast, which she says is the most
| paintable in America. She studied with
| the Hawthornes and at her exhibition this
fall her marine studies will be the most
striking feature. Besides her ceverness
, In painting the ape Cod fishermen and
the life of the water front, Miss Rumph's
appreciation is also expressed in the fol-
lowing Impressions of summer life on the
coast which will be read with much in
terest by the Birmingham friends of the
young artist:
| From Boston the steamer Cape Cod"
| leaves daily, (unless it storms) and cut
| ting across the bay makes a bee line for
| Provincetown. One thinks he is starting
| on a trip to soc ordinary summer re-
| sort, and setting himself on deck, picks up
magazine or paper to wade through the
four hours as best he can. If the weather
is fair he arrives on time, just little
| stretchy, and ! of the pop corn and
post card boys, and finds his interest in
stantly awakened by the scene that con-
fronts him.
| The town appears suddenly around the
/
| back close into the protecting curve.
where the anchorage Is safe. 1t is d
| beautiful harbor, known many year
| ago, for here the Pilgrims drew up their
| first compact, and came ashore to see
| what manner of land they had adopted.
/ In the yard of the town hall a great
stone block with bronze tablets comment
crates this event of the nations history,
and gives all the proper names and dates
| connected with it, This season in every
| hotel and public place on the cape, notices
are tackled up telling the generous mind
| ed American of the proposed monument
! on Town Hill In honor of this same band
of Pilgrims, of the corner stone brought
| from the native Parish in England, and
now on view in Mr.. So and Sos shop on
Main strickland of how every citizen In
| this broad land may avail himself of con-
| tributing if he like.
| The water front of the old town is most
charming. AS the steamer slides along
side the pier, the newcomer courts many
other pushing out their varied lengths
from the curving shore, and catches the
outline Of houses piled bach of them in
| confused mass with the splotched sand of
| the dunes for background.
Each stranger gets acquainted with a
| place in his own way ] suppose but the
| oldest and most profitable mode of intro
| duction to Q town is ones first walk
there. Come with me and / will show
you few of my impressions of Province
| town.
! The main street there is narrow, and
| takes the curve of the show. Nowhere
| else have I seen such a row of shops All
| are wooden, and have their gable ends to-
ward the street and all seem to be
| showing one another back for elbow ROOM
and stepping on each others toes in order
to get fronting on the street that keeps
changing its direction so provokingly. 1t
| appears to have been most desirable to
| keep straight facing on the street, and
back door open on the water, for this is
| what one and all have done. at the cost
of many a wry-necked gable and many
| crooked wings added on to combine these
| two prospects.
| True there are some shops on the other
side Of the street, but they seem quite
secondary, and look meekly across, brow
beaten all day by the opposite gables, and
blinked at nightly by the small-paned
show windows of their rivals
There Is a board walk on this front
street'-an innovation that come with the
summer people" The two are alike dis
approved of by the townspeople am
told. Why? Simply because both are
something new and the old way was good
enough for Provincetown Why change ?
The town didn't want the summer peo-
pie but the summer people wanted
Provincetown when once they saw Its
charms-so they have become a fixture.
The old town didn't want the board walk
but the summer people did. and the sum
mer people had money, so the board walk
took up It's place ostentatiously and has
been a convenience and a nuisance ever
since.
In one way am on the town's-people,s
side of that boardwalk question You
can hear with drunken Portuguese
coming blocks off-even IL he were NOT
singing; and when he is past you can tell
Just how many times he falls off before
he is out of ear-shot. You also have good
training through its agency in distinguish
ing footsteps and get to know who comes
home betimes and Just how many the
late trampers are At last the ear grows
tired and sleep comes only to bring other
footsteps. that not content with a narrow
| walk. deviate, and tramp like columns of
infantry over your ceiling and around
your bed-but always manage to get safe
ly into the street by the time your eyes
are open.
Day begins early in Provincetown-so
early that by time the drowsy Summer
,rson'' opens his eyes he has long been
(y conscious of voices in the street, $
si steps on the walk as II they had
left of One knows just what kind
Jay 1t is before he lifts his shade.
''Breezin up a little, Ell Nathan?" or "a
hot day, I'm thinkin' Hiram-a hot day"
and the footsteps halt while the voices
go on under your window, discussing the
Catch" and so and SOS cargo loading
over to Cooks whalf' or up along at
Atkjns'"