Chapter VIII

WINTHROP O LD AND N E W

R V P Y G O F E ERE , THE LA ROUND

B O ST O N

THE FORGOTTEN CITY O F LY NN

Y GOLDEN DA S IN NAH ANT .

SALEM . QUAINT MARB LEHEAD THE WIN GS O F A N E W MORN

IN G

F B E T H Chapter VIII . T H E A S H I O N A L N O R

SHORE .

G C T —F A D Chapter I! . LOU ES ER LOOD TIDE N

E B B

A DESERTED VILLA GE THE ROMANC E O F RO CKF O RT AN ANNISQUAM GARDEN E C CLE SIASTI CAL I PSWI CH TH E WHITTIER C OUNTRY CHARMIN G O LD N EWB URYP ORT

iii Win throp Highlan ds T h o se ch aract eri st i c b each es and bluffs and ro cks c o mme n c e h ere in ful l loveli n ess.

D n e Winthro H ouse at Re ere The ea p , v i i O n e of th e si x olde st build n gs n N e w Englan d .

Built by t he capt ai n of t h e M ayﬂower .

Revere

W ith it s an st an s and sc en i c rai wa s i ts merr b d d , l y , y - - h - s g o rounds an d Io op t e loop .

Th e Playgroun d of Boston i h Here th e ci ty dwellers c ome n t ousan ds.

t L nn o k a . High R c , y

Th at cliﬁ of dull red p orp hry aﬂordi ng a vi ew n ot p arallelled on t h e N ew Englan d coast .

N ahant

Its wild an d t att ered co ast line unmist akable for mil es around .

‘ n a es I he H ouse of Seve G bl .

ale m i s ri ch i n awth orn e memoria s and th e S H l , House of S even G ables i s exq ui si t ely p rese rve d .

T m u to m House he Sale C s .

W hi ch faces t he wh arves whi ch on ce received a n e y early imp ort worth in duti es alo .

O ld T ucker Wh arf at Marbleh ead

An ab olish ed Lan dmark whi ch on ce st oo d at th e r p resent fer y lan ding . — ILLUSTRATIONS Con ti nued

n a in M r head Bar eg t a ble .

Wh ere n ot ori o s i rat e st al e th e st reet s an d u s k d , smugg lin g was in ( Pulged In as a legi timat e occupa

ti on .

n r The Wi gs of a N ew Mo ning .

W h ere two hun dred years ag o men were h anged for h r ﬂ i n i Wit c c a t machi n es n ow c rc e ree . f , y g l f ly

Twentieth C entury Progress in Seventeenth C entury Settin g .

Far out o ver th e h arbor th e ﬂight of an avi ato r ab ove t h e i rregul ar outlin e of t h e N ew England

coast .

The Fashionable N orth Shore

T h e Nort h Sh ore of hi gh st eppin h orses an d smartly p aint ed t rap s: of hun ti ng cgnb s and polo m s po e .

Gloucester H arbor

From whi ch a fleet of t wo hundred fishi ng schoon ers goes to t h e Grand B anks. Fishing Racks at Gloucester — T h e sme of fish and sa t curi ous i n escri a e ll l , d b bl ,

oi en etrat es G oucester own . ly , p l T

A D eserted Village

An o im ressi e s ot re ea in n o t race of the ddly p v p , v l g h i h r e i hundred fami li es w o l ved e e two c ntur es ag o .

Rockport Harbor

e se ent th ousan esse s an nua it is Pass d by v y d v l lly , n h x l e h r n ever i ce boun d a d as e ce l nt oldi ng g ound .

r Rockpo rt Quar y Sheds.

The re are more th an six hundred acres of q uarry an ﬁnishin cuttin an d o ishi n sh e s In Roc l d , g , g p l g d k r po t .

Anni squam

T o t h e west across t h e wate r swell the whi te irreg ular san d dun es of Ipsm ch . ILLUSTRATIO NSf Can tinued

In an Annisquam Garden

A s10 e o f ree t r t he asant oo of a ho use p g n u f , ple r f ’ h al wa own th e c iff and far e ow the cal m of f y d l , b l , h Ipswi c B ay .

The First Church at Ispwi ch “

ee tin h o se en hi ch h s o e a c rch for M g u gre , w a b rn hu ' near t hr ee h n re ears i s the m o ic center ly u d d y , sy b l

of th e t own .

’ Whittier s House at Amesbury

An o r i nar uil in int eresti n on ecause of i ts d y b d g , g ly b

associ ations.

’ Whittier s Birthplace at H averhill

T h e square h ouse in whi ch W hi tti er was born in r h 1 807 was built by his great g an dfat er ui 1 688 .

T e i B r r h Cha n ridge at N ewbu ypo t .

S armi ng th e Me rrimac b et ween Amesbury and ’’ ' w r r arri et resco o il rd h e e bu ypo t . H P tt Sp o s ous is vi sible i n the background . Of all the thousands of miles of our inspiring coast

e e e er r r r r lin , ast and w st th e is no pa t mo e ich in o

e e r manc , mor throbbing with l egendary and histo ical h associations than t e North Shore of N ew England .

Try to imagine the story of the early colonists ; the growth of architecture and literature and religion in

this country except against this background . It is ? impossible So much that is of p ermanent value in the poetry and prose of America has its roots in this region : so many profoundly signiﬁcant events of our

e e e e ere national and social lif have d v lop d h , that no

American Who has not at least knocked at th e door of this tre asure house is prop erly e ducate d in the pat riotic sense Much has b een written about th e North

new n ew e Shore , but each comer ﬁnds a messag and yields to a spell that can never pall .

CHAPTER I

W INTHROP O L D AN D N E W

Those visitors to N ew England who have set forth upon the pl e asurable task of exploring the historic and beautiful North Shore must surely b egin at Win

hr th e es s e t op , which is small t town in Mas achus tts — one and Sixth tenths square miles and boasts no less

r than nine railway stations in its limit e d a e a . For it

’ the s e e s s s r s is one of mo t conv ni nt of Bo ton ubu b , and

’ s s e res e most popular of Boston umm r orts , and thos

e es characteristic b ach and bluffs and rocks , which stretch and curve and tumble down past N ewbury * e e ere e e ss. port , comm nc h in full lov lin

s r er Beside its thriving umme and wint population ,

ﬁn e es re s ee . Winthrop has many old hous , st et and tr s

* n e o h e e st achi e A loveli ne ss t h at h as n ot escap e d the p oet s. O f t b ev n i i n n 1 me ts s g ve o p age 63 .

