Year: 1876

Wild Rose of Cape Cod.


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


All, what a struggle it is to live at all
on Cape Cod In December! You have
only narrow strip Of sand to cling to,
and the Atlantic ocean (even when it is
net in a great rage) clutches away with
one single wave of its watery hand an
acre or two of sand, while the cold wa
ters of Cape Cod bay sweep right In on
the other side, within sight, too; the
arm of sand is so thin and worn and
wasted away. Look on your map at the
state of Massachusetts,, and see if / am
not right about it.


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


At tea, that night, there was upon
the table a big loaf Of ginger e
frosted" too-and around about it
not on il, mind you-twelve small tai
low candles. "Twelve Dips" Johnny
said. ''that made as much light as the
Highland ITSELF" 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 60 up with
him to see him slight 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
England from over the Atlantic ocean.


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


I'm quite certain that you have never
seen home like Wild Roses home. 1t
is hidden 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
piles driven into the sand. but the fence
was afterward added, and outside of the
fence was a barricade Of seaweed. Over
the stills, fence, seaweed, and all, was
the fisherman's cabin, as snug and warm
and comfortable as anything on Cape
Cod could be. Not far away, on the
Atlantic coast, was a charity house, not
"poor-house," where poor folks could
go and live when they hadn't anywhere
else to live, but a rude room, inclosed
by rude outside, into which poor
shipwrecked mariner might crawl and
possibly save himself from freezing to
death until death 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 l0-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 in the ice more than six
weeks ago. right in sight from the land
I'D the bank above the cabin. Two
weeks passed by, and still the ice held
the fishing-boats and would not let
them 90. Stout little steam-tugs went
rasping away with firm bows and good
intent at the ice day after day in order
TO break ii up and tow the boats out Of
danger. but the cold came down stronger
than ever and knit the ice cakes firmer
and firmer. Every day, Johnny, bum
died up until he looked like l 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 a
face on fire from the friction OF the
wind, he came back with the good news,
mo signal up yet"


No signal up yet meant that there
were still something left TO eat and wood
to burn on the Little Katie, and hope
also of getting free from the ice without
sinking.


Now and then neighbor came down
into the hollow and walked right 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 a stout heart, and we'll have
the fleet safe into Providence harbor
before many days" And then Mrs.
Rose would put out q bright look and
say, in CHEEKY voice, '.Oh, l hope 30,
but in her heart she feared all things,
for did she not know that every DWELL
ing on Cape Cod had Its widow. sooner
or later?