Year: 1875

Nearly all the roses in Massachusetts,
are born in June, but Wild, the little
daughter of John Rose, was born in
December, and on Cape Cod, too.


Well, on Cape Cod, rs I said, Wild
Rose was born but that was twelve
years ago, so, this last December, was
celebrated her twelfth birthday. 1t
wasn't much of a celebration, to be sure,
for there weren't many persons to cele-
brate it-only Mrs. Rose and JOHNNY,
and Wild herself, for Captain Rose was
gone on a fishing trip.


At tea that night there was upon the
table big load of ginger er-cake-frosted,
too-and around about it-not on it,
mind you-twelve small tallow candles.
3'Twelve dips" Johnny said, "that
made as much light as the Highland it
self. :" And johnny ought to know, for
the keeper of Cape Cod light is great
friend of Johnny's and often in summer
lets the lad go up with him to see him
"ight up"


This Highland light stands out on the
bleak cape, and is oftentimes the first
light that greets the sight of seamen
when approaching the coast of New Eng
land from over the Atlantic ocean.


Even in summer the wind blows so
hard ct the Highland that it blows the
wings of young turkeys over their heads,
and in winter it blows nobody knows
how hard.


1 am quite certain you never saw a
home like Wild Roses home. It is hid
den away in the very bottom of a big
hollow in the sand, and is protected on
all sides by high fence to keep the
sand from covering it up. In the first
place the house had been built upon
spiles driven into the sand, but the
fence was afterwards added, and outside
OF the fence was a barricade of seaweed.
Over the stills, fence, sea-weed and all
was the fisherman's cabin, as snug and
warm and comfortable rs anywhere on
Cape Cod could be. Not far away on
the Atlantic coast was charity house,
not poorhouse where poor folks could
go and live when they hadn't anywhere
else to live, but rude room, inclosed
by rude outside, into which q poor
shlpwrecked mariner might crawl and
possibly keep himself from freezing to
death until help should arrive. Wood
and matches and straw are supposed to
be kept in every charity house along the
coast.


Johnny Rose was two years younger
than his only sister Wild, but ten
year-old lad on Cape Cod knows more of
the sea and ships and fishing than the
wisest grown-up man in the world who
lives inland.


The Little Katie was Captain Roses
fishing schooner, and the Little Katie
was frozen fast i'll the ice right in sight
from the land up the bank above the
cabin. Two weeks passed by and still
the ice held the fishing boats and would
not let them go. Stout little steam tugs
went rasping away with firm bows and
good intent at the ice day after day in
order to break it up and tow the boats
out of danger, but the cold came down
stronger than ever and knit the ice
cakes firmer and frmer. Every day,
Johnny, bundled up until he looked like
I don't know what. made the toilsome
journey over to the Highland to look
through the "glass' at his fathers
schooner, and, every night for two
weeks, with q face on fire from the fric-
tion of the wind, he came back with the
good news, "No signal up yet"


"No signal mp yet meant that there
was still something left to eat and wood
to burn on the Little Katie, and hopes
also of getting free of the ice without
sinking.


Now and then neighhor came down
into the hollow and walked in without
knocking at the cabin door, to inquire
how Mrs. Rose was getting on, and to
say yet again: "Cape Cod has seen
harder times than this, Mrs. Rose.
Keep up stout heart, and we'll have
the fleet safe into Providence harbor be-
fore many days" And then Mrs. Rose
would put on bright look and say, in a
CHEEKY voice, "Oh, I hope so," but in
her heart she feared all things, for did
she not know that every dwelling