WINTHROP OLD AN D N E W

On the south side of a hill still stand a few reminders of the great sassafras grove which once furnishe d sassafras root to London at forty c ents a pound! But the uniqu e possession of th e town is th e D e ane Win — throp House one of the six oldest dwellings in N ew

was a . e e England It built by C ptain William Pi rc , who was commander of th e Mayﬂower and of se v eral other ve ssels which b rought Plymouth and Massa

s s er r he r chusetts Bay coloni t ov f om t oth e side . And

as e e r it w bought by D an Winth op , Sixth and youngest son rs e r r er on e of the ﬁ t Gov rno , a fa m and a good ,

e er ese s r er who liv d und th tu dy timb s until 1 703 .

s e e e re ser e Sub tantial , plain and xc ll ntly p v d it looks

forth without re sentment upon th e twentieth c entury

s s r e e agitation of boy couts and ca ual tou ists , n rgetic

inhabitants and annual summer inﬂux which ﬂood the

he e e es ere streets of t onc s qu t d village . Around it are

playgrounds and parks and club house s: th ere are two

r e th e e e er e ﬁ e fo ts own d by Unit d Stat s Gov nm nt , v

re e r yacht clubs and mo automobil s than ho ses. But

within the rooms of th e Slowly Settling cottage the

re re es the e e r h g at brick ﬁ plac , wid pin boa ds and t e

oake n b e ams brac e th emselves for another three

hundr e d changeless years.

The Winthrop Historical and Improvement Asso

3 THE RO MANTI C SHORE

cia io n has the e r t bought plac , and ca efully preserv e d

e e thos relics and data which t stify to its heritage .

e r rr e You may , if you wish , st p unde the na ow littl

rs ee e e e r re ess front stai into a d p , clos ly conc al d b ick c , whose original purpose has long sinc e b een abandone d

ere h e and is now forgotten . Standing th in t cool darkness you try to imagine for j ust what mysterious use this elaborate cubby hol e was int ende d . Was it a smoke house for hams? Was it a hiding plac e for priests who were violating that severe law which for bade them to minister? There is more than on e such refuge in guileless looking N ew England farmhouses :

e er s s ses on e e er r how v , u ually in uch ca could nt f om i im h re e is r e ere . s t e ﬁ plac , which not t u h It not probable that it was int ende d as a place to prote ct women and children if the house should b e attacke d

e s e r s by Indians , although it s em almost too n a Bo ton

e we e er for that . W ll , Shall n v know , and it will stand there with its secret locked by a rude latch until th e ye ars which will crumbl e its ne wer and more pre

A we s e i r e s . S tentious ne ghbors will c umbl it , al o t p out of th e b ricke d re cess and walk about through th e littl e cottage with its low ce ilings and narrow doo rs and curiously arche d support of th e chimn ey ﬁ visible — from the cell ar we hav e to force o ur imaginations to

4 WINTHROP OLD AND NEW

re er r e s pictu Gov no Jam Bowdoin , Lady Elizabeth

r r Te mpl e and Rob e t C . Winth op who all live d here in

r e n r r tu n in cont ntment a d esteem . O u dignita ies of

r fﬁ n today would ha dly ﬁnd it su cie t . - The whistle of th e narrow gauge train stopping at on e its e s s th e e n es se of nin tation , w lcomi g voic of tho “ ” who hav e down to see it come in and th e sigh of e e th e s n ess men e r r e r r li f with which bu i , w a y f om th i

the s e s e off f the e dav in t aming city, t p and whi f cl an

e re us we are er er oc an air , mind that in a v y mod n

Th : h r suburb . e automobil es chug off t e t ain pulls out : the last stra ggl er dire cts his steps toward home

r hi r r s r thinking g atefully of s salt wat e dip b efo e upp e .

O ur eyes turn onc e more toward that survivor of — another age and time standin g pati ently like some hal e old man who watches th e racing and romping of his grandchildren and great - grandchildren with an

in hi indulgent smil e about his b earde d lip s. But s eyes there is the loneliness of on e who has outlive d his

e er an d is he g n ation , waiting , uncomplainingly until ,

b e e e . too , may allow d to d part CHAPTER II — REV E RE THE PLAY GROU ND OF B O STON

There is no more p erfe ct b e ach in all th e world than

ﬁrm e s e e s re e e s en that whit w p of and th mil in l gth ,

i r r s e e e e . n r n which call d R v O igi ally a pa t of Ly n , it

r e res e e e e s cu v s in a c c nt b tw n Winthrop and Saugu ,

i e r r s e e . and acc ssibl by t ain , by t oll y and by boat And here th e city dwell ers come in thousands and thou

was th e er sands . numb for o n e hot day in

e ﬂ h e June . Th y ock to t bath houses and swarm

e the e re out ov r b ach ; child n , mammas and papas older sisters and rollicking lovers: pal e clerks from the city and tanne d lads from the country : s erious fac e d coupl es whose hoarde d scanty savings are barely sufﬁcient to cover their car fare and a side Show :

6 REVERE prodigal young society b ell es and b eaux who hav e run

r th e e e re s r r th ough gai ti s of mo fa hionabl e eso ts.

Automobiles come te aring down from town with hilarious cargoe s : the troll eys ﬂing forth a n ew crowd e v ery ﬁve minutes: the excursion boat from Nahant r e the e it s h g oans und r w ight of passengers . And t e

e e th e es r e smooth blu wat r and whit t , ha d st of sands

e e re r s welcom th m all with g ga ious ho pitality .

There are bandstands and pavilions at Re v ere there are gall eries where on e may hav e three shots at a

e for e s e s es bobbing wood n duck a nick l , and id walk“tov r r r r r wh ere hot frankfu te s a e fo eve Sizzling . Won ” — — l d the e s is here raisin der an Con y Island of Bo ton , g “ ” its fantastic structure of painte d Scenic Railway and “ ” itsperilous framework of Loop - th e- Loop against the

I ce e e s er ff faultless sky . cr am con s and alt wat ta y

ﬁsh chowders and p e anuts: soft drinks and pop -corn — are p erp etually on the menu of those street shop s

r r are s r . whe e idling , laughing g oups t olling Within “ ” the conﬁne s of Wonderland all those delights which hav e b een concocte d to rouse th e j ade d senses are in full ferment : upholstere d chariots which lift you with a horribl e rotary motion above the scre aming e arth : “ — ” Shoot- the shoots which whirl you through the air

REVERE with si cken ing v elo city : ﬂoors that wobbl e under your feet and ﬁre works that danc e b efore your eyes: and h everywhere t e din of excite d hum anity . You may b e scornful of these garish p“l e asures and h - formulate sup ercilious re marks about t e hoi polloi .

