Casco Bay breeze. [volume] (South Harpswell, Me.) 1901-1917, 1907-08-22

now Known as The Pearl House."
You may have had read to you Mrs.
Stoves charming story, The Pearl
Of Orr's Island" Well, In this very
house there was little girl who may
have been the very one about whom
Mrs. Stowe wrote. She was an or
phan whose father and mother sailed
away and never came back. The sad
face Of the little girl Aunt M still
remembers as she stood on the BLUM
watching the ships pass and hoping
her father and mother might come
back. She took great pride in show
ing her treasures,-a lacquered box
with gilt figures in which were her
mothers chain and locket; also her
fathers rings, and some other keep
sakes. A case of bright, stuffed birds,
and some feather flowers under a glass
globe, adorned the mantle. These her
father had sent her from Brazil.
But to go on with the story: After
dinner Aunt M went to her rela-
tives. The house where they lived
was on a high cliff, and the vessels
passed very near as they rounded the
point to make the harbor in Portland.
In those days this harbor was often
a forest OF masts, with so many yes
sells going and coming to and from
foreign parts. OF the many who sailed
and never reached port, no tale Is
told.
1t was Aunt Ms delight to
gather the pretty MOSES and shells
on the beach, and to go in wading to
her hearts content. It would not nave
been like her IL something unusual
had not happened, so one day she left
her shoes and stockings on a rock,
unmindful of the incoming tide, and,
on going back to the spot she found
her belongings had gone out to sea.
An old pair of shoes were borrowed
from a neighbours little girl, as she
remembered she was not to wear her
white kid ones on the shore, but to
keep them for meeting
In this home was a dear old grand
mother, real grandmother of by-gone
days. with her white cap and kerchief
On rainy days and evenings 1t was
her delight to gather the children of
the family about her, telling them
stories OF her childhood, and what her
grandmother told her, just as this
story is being told to you.
Not far from this house is the sit.
OF an old block house, a kind of fort,
where, In the early days, when the
Indians were on the coast of Maine.
people had TO stay for safety. AS the
children were told how often the In
dams came, and the dreadful frights
they occasioned, they would go off TO
bed, trembling with fear lest the
dusky savages were yet in hiding
about the shore. oh, no! grandmother
would assure them,-that was In the
Indians came here from Canada: and
In Yarmouth, Freeport, and all down
the coast, people lived in terror of
them. ....,...
On one particular occasion her
iather and mother came to Falmouth
(now Portland) for days visit, ex.
pecting to return that same evening.
BUT they were detained, and, as they
neared the island on homecoming.
they saw traces that the Indians had
teen there during their absence. Ter.
ror-stricken, they found the humble
httie nome In ashes, and the children
and neighbors gathered In the block
house-all their family but one, the
eldest daughter, a girl OF fifteen. In
me days OF war the Indians, always
cunning and shrewd, would manage
10 Jake women as prisoners, holding
them as hostages. This meant that II
the whites had the red men as pris.
oners, they would exchange. and
sometimes they would make our peo-
pie pay large sum OF money to get
the prisoners back. The missing sis.
Ter was carried captive to Canada
by the Indians, and remained win
them three years. They did not abuse
her. for fear they might lose their
ransom money. The grandmother
would tell the children how Lottie had
weary march through the woods. and
how. In living with the Indians. she
mad learned to make moccasins and
TO weave baskets. Then these baskets
and moccasins were taken from the
closet and shown to the children.
When the war was over, the United
states government made arrange
ments to exchange prisoners, and a
vessel was sent to Quebec to bring
them home. From time to time re-
ports would come Of Lottie. but for
while she could not be found. The
good captain would not come away
without her, and adopted many plans
to learn OF her whereabouts. One day.
In traders shop, he heard the youne
men joking about q pretty EneIash
girl who was In Frenchman's family.
He passed the door of the house. and
saw. sweeping the steps, a young girl
whom he thought from description