The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter. [volume] (Manteo, N.C.) 1959-1973, 1961-08-25
u vUss :
BY TOM JACKSON

III The little house sagged In the
middle leaving long, gentle sway
IN the roof like broken down
J horse. 1t had once been white, but
now years of wind and rain and
\ biting sand had left only few
streaks of white on the weathered
! lgray boards.
i 1t squatted in a patch of weeds
| higher than the top doorstep. They
! grew up around the porch and nm
der the ancient scuppernong vine.
\ They choked out few remaining
splotches of color in a once beau
tiful flower garden. Out behind the
house they ran up fences and chok-
cd out vegetables in garden let go
] to seed.
Only directly in front of the
\ house had they beat them down !. 4. :.
there ragged hole had been chop
ped around the steps as if some
lone had fought them for a while
I and then given up. Leading from
this narrow, winding path made
its way down to the highway.
\ Beside the path was small cen-
etery -. only about 8 stones, most
of them dark with age and tilted
like so many white fingers pointing
in different directions.
Closest to the path was new
stone. White and polished it stood
Alguard over a recently filed sand
grave and caught flashes Of the
afternoon sun when it managed to
lpeep from behind the heavy clouds
blowing east.
The inscription could almost be
Tread from the highway except when
I the sun turned the whole face Of
the polished marble slab into
Iblinding fash of reflection.
II The old woman didn't even no
tice the clouds or the dimming Of
I the sun as they passed before IL.
She paid no attention to the wind
as it rose and whipped her long
/ skirts about her knees. She didn't
even look up at cars passing on
the road; she just stopped over the
hoe and kept at her clumsy short
strokes in the weeds.
We later learned the new tomb
stone marked the grave of her hus-
! band who had died the week before.
Childless, and with no living rela-
tives she is left alone at 20 to dig
la living from the soil. Life on the
Outer Banks can be hard. Those
Iwho become too weak or too tired
| to put up a good fight can only
| Iwatch as the wind and the soil, the
! wild vegetation, and even the sea
take back all they have been forced
Ito give.
III We understand a group known as
the 0cracoke Business Organization
has set as one of its goals uniting
the Outer Banks. According to
spokesman for the group, plans are
! being formulated which will pro-
mote greater cooperation between
businessmen and residents Of the
l entire banks area. In recent years,
he went on, there has been quite a
hit of rivalry between business in
terest groups in different areas of
the Outer Banks.
The new Ocracoke group, believ-
i ing cooperation will benefit all con-
cerned more than extreme rivalry,
! hopes to eventually bring about a
situation in which the parties con-
\ lcerned will work for the mutual
benefit of all instead of operating
on an extremely individual basis.
Persons interested in this move
/ Iment may contact Coward Brugh,
president Of the organization at
ocracoke.
I A new publication to be released
on the Outer Banks this week is
| the Ocracoke Cook Book. The book
\ lis published by the Woman's So
ciety Of Christian Service Of the
United Methodist Church Of Ocra-
| cooke and sells for one dollar per
copy.
The book contains many time
tested seafood recipes from Ocra-
coke, each one q favorite with =
particular housewife in the area.
In addition to the many unusual
seafood dishes the book has reci-
pes for wildfowl, breads and des-
Iserts.
l Containing such unusual and de-
/ licious sounding dishes as Mrs. FL
eanors Rolls, Baked Seafood Salad,
| 0cracoke Style Baked Drum, Ham
Bone Soup, Rice Frumenty, Old
! Fashioned Mclasses Pudding, Heav-
Ienly Hash and many others we pre-
\ dict the book win be an immediate
success.
III The elves will soon leave their
tasks Of speaking rust on gun bar
j rels and hiding one wool sock and
begin their winters work. They
\ have a big season ahead letting air