But th e hoi - polloi is wiser than you : it re aliz es that this pl a c e h as b een set aside for its esp e cial amusement and it intends to amuse itself here as blatantly as it i e ses. e ere s s e r e pl a And , aft r all , th om thing ath r magniﬁc ent in the Sight of these thousands and thou sands of men and women out for a few hours of re

The r e e b cre ation . tou ist in Rom d mands to e Shown ? the Coliseum . Why Not merely b e cause of its

r e r e res e a se its re a chit ctu al f atu , but b c u ba and Shat t ere d Shell still b ears mute witness to the huge mob s

sse e ere e H that once a mbl d th to mak a holiday . e who is se eking to re construct th e meaning of th e

e es re se the V i e s the Colis um tri to pictu to him lf vidn s ,

— h s se roar t e cru h and impul of that mob . History is no longer deﬁne d as th e re cital of the de eds of kings : it is re cogniz e d as th e story and the temper of the p eopl e : what they wante d : the way they worke d : how they enj oye d themselves: the obj e cts for which they were willing to exert themselves : the ide als

9 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

which app e aled to them . And one phase of the de velopmen t of the Unite d States is exempliﬁe d more complete ly by a place like Revere than by all the he avy e conomic tome s that were ever shelve d in the re cesses

r of a libra y .

e mul i udi us Stand now , and surv y this t t o throng of — re d e e ers e e s r capp d , l aping bath th ir l g and a ms twinking against the white background of inﬁnite se a e e the , th ir shrill cri s mingling with strains of popular music and the rhythm of the oce an! Yes

’ N ew r r re this is part of England s histo ic No th Sho , and as a part it infuses its tinge of color into the com h posite picture of t e whole . We must not l e ave Revere without taking on e

h A he s glimpse of it from t e re ar. S t train whirl down toward Lynn and Sal e m we may see from the car

h s r er se window t e most ab u d conglom ation of hou s ,

e e e er acco mo dat e d sh ds , huts and shanti s that v a che erful and promiscuous summer colony . Small

s e er e shack with larg piazzas , and small on s with no

— - piazzas at all : one- story one room ediﬁces of tar pap er and clapboards : Shelters improvise d from discarde d e lectric cars and ancie nt piano boxe s : buildings that once were house s and are now sliced in two or patche d — together bedecked with baby carriages and scatter

1 0

CHAPTER III

THE FORG OTTEN CITY OF LY NN

The s ra er ss r s t ng pa ing th ough Lynn , con cious only

c es r s e s r e an of fa tori and ailway , automobil , t o ll ys d j itneys and all the insignia of a modern industrial metropolis i s not surprise d to b e told th at this is th e third city in Massachuse tts in v alue of manufacture d

’ products and the le ading c e nter for women s shoes

h r r he . e r se e er s in t world But is su p i d to h a , p hap ,

e e s r - n e e that und rn ath thi b ick bou d , t ming city

e e e er s r e e on e th r li s anoth city , almo t fo gott n , lik of those dim churches into which th e curious may p enetrate burie d b ene ath a superstructure of modern

s er i s th e n or me die val Rome . Thi oth Lynn Ly n of the long silver b e ach : of storie d gl ens and rocks : of le afy shelters and dee p woods into which no sound of

e ere the Shoe making has ever p enetrat d , and wh

1 2 FORGOTTEN CITY OF LYNN e choes of crude colonial life still linger like the faint sounds of that ancie nt obliterate d church above which

h e r h b eat t th ob of a thousand un con ci o us fe et . T e

ﬁrst settlers came here from Sal e m in 1 629 and they — change d th e Indian name of Saugus which me ant

o r ex e e was s es e the r ﬂat t nd d , and ugg t d by b oad salt

’ rs es- s r e ma h to Lynn , or King Lynn , f om Lynn R gis — in England . For a long time Lynn o r Saugus

e s L nnﬁeld includ d Swamp cott , y and Nahant , but now th e old name is only l eft to the river and fragment of th e r n rr r o igi al te ito y . H e would se e this old Lynn must not content him self with glancing at the store houses and machine

s or e e e e e r Shop , v n at thos sp cim ns of colonial a chi te cture which survive here as in all N ew England

s — towns , but mu t ﬁnd his way to High Rock that

if r d r r e cl f of dull e po phy y within the city limits , topp d with a tower which is to Lynn what the Citadel is to

he Quebec . From it one looks down and out upon t

e r r e w e kingdom of a th , ci cl d ith its Shining beach s and

w e the distant to ns and happy m adows , and up into kingdom of he ave n springing from the inﬁnite rim of

i s e e N ew the oc e an . It a V i w not parallell d on the Eng * — re land coast . He on High Rock which will remain fore v er unchange d in the ﬂux of man- made changes

* ’ i Eli z abet h M errill s p oe m i s a ple asant assi stan ce t o a more nt elligent

a e 1 65. appre ci ati on of t he sp ot . P g 1 3 THE ROMANTIC SHORE one can most e asily le ave modern Lynn and take the h first step back into t e shadows of Saugus . P erhaps the first figure he will encounter on such a

e be er—She j ourn y will Moll Pitch who , when this

ff e cli was a lonely and isolated spot , liv d at its foot

ﬁ e e s for fty years and told fortun s , quit imply and with

the e the e e a terrible surety to cultivat d and int llig nt ,

e e e r e her who made sp cial and cland stin pilg imag s to ,

e e as w ll as to the ignorant sailor lads who cam , half in

e e e fun and half in sup rstition , wh n th ir ships cast

r Sh e anchor in Saugus Ha bor . made no explanation — of her gift which was not a vulgar fakerism but an — inexplicable psychic power and neither her own generation nor those that followe d have made any h h e . t e er d nial of it She held Fate in hollow of hand ,

e the and, gazing through the ﬂimsy mortal fram into

e e e past and futur , dir ct d Ships to far ports or foul de

e e e cay , and pr dicted disast rs and triumphs that cam to

e e r e . e e pass ten and tw nty y a s lat r Po ms , stori s and

e ee r e e articles hav b n w itt n about Moll Pitch r , but no on e has ever discredite d the secret or the sinc erity of

h r e occultism .

The stranger in Lynn must also go back to those

unspoile d primeval forests broken by cliffs from which

the one may see the summer colony of Swampscott ,

1 4 FORGOTTEN CITY OF LYNN

ere r s e the e r splint d spu s of Phillip H ad , p ninsula — of Nahant and the houses of Lyn nﬁeld the modern h h divisions of t e ancient Saugus. In t e he art of these

s are e s r es re e r wood gl n and avin , dol nt with histo ic tale s of pirates and witches and trampling horse men and charme d circles . Captain Kidd l eft some — burie d tre asure on th e Point of Pines rubie s as big

’ s e r as a hen s egg and trings of p arls a ya d long . And

r ere the they a e th today , no doubt , waiting magic

e e e r er e e s key of a tw nti th c ntu y Rob t Louis St v n on . For what more thrilling plot for a Treasure Island could Rob ert Louis Stevenson have desire d than the ’ — story of Pirate s Glen and Dunge on Rock known to every child of Lynn and gravely accepted as part of the

’ town s history?

