The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter., 1962-07-06
EARLY DAYS
Continued from Page One)

, | ENNIb Univ
Continued from Page One)
J of a grin.
Peter Gallop, Eleazor Tillett's
father, was the lighthouse keep
er at Bodie Island in 1882 wher
Eleazor was only seven years
old. In the evenings when the
dark shadows of sunset spread
like a shadowy fan across the
Banks, Eleazor would grasp hei
fathers hand, clog to the TOP
of the beacon and stand quietly
as he struck the mothering spark
of match to crisp lantern wick.
81 always enjoyed that time OF
day." she says.
Aunt LEAFS favorite pastime
as a child "when we weren't
playing 'stick-of-nine' or Rover
was a daytime walk to the top
of the spiral stairs in the light
house. There, at the top, was a
sparkling reflector for the Ian
tern whert 81 spent many a
time watching my face . first
large and then sometimes thin
all of US used to go up there
it made us look funny i. +.
we would laugh so hard some
times"
She met her husband, Mr.. Til
lett, she always called him
"Tink," when her ball of yarn
fell into we'll outside her home
"He drew it right up in bucket,
but we didn't get serious until
he began dating me when l was
IA"
Serious courting in the ole
days meant Sunday night walks
around Wanchese to the light
of full moon and an accordion
Tink was always good with ar
accordian." Mrs. 1illett is still
good with ballad, but modesty
prevents her from doing more
than giving a few lines of the
first song she ever learned call
ed Sailor Boy:
"Was on a dark and stormy
: night
So cod the wind did blow,
When a pool sailor boy
Came to a lady's door
A setting at her window
He lifted his eyes with joy
Said for the Lords sake,
Some pity take
On the poor little sailor
boy
AS a young girl, Aunt LEAFS
life was filled with countless
hours of net-hanging and net
recommend to a softer genera,
tion. There was little pay, 2s
tieing, practice she doesn't
. cents per day, and it was back
breaking work. "In those days
everybody worked" "We just
didn't have much entertainment
as you say"
She and Tink would spenc
what free time they had, on Sun
days, going to church and taking
walks at night to the wharf. Or
! holidays there were square dane
es at "The Hammock" the ole
Polly Morris Farm. But it wasn't
old then and the lanterns glow
: fell on young eyes, the fiddle's
stroke on young ears and eager
hearts, reacted in the same time
less way.
Aunt Eleazor's wedding day
was the biggest event of he
life. The older folks still tall
about it at Wanchese. "The!
must have cooked for a week,
she confessors. After the cere
mony there was feast of pig
beef, pies, cakes, relishes
everything. The brides fathe
opened his house at dark AM
the shuffling strains of squar
dance continued until the we
hours. ''Then we just move,
into a room at the house afte
, the party and lived together un
til Tink died"
Mr.. Tillett passed away il
1941 after seeing his famil
grow into the fourth genera
tion. Aunt Eleazor misses hin
: but she mentions Tink in sue
y musical way that you expec
y him to walk in from the next
= room at any minute.
n Aunt Leaz now spends he
0 time surrounded by adoring XII
n who gather around when she be
S gins to tell of how it was bac
= then before the lights, tn
phones, the automobiles, the bi
n bomb and the man in orbit.
't Aunt Leaz has never riddle
/ in an airplane and doesn't car
n to; she doesn't think men shoul
e invade space because space
e "God's work and we don't hav
II anything to do with it."
e Aunt Leaz doesn't have a IL