The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1955-07-15
THE HIGHER
THE FEWER
There's Always Plenty of Room
At The Top
By
NANCY ]. MIDGET

my brow and other odd portions of
my anatomy, ! got to thinking dur
Dlng one of my more conscious mo-
ments of the trials and tribula-
tions that the first corners to this
country must have faced. Not just
the heat and flies, more numerous
then | presume, as no efforts such
as the modern means provided by
science could be made to lessen
the pests, nor in fact, I suppose,
were they noticed so much, for in
the England and Europe of that
day, flies, pests, rats and plain,
common filth were all to a much
greater degree than now, an ac-
cepted part of life and living.
Needless to say the plaques, fevers
and chills of which countless folk
died were often due to just those
conditions.
No! / think maybe the bodily
ills of those first corners were per-
haps much less troublesome to
their minds and souls than the in
ner fights that worked on their
nervous systems day and night.
They were far from home and
family without the knowledge that
l for instance have, that if the
necessity arose / could get home
some way or another on my own,
and comparatively fast, unless of
course, as in the last Good Queen
Elizabeth's day, a state of war had
been declared; again, in those days
superstition ran rife among most
people in the land and more def
nitely among the ordinary labourer
and craftsman. Some of the more
moneyed and titled folk with more
time on their hands built super
stition already in being, into cults
and clubs, not because they be-
lieved in the superstition necessar-
lily but as cover for a lot of
sensuality and nastiness. 1t is no
wonder that the few people with
upward seeking minds began to
look around them for place
where they could at least make
fresh beginning and hope that the
LOSS of such comforts as they had
known would be well lost for
simpler way of life and clean
slate.
Old Tom. Now there was man
who had found in his rags and
weakness a greater philosophy
than many richer brother. 1t
needed only the search and the
effort of necessity to make him a
useful member of a community.
While browsing through my books
yesterday found by chance
brother of Old Toms, not a blood
brother but one of his ability, de-
pendability in the face of need and
almost reflection of that great
moment in the drama, The Lost
Colony, when in spite of his fears,
Old Tom stands guard at the ram
parts ! quote from the writing of
H. v. Morton,-"I saw two Eng
lands" written in 1912 after some
three years of war.
at was a still night. The moon
was hidden by high clouds. stood
on the church tower, watching and
listening. Pale fields of oats moved
in the night wind, cleaning like
water.
when I climbed the belfry lad
ders few minutes ago to keep the
second watch, I came out on the
lead-covered tower with its breast
high parapet, and there 1 saw,
outlined against the sky, the heroic
shape of my companion.
"His forage cap might have been
a Norman helmet or a medieval
casque; and / paused in admira-
ton, telling myself with incred-
ulity that it was only Old Tom
Burns, the cowman from Brambles.
"At the sound of my approach,
the figure turned, and rich loamy
voice said: They searchlights be
proper busy over Gallows' Hill