It b egan on a summer evening in the middle of the seventee nth c entury when a small and unknown bark crept up the Saugus River and cast anchor in

The e e e un Saugus Harbor . p opl of Lynn view d it

re e s r e e asily , for c dulity r garding gho ts and pi at s and witches was not conﬁne d to the nursery in those days .

n e e e A boatload of me land d and disapp ar d , and the

e r next morning the ship also had vanishe d . T r or fell

h e eme es e e e on t e little s ttl nt , p cially wh n it b came noise d about that a note had been left on the anvil of

1 5 — Hi h Rock that c iff of du red or h r marke d b a t g l ll p p y y , y ower which affords a iew not ara el ed on the N ew E n an d c v p ll l gl oast . FORGOTTEN CITY OF LYNN

r the village blacksmith , p omising that if he would bring a c ertain number of shackles and handcuffs to a remo t e and woode d spot he would ﬁnd awaiting him

e h ’ their w ight in gold . T e blacksmith s love of lucre

e e e r the e ov rcam his f a of d vil . H e carrie d the

e ff the e shackl s and handcu s to appoint d spot , l eft

e th e e er e . e th m and scoop d in glitt ing pil Th n , half

s e the men e e the fear om ly , b gan to s arch woods , leav ing the women to scan the se as for the Sight of a skull

e the sk and cross bon s against y . But the uninvited

e e was gue sts had d part d , and it not until some month s later that it was discovere d that th ey had again re

s r e ‘ turned , thi time b inging with th m a beautiful

e e e r woman . Th y s lect d a nar ow valley shut in on

e s r two sides by pr cipitous rock , f om which they could

V e sea e command a i w of the , and scr ened by a thick undergrowth of evergreen by which they were com

r pletely hidden . Du ing that winter the simple folk of e e e the e e Lynn oft n sp culat d about myst rious gl n ,

e the r was r and wh n , in Sp ing , it umore d that the b e autiful woman had die d and was burie d ne ar the

e er r er the ers r e treasure , a l ad , b av than oth , o ganiz d a

e th e e ers re ee band , hunt d out vil do , captu d thr of them and sent them to England where they were — ’ promptly hung this b eing during England s gibbet

1 7 THE RO MANTIC SHORE

e . O ne e e craz scap d , and a littl e lat er wandere d back h to t e gl en . H e was a Shoe maker and practise d his

r e r ess the s t ad ha ml ly in wood , coming to town occ a i ll S ona y . There se ems to h ave b e en no complain t against him : he ne ith er adde d to n o r subtra cte d from th e e s r ill gott n booty , but imply live d with it . The e

- ere es rse . a x r w tal , of cou Why not , with n e pi ate for a neighbor? Whether Lynn would h av e b e en content to let him stay on unmol este d will never b e

for e e ere e er n e r known , whil th y w d lib ati g , an a th

u the a r n n quake shook p town in an la mi g fashio .

When it came to its senses an d took account of stock

’ it found that the entire fac e of the rock in the Pirate s

ee s off the ex- r e Gl en had b n plit , and that pi at and the tre asure we re entomb e d within .

After this Lynn remaine d apparently unconc erne d

’ about the Pirat e s Rock until a good many ye ars

e r e re e s r e later wh n Hi am Marbl , di ct d by a pi it m dium , de cide d to se arch for the tre asure which had b e e n

h as a e close d by t e e arthquake doors. It w c ll d

e r r e Dung on Rock now , and Hi am wo k d long and

ﬁercely to excavate a way through a mass of porphyry

r as h s r e h ad as ha d adamant . But t e pi it m dium se roﬁtless se for h e e e nt him on a p cha , di d , lik many

er see His son the anoth king but not ﬁnding . took up

1 8

THE ROMANTIC SHORE

squaw of the noble Winn epurkit and not the daughter

the s h of famous Pas aconaway . T e wrangl e continue d for some time : the father was p erfe ctly willing to kee p his daughter but his dignity forbade him to b e stow her e the s e h twic in am grande ur . T e hu sband wante d his squaw but his reputation forbade his sending for

e what was alr ady his own . And whil e the two

e e e e th e e chi fs quarr ll d int rminably , littl wife hung

ee e on e h dangling betw n th m , until night S e loose d a

’ ﬂe d th e r er h r r canoe and down iv to e husband s t ib e .

e e e e osse But only the brok n cano , mpty and wav t d, h re ache d Saugus t e following night .

e e the e e e e se B sid s arly tradition , th r is anoth r pha

’ b e e r e of Lynn s history which will always m mo abl , and that was in the e arly days of its Sho emaking b efore the trade had become specializ e d as it is today . Then

e r everybody made shoes or parts of th m . P actically all the wome n and girls of the community stitch e d

e e e and bound in th ir odd minut s at hom , making a

e r h m n r e the littl ext a pin money . T e e who wo k d in

s e re e e e s small hops wer intelligent and sp ct d citiz n , who ke pt their wits sharp ene d by having some one rea d the e n wspaper aloud to them as they worke d . Many of the note d men of that day and region passe d an

re ree app nticeship at the Lynn sho e b ench . John G n

20 FORGOTTEN CITY OF LYNN

e one rr s le af Whitti r was , and William Lloyd Ga i on

er . was on e e str es was anoth It of thos informal indu i , comparable to cranb erryin g on Cap e Cod a de cade — e e er er e re ago wh n v ybody fath , moth r and child n and — grandchildren all went out to pick on the bogs in cran

rr se s e r e s an d b e y a on , taking th i lunch on , picnic fa hion , r s r n th e e f s t an fo mi g whol a fair into a ort of sociable .

