Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1924-12-03
East Sulliyan,

| mOtDer SlQ6 llneaI descendant OF
Daniel Sullivan, for whom the town
was named, and on her fathers side,
of Rev William Worcester, who
came from England between 1888
and 1910, and had his first pastorate
in Salisbury, Mass. Miss Wooster
was first a school teacher. Then, on
July 80, 1871, when twenty-one
years of age, she was married to
Capt Hollis |. Higgins of Ellsworth,
going directly from her home to the
schooner Charles Macomber, and
began a honeymoon voyage, which
lasted for over forty-five years, or
until the death of Capt. Higgins in
New York City in 1916, where he
was settling his affairs. preparing to
spend the rest of his days on land.
| Mrs. Higgins spent her life at sea
on three vessels. of which her hus-
| band was owner. Or part owner
the schooner Charles Macomber, the
barkentine Belle Wooster named for
| her by her husband, and the barken-
| tine Mamie Swan, which Capt. Hig
gins sold shortly before his death.
| There were no children, so it meant
practically forty-five years of con-
tinuous voyaging, during which they
chose their cargoes, their destina
tions and their friends
Mrs. Higgins was, first of all, d
born navigator, the laws of naviga-
tion being to her an open book. All
any time under any circumstances
she could become captain pro tenn
She inherited the love of the sea
from her father, who was also a cap
tain. Winds might buffet and calms'
delay, yet always there was the lure
of the destined harbor with all the
mystery and romance of far coun-
tries and strange people.
She was woman of kpen intel
leGt and receptive mind, and those
forty-five years photographed on her
vision scenes from all over the
world. From the commercial stand
point she knew what each section of
country produced and what it lacked,
this meant their carrying trade; from
a human standpoint, it meant max
ing friends with people of strange
customs and different tongues; from
the travellers standpoint, it meant all
the wealth of the world in art and
nature seen first hand. So she pos
sessed a knowledge never learned of
schools. and such as is given to few
women in all the world to possess.
No serious disaster ever came to
them. In port they always kept open
house. entertaining and being enter
tanned; always some ship was in with
friends on board, and sometimes it
was their good fortune to find her
brother, Capt. Charles. Then there
were business as Well as friendly as
sociates. which gave them welcome
to their homes in many a foreign
and domestic port.
After Capt. Higgins DEATH Mrs.
Higgins came to the only home on
land which she had ever known, and
rebuilt the Wooster house which
they had owned for several years,
She had a beautiful home, with every
luxury, and treasures collected from
over seas. Here she commenced
new life of readiustment to small
, town affairs, going to New York
every spring to keep in touch with
larger things.
She was loyal to her own church
always, but helped in support of the
resident pastor and was keenly alive
to all the interests of the town and
nation. Her vote was to her sacred
trust She was going about her
| home, the body kept in subsection by
her strong will and spiritual under
standing, asking nothing, giving
much and then, in two short weeks,
'she was not'-the body collapsed,
and she called, Neighbours, friends,
nurse, housekeeper physicians, an
swered Her brother came at once
| from Rockport To all she was
grateful and appreciative.
To those who have been privileged
| to come in close touch with her
| quiet life, it seems as if a strong,
magnetic current had been sudden
/ ly shut off, and they are left be-
wildered with an aching sense of
! loss.
Sunday morning, with a storm
tossed world outside, the same little
group gathered for the short but
! impressive service by Rev. Mr.. Tay
lor, She lay on a bed of flowers
such as she had often seen growing
in their native homes, and the smile
on her face showed the Pilot had
not left her. She was taken to Ellis
worth to be put to rest by the side
of her husband, once more to SAIL
but on unchartered seas in the spirit
land.
She leaves, besides her brother, q
sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Simpson, two
nephews, Hollis and Kenneth
Wooster and several cousins. The
Wooster home in Rockport has al
ways meant much to her, her sister
in-law being devoted and congenial.
A pleasant surprise came to Mrs.
Higgins when the nephew of Mr..
Swan, for whom the Mamie Swan
was named, called one evening
this fall, Mr.. and Mrs. Swan were
touring Maine, and at his father
request, was able easily to locate