This friendly and ge nteel activity was characteri cti c

the se e e re 1 852 of Lynn until wing machin app a d in , and ten ye ars later ste am power was applie d to

e e e e . machinery . Th n v rything chang d Factories

r e e e s s e and facto y conditions b cam tabli h d, and the — huge sho e industry of Lynn which today has an

— r annual payroll of was bo n . It is Lucy

“ ’ ’ Larcom s ballad of Hannah s at th e Window Binding ” es e r Shoes that b t crystalliz s , in a fo m which will

e e er N ew s r th e always ﬁll a pag of v y England hi to y , spirit of a time when th ere was c ertain idyllic touch

r to th e home industries of this count y . This old Lynn of romance and legend and de mo c ratic simplicity seems at ﬁrst glance incalculably remove d from modern Lynn with its ﬁfty churches and seven the atres and it s myriad compl exities of

se e r e the e urban life . But to tho who lik to t ac bl nd

the n ew e e e ing of the old and , th r is a p culiar satis

21 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

e e r r e s e faction in that magniﬁc nt boul v a d , cu ving b id

h r t e oc e an for two long and p e fe ct mile s . This

e r e e s r er shor d iv , with automobil whi ling ov it and a throng of p e ople constantly moving up and down th e wide promenade is a ribbon that binds th e past with the r r i h e r es r e . Fo e s t p es nt aft all , it not facto i and hospital s and posto fﬁce s that make Lynn : it is th e

- e a er the s r age old oc an th t , long aft la t facto y has

r e e s th e s er e as c umbl d , will b at again t long ilv b ach it

Th e did b efore th e ﬁrst whit e men set foot upon it .

the s the r e re are the sky , wood and incompa abl Sho

Lynn that is n e ithe r ancie nt n or modern but of all time .

Such ﬂying reﬂe ctions glanc e through the mind as one skims along th e boulevard to Swamp scott and

* Salem .

* ’ i i o f h Lon gf ellow s B ells of Lynn h ave admi rably caug ht t he sp r t t e

l i . Lynn of al t me P age 1 6 7 .

22 CHAPTER IV

G OL D EN DAY S IN NAHANT

ah ant was the e e s er re s r N , which ﬁrst g nuin umm o t

n the N ew s s r s o England coa t , maintain a g aciou

s e a s ar n its re s p re stige to thi day , z lou ly gu di g two t a

— r n r e r in ure s a st iki g natu al b auty , and a histo y of

r ﬁnite ly varie d ch a m .

l re d e s r e th e The emb ou de p nin ula , attach d to

rr es e s e rs e mainland by th e na ow t of n ck , r a its lf — abruptly frOm th e se a it s wild and tattere d co ast lin e unmistakable from th e oc e an or the high in land

so s so hills for mil es around . It is con picuous and superbly bold that it is delightfully e asy to acc ept the

23 THE ROMANTIC SHORE — tradition that the Vikings onc e lande d here not — coming from Lynn by trolley as We do today but

gliding up in their long boats to on e of the little cove s

sheltere d by splen de d spurs of rock quite precipitous

e e the s e nough to app al to mo t intr pid of Norsemen .

We cannot verify the exact spot where Thorwald

e was e anchor d , attack d by natives kille d and burie d — , e e e — for , aft r all , a saga is not a Ba dek r but , never

thele ss ee e s , it s ms wholly r a onable to believe that the “ ” e e the e e rocky promontory , m ntion d in anci nt l gend ,

e e e h was Nahant , and to b li v that t e dust of the ﬁrst

e our r e set adv nturer of ac to foot on this soil , still

we re mingles with the earth t ad today .

e e s e e Five hundr d y ars pa s d , and th n the Cabots on a voyage of discovery took cognizanc e of the

e : e e r plac hardy ﬁsh rm n f om England and Brittany ,

e e : seeking Eldorado , m ntion d it Captain John Smith

th e Gosn ld include d it in his map of coast , and o and

e his companions , going back to England aft r a winter

e at Cuttyhunk , took back d scriptions that might have given Shakespeare his inspiration for the setting of ” The Tempest .

O ne hundre d and twenty-ﬁve ye ars after the Cabots had come on their brief exploring expe dition the May

e in ﬂower weigh d anchor Plymouth Harbor , and a

24 GOLDEN DAYS IN NAHANT

ﬁshing station at Cap e Ann wase stablished . And then

1 34 e e r e on e se s in 6 , Thomas D xt r d ov of tho da hing

r e o r e r ba gains which illuminat u a ly colonial re cords.

He bought Nahant from the Indians for a suit of old

r r clothe s. Fo a good many ye a s after this it was held

h r by t e Lynn settle s as pasture land . As William

e er the rs e e h as succintl Wood , a m “mb of ﬁ t s ttl ment y e e is e e xplain d , It us d to put young cattl in , and

er es s e e e e r woolve we ath goat and win , to s cur th m f om s.

A few posts and rayles across the narrow ne cke ” h w olves kee es the keepes out t e o and p in cattle . It was at this time that land was offere d free to any

er e the res one who would both to cl ar it , with ult that ,

r s e he rees ere in true Ame ican tyl , t t w promptly

r e ee levele d to the g ound , and what had onc b n a he avily woode d place b e cam e so barren that ye ars

e e e e s e re later , wh n p opl b gan to con ider it a summ r

e er s s e rees b e e sort , s v al thou and had t had to plant d But in spite of mo st careful forestry Nahant will — never b e wooded again that ﬁrst ruthl ess b e ginning h as left an everlasting wake of b arren ess. During all the s eventeenth c entury this unparallelle d bit of shore and greenery was considere d only as a ﬁsh ing place o r a woodlot to furnish fuel to Lynn and Bos

th e e th e e ton . It was not until b ginning of nin teenth

25 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

e e r its rese c ntury that it cam g adually into p nt use .

And yet this complete disregard fo r a plac e which would have b ee n crowde d with tourists had it b e en situate d on th e Me diterrane an is quite under st an dable whe n we rememb er what hard working and

e e e ere r e h r m agr liv s w fo c d upon t e e a ly colonists.

They had neither time n or money for re cre ation :

r was s an d e x n r t avel low imm nsely e p e siv e . It ne v e occurre d to a family in ordinary circumstanc es to take a little trip to th e se aside or sp end the summ er

h r months at t e sho e .

After the Revolutionary War the country re

ere r its e s er e ere cov d f om xhau tion , and comm c gath d to itself and diffuse d from itself a n ew life : ships from

e s e er th e r r e Sal m and Bo ton w nt all ov wo ld , fo tun s

e e s s — ere e many of th m xi ting to thi day w mad . And with th e fortunes came th e desire and opportunity

r n e e : for relaxation . Nahant app e a e d in a w guis it was the first sc ene of that ph enomen on n ow so char act eristi c of th e Unit ed States the summer migrat

i r r eres tr re our ion . It s athe int ting to y to pictu to

men selv e s those first few scatterin g visitors. Young

a r s or came down in s ilboats f om Bo ton , down in

ses r eer r ss the chai f om town , ploughing c h fully ac o two mil es of the shingl e of Long B each if th e tide h apf

THE ROMANTIC SHORE which were long after echo e d in the verses Th e B e lls

’ h s e er s e e re r of Lynn . There a n v a s mbl d a mo b il liant American gathering than that which congre gate d

e s as we s r the at Nahant in thos day , and t oll along

s e re e ss r er s r ple a ant roads with th ir ca l , p osp ou info mal ity our sense o f enj oyment quickens as we re mem

er e e e r es er re e b that h r walk d Cha l Sumn , P sid nt * r Felton of Ha vard and Judge Pre scott . And the thing which brought them to Nahant

h r s brings the summer visitors today . T e glo iou ly wild Shore with its crags and castellate d cliffs stand ing sharp against the blue Atlantic : th e rocks with their myriad Shadows : the sea with its ce asele ss h rhythm . As we walk along t e Cliff Walk where so

the e and the the e many of wis foolish , simpl and

e e e re us th e sa e r gr at hav trod b fo , m cu iositie s of

ere ess e rock formation which w , doubtl , point d out to

e er are e them with admiring for ﬁng , point d out to us. — There is Pulpit Rock a p ere nni al lure to small

e its e er r es boys to scrambl up sh ough Sid , Natural

’ h r r e T e , re e s r h B idg , Spouting Ho n , I n G otto , T e — s e an s e r - i Si t rs , Egg Rock i olat d , su f n circled islet

e se e e e e th crown d with a lighthou ighty f t abov e se a .

O n e never tires of enumerating the wonders of this belove d coast .

While it is still untame d for who can tame the

* ’ Story s verses are fraught with a remi ni scent sentiment t hat bri n gs

nt u i ose to us. a 1 9 Naha c r ously cl P ge 6 . 28 GOLDEN DAYS IN NAHANT

— winds and waves and the cliffs? yet there is every where that mellowness of a place which has b ee n con

an d r st an tly frequ ente d . Lynton Lynmouth e cur to

h e r e se e r r e i s r t e m mo y , not b cau th i mild g ac compa

e s s r r e r e se the abl to thi ta k g and u , but b cau of similar

sense of companionship with those who have passe d this way b efore which clings to those favorite English

haunts.

s f s th Musing on the famou Cli f Walk , which hug e j utting steeps and l edge and affords the windiest and

dazz lin est e e on e e g of prom nad s , lik s to picture the long boats of the Vikings which may have anchore d

ere e e s e the red h , y d with uspicion and hatr d by skin n ed Indians : the few carefully guarde d cows from Lynn which graz e d serenely in their oases of safety : th e e e s undaunt d littl ailboats , tossing down from Boston like cockl e shells with their cargo of young

ff : e e the men o for a holiday and th n the ﬁrst st amer ,

e r s he e th e e troll ey lin ac o s t n ck , first automobil

— e at and now a neat and homelike villag , with an tractive club house and library and town hall : with a goodly quota of spacious summer homes which are “ ” e r e e rath r inaccu at ly call d cottages , and many

- - - - well built all the ye ar around houses .

There is every variety of summer life at Nahant to

29 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

er day . Ov at Bass Point the excursion ste amers from

Revere land and e mpty upon the be ach the ir loads of

e r - o r r e s ers i ce- re m r y g ound id r and imbib of c am cones . There is a dancing pavilion and a band stand : “cafes and all the paraphernalia for what is considere d pop ” ular amusement .

But the ge nuine Nahant residents hold themselves

r h aloof from such f ivolity . T e digniﬁ e d reside nc e of

S enator H enry Cabot Lodge maintains the ! tone

e r which was struck a half a c ntu y ago , and of which

th e present day successors of those c el ebrities are

r fully and proudly awa e .

Brown limb e d children sprawl on the rocks of the

little b e aches which are tucke d with th eir bathhouses

r into the sheltere d cove s . Comfo table automobiles

re e pass in leisurely fashion up the unp t ntious str“eets . ere r er ee ee for h Here and th a st ang p rs , s king T e

” ’ e e ere he e Swallows Cav or Agassiz s cottag , wh wrot

’ Brazil .

e e e e the e It is a long tim ind d , sinc day wh n Thomas

' D exter bought th e promontory from the Indians for a suit of old clothes : a long time from the big snow

r 1 e th e e er e h sto m of 71 7 wh n d , v nturing out of t e “ ” woods were pursue d by wo olves and plunge d he ad long into the se a and were drowne d : a long time from

* ’ It i s in t eresti ng t o read Lon gfellow s son net on Agassi z in t hi s con n ec

ti n . e 1 70 o Pag . GOLDEN DAYS IN NAHANT

1 749 when hay was so scarce it had to be importe d

r n . n e f om Engla d And a lo g tim , too , Since Long — — fellow walke d arm- i n arm with Tom Appleton that — ’ wit and artist and man of l etters and Willis ﬂashin g p en struck that description of Nah ant which h as clung to it all these ye ars of a maile d fist stretching ” n h out i to t e se a .

We h a v e re cords of all th e e arly dwell ers of Nahant but on e : Longfellow and Whittier and M rs Sigourney en shrine d in the ir po etry this pl ace of their delight :

Willis an d Curtis sang its praises in p rose th at was re ad all over th e country fifty ye ars ago : e v en the militia from Lynn who were sent out to kill these “ ” much discusse d woolv es are mentione d in th e town

h r r re r s. t e a s se e e co d But of Indi n , tho fi st ﬁ c and

ers th e e we e re r e e faithful lov of plac , hav no co d xc pt — h An d e e the t e e . nam , Nahant that nam m aning

— he men Twins h as n ot b een altere d . Even t who

P r cut down every tree l eft th e word untouche d . e

‘ haps they felt e v en if they did not know“the warning of the P ersian sage who charges us: Change not

r r s a es for e are e an d ba ba ou n m , th y giv n of God , ” hav e an inexpressibl e efﬁcacy .

31 CHAPTER V

’ IN SALEM S TREASURE H OUSE

It was in 1 799 that some old sea captains were

e e e e swapping yarns , and w r arn stly substantiating

e the r their recitals by proof positiv in form of cu ios .

e e on e e r Determin d to convinc , produc d a hinoceros

e e er - e horn another an l phants tooth , anoth a two st m , — me d pip e from Sumatra and lo ! the Pe abody Acad emy was create d!

e e the e e To be sur , it was not call d P abody Acad my until Ge orge Pe abody l eft his money and his name to what is now one of the most valuable of all the muse

32 IN SALEM ’ S TREASURE HOUSE

s e h rhin urns in E s x County . But t e osceros horn and the elephants tooth and th e two stemme d pip e were

e re s e for the e e undoubt dly spon ibl pr s nt institution , and in glancing back to them we cle av e a swift path through on e of the most varie d and glowing bits of

r histo y in America . Let us linger for a morni ng In thi s still and well

ere r e ere lie the e he ord d Ma in room , wh clu s to all t

s the s let e e us e ramiﬁcation of pa t , and th m l ad , lik the re e se s r the magic th ad of Th u , th ough winding chamb ers of memory back to th e spl endid days of the

’ last century when Sal em s wharves were crowded — — with vessels barks and brigs and schooners bring ing in a ye arly import worth in duties alone : when wagons crowde d the water front and a fore st of tall sl ender masts rose against the Sky : when sailors in pigtails and on se a l egs chaffere d at the cor

’ ners or bowle d down D erby Street to Kit s Dancing

’ e th e er s s er Hall : wh n ship candl Shop w e full , and sailmakers sat cross- legge d in their lofts and stitche d the gre at white she ets of canvas: when sea captains in ruﬂEle d shirt fronts issu e d grandly out from their

’ spacious mansions to watch a neighbor s ve ssel s set l r Z n b r e or r. a sail fo a z a a , C ylon Madagasca For

33 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

e e r most very day some ship far d fo th , not to be he ard

er e r of for a year p haps , or mayb two , p epare d with guns and small cannon to meet pirate s on the high h seas and cannibals in t e Pacific . From this harbor “ ” saile d the Atlantic the first vessel to car“ry the American flag to Bombay and Calcutta : the Light ” Horse with its cargo of sugar to op en up our trade “ ” with Russia : the Grand Turk to bring silks and nan keens from Bavaria . N e arly everybody had in

e e e e e the v stm nts , pictur squely call d adventur s , in

e e r e e h voyages of the se v ss ls , and fo tun s pil d high at t e

e e e se time of the Revolution wh n oth r ports wer clo d .

’ Mariners born in the shadow of Roger Conant s house were in Japan ﬁfty years b efore Commodore

e e r e e e the P rry , in Guam a c ntu y b for it was add d to

e e e United States pick t lin , and h ld in prison in France

The e e . wa an d England , Spain and Alg ria Sal m lad s

e e a cabin boy at fourte n , a captain at tw nty , and at forty had amassed a fortune and retire d to live at leisure in the big house he had hung with trophies from over the seas . Look at their portraits hangi ng on the walls of this quiet Academy which is now their home : the strong

e ee r e boyish face of Nathani l Silsb , Me chant of Sal m and United States S enator : the digniﬁed mien of the

IN SALEM ’ S TREASURE HOUSE

e s e er a s e er shuttl and bodkin , fa hion d , p h p , with g ntl ,

re s e mo il nt thoughts of home . And here are sh elv es and sh elves of th e obj e cts brought on th e return

e : s e es voyag tinkling pagoda , n cklac of sh ell and

e s r r s s r s war s b ad , ta ta boot , idol , co al , club , palan

s era s s e r s e r quin , min l , tuff d go illa and l opa ds and

e r r e r gaily plumag d t opical bi ds. Th se a e still left to e th e r se a s r s es as r t ll sto y of tho l vi h a go i , ich as any

e e er e e e er pirat Ship that v ﬂoat d on nchant d wat s.

Th e ginger h as disapp eare d from th e quaint round ginger j ars: th e monk eys th at swung from their p erch es and th e p arrots that chattere d from their — cage s in th e Shop s of every corn er deal er these h h h ave gone t e way of all ﬂ esh . But t e touch of O rientalism which on c e made this N ew England town different from all other N ew En glan d towns b efore or s e s ers ere e th e e rs inc , till ling h lik fad d colo in a onc e

r sumptuous ug .

This O rientalism is on e of t h e se v eral lin ks in the

r n rather curious simil a ity b etwee Sal em and Venic e .

There is little now in the modern se cond- rank metro polis with its sfe am cotton mills to remind on e of th e

e er e ess th e es the city of lagoons , but n v th l liv of two

ere r run in p e culiarly close parall el s. Both w o ig in all s es e as e r y a ylum citi , both b gan fish rfolk in ude

37 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

huts , engaged in free boating and small trading in

e . conveni nt waters All communication , social and

e the comm rcial , between log built villages along the shores of Salem was originally carrie d on in dugouts

e f or canoes , crud , frail a fairs , not unlike the e arly craft of Venice . This maritime commerce gradually grew

e the until Salem gain d , first monopoly of the salt fish — — trade again like Venic e then a more general mar ket e e , and finally , lik that oth r mistress of the seas , undertook the importation of silks and spices an d

e e e pr cious commodities , and b cam magniﬁcent . The leading commercial families forme d an aristocracy “ ” e not unlike the close gild of Venic , and when the

Revolution shut one port after another from Savann ah

e comm to Boston , Salem rose to a p riod enserable with the e e the ee z nith of her Italian Sist r in ﬁft nth c entury . And j ust as the discovery of the Cap e Route to the

e e the s re f the Indi s , div rting t am of tra ﬁc from the

e e the the M diterran an to Atlantic , cut taproot of the

e so the prosperity of the latt r , railroad which sent all

’ e e the e Sal m s activiti s through gat way of Boston , sounded the ﬁrst note of h er de cline . And ﬁnally it is not stretching th e comparison too far to re call that since the maritime decay of Venice the b e auty of her

e r palaces has remained an nduring att action , and that

38 IN SALEM ’ S TREASURE HOUSE although th e commercial prestige of Sal em has long

e e e e r s e e sinc wan d , ach y a she d a bright r lust r on those r e mnants of colonial archite cture which border her streets and are not e qualle d anywhere else in the length and bre adth of this country .

th e er se r e its Take Pick ing hou on B oad Stre t , with

r ree its s s e e rr sp e ading t s , curiou ly hap d chimn y , na ow

r wa hallways and winding stai s . It s built two hun

e e a o ev e e ee e dr d and ﬁfty y ars g , and has r sinc b n k pt h s e s in the possession of t e am di tinguished family .

h e se e r Take t e Andr ws hou in Washington Squar , g ay

e e r faced and whit trimm d , with a circular po ch and tall colums fashione d of bricks that were dipp e d in

h r burning oil to preserve them . T e pillars a e bal

’ aste d with rock salt that John Andrew s ships brought

Th r back from Russia a hundre d ye ars ago . e stai way in the Pickman house is ornament e d with carve d and — gilde d co dﬁsh a naive explanation of th e origin of the

he r e e family fortune . T Pickman B ook hous plac boasts an op ening in the window blind where the spy

e the glass use d to rest as it sight d incoming ships , while on the ceiling of th e cupola sails forever a fresco

e e ree the of the D erby ﬂ e et . On F d ral St t stands As

r e e e sembly Hall whe e Washington and Lafay tt danc d , and now as then it maintains a personality digniﬁed

39 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

ere e e r e and s n , with Ionic nt anc and ﬂute d pilasters .

e ree is e s e Ch stnut St t lin d with mansions , quar , well

e built , not a littl suggestive in their proportions of

s the re building of Italian naissance . Some of these

e e s e e r s Sal m dw lling hav pav d courtya d , nearly all

e e r e s e hav big old fashion d ga d n , and b sides these com mon possessions e ach on e j e alously guards its especial — tre asure such as a stairway with a twiste d baluster

e s e s and new l post , a hand om wain coting , carved pan h els or a se cret closet . T e porte cochere of the Em merton house on Essex street is on e of the most p erfect

e r the r sp cimens in this count y , and doo ways , many of

e r s e them mad f om bits of hap d wood , pillars and col umus brought over in the cumb ersome holds of those

e e ee the er ships which pli d b tw n this and moth country , are the despair and rapture of antiquarians and

r n archite cts . Rich in ca ving and brave in ew paint and

ers e e r shining knock , th y shut b hind their po tals the me mory of their golden days. Golden days indee d —, , when Sale m had a mandarin in her own right Gener eral Fre de rick Ward who le d the Chinese troops against the Tai Ping reb els and was rewarde d with the red button and the pe acock fe ather of a mandarin of the r re er e ﬁ st rank , and hono d aft his d ath by a

e his templ and a pagoda in the land of prowess , as

40 IN SALEM ’ S TREASURE HOUSE

e as e ree h e be r i w ll a d c that wo sh pped as a deity . He

rr e ese e his r ma i d a Chin wif , and port ait hangs in the ple asant Essex Institute as placidly as if he had never swung through such an extrao din ary cycle of ex

rien ce n or s rre r the e pe , ti d f om conv ntionalities of a h N ew En gland town . Days when t e houses had folding doors that could be turne d back and thus

e the e er r r r conv rt whol low ﬂoo into a ball oom , whe e gentlemen in ruffs and ladies in powder curtsie d de murely in the candle light through the long numb ers

e was r of the minuet . Th n it that me chants were — H asket er he calle d Kings , and Elias D by whose

the es e er ﬂeet— cupola b ears fr co d D by dying , left

’ the largest private fortune accumulate d in America s e ightee nth c entury .

r the But these days we e not olde st days . B efore

’ the tide of we alth broke on Salem s shore be aring on its crest the ambition for stately mansions hung

ee e e r e s e with balconies and sw t n d with ga d n , simpl

e er r un re gambrel roofe d hom s , v y cha ming and p

e e s ere e s f e . tentions , w r con id d quit u ﬁci nt Many of these gamb rel roofe d houses still stand in fair pre

et e r e th e servation , not y wholly w a i d by long pro

r r e e s s c ession of bi ths , mar iag s and d ath that pas in

41 THE ROMANTIC SHORE — — and out in and out in t solemn inevitability over

e r r th ir wo n th e sholds .

And b efore the gambrel roofe d house there was the plain frame house with low ceilings sh owmg hand

e e e - ee h wn b ams , a l an to , and a long sw p of shingl e d h roof . In t e re ar of the Essex Institute stands a — very remarkable exampl e of this era se cond story

e e s e - ee ov rhang , diamond pan d window , w ll sw p ,

e e e . ere e e buck t , littl corn r shop and all Th is v n a posy b ed in which are allowe d to grow only those

e ere e e e re 1 ﬂow rs which w cultivat d in Sal m b fo 700,

’ and ne ar by is a shoe maker s shop with the b enches and tools of 1 830 .

While there is hardly a stre e t - o r yard in Sal em that has not e mb e dde d in itself o n e of th e somb er or gay

re s her r et the e th ad of long histo y , y it is in P abody

e s e s e s s Acad my and E s x In titut , two building almo t

e s e e er sse ree dir ctly oppo it ach oth on E x St t , that these multifarious ﬁlaments are gathere d into a

r e e e e the s master tape st y , so cl arly wov n that v n mo t

r re e e e e the casual may e ad , and so comp h nsiv that v n scholar may study with proﬁt .

It is characteristic of the completene ss of the I n stitute that it should also contain a complete and life siz e d reproduction of the interior of the house whose

THE RO MATIC SHORE

e e on e r and v n a prodigiously clumsy ho se chaise .

There is quite a remarkable coll e ction of the costumes

1 81 9: e es e r e of bonn ts and mantl and w dding ga m nts ,

’ s e e r e ﬁn e e infant cloth s with th i inﬁnit ly stitch s , christening blankets and ball gowns of a generation long since turne d to dust . Wonderful it is and rather sol emn that a museum can catch and hold under its glass case s so much of the aroma of a day that is de ad .

r he In the lib ary , which is under t same roof but

the are e across hall , ov r a thousand log books , ﬁlle d out in the careful p e nmanship of a more pains

a e of e e s taking g , many th m illuminat d in ketch work in pen and ink and in colors comparable in nicety to

ss s e e the lovingly wrought mi al of m di val time s.

Standing thus and looking at the e arthly trappings of men and women whose very names have b e come

e r s es we can h obliterate d on th i tomb ton , think of t e darkest episode in the history of S al e m with the curious de tachment with which on e turns the page s of an ancie nt book .

The witchcraft craz e was a madne ss that swept

The re s e e r s e e the N ew England . g w om f a w pt ov r all

e e the er 1 692 th e e r coloni s , and in Sal m in wint of f a

r . e e s e foamed into a fu y The p opl of that edat town ,

44 IN SALEM ’ S TREASURE HOUSE

e r e re se b e e e e r onc ous d to action , fu d to d ﬂ ct d f om their stern resolv e to sweep such he athenish machi

s s re er re r nation wiftly and fo v from their sac d bo ders . — Tituba an African servant who ﬁlle d the minds of some hysterical children with sup erstitions and in cant ati ons e e re e , and subs qu ntly th w th m into ﬁts — in which they accuse d her of witchcraft Sarah Good

r s r e ere the r b e e and Sa ah O bo n w ﬁ st to xamined ,

Th r e . e e found guilty and hang d sup stition was on ,

rr r and Sal em went wild with te o . Accusations were

‘ ’ er e e no long conﬁn d to wom n of Tituba s stamp , but p e opl e of character were implicate d and convicte d on the most trivial of evidence . Everybody b elieve d

e e e o e se everything , and susp ct d ev ryb dy l of diabolical

e e e e e . compacts , and s cr t l agu s with the D vil Sp e c tral evidence by a delude d child was sufﬁcient to

r indite a ministe or a woman of repute . For one terriﬁc ye ar Salem was a verit able ﬁery furnace of in

e ee se w e e dignation . Nin t n suppo d itches w r hange d — on Gallows Hill none were burned in this town of h delicate distinctions in t e ways of de ath . And then

e . e e e e e the wave subsid d Sadd n d and somb r d , R ason

her e e came back to own , and the j udg s bow d their he ads in rep entance . Gallows Hill remains today

e : bare of cultivation , black and ragg d a few crooked

45 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

e e and rust d pins , which wer suppose d to have been

e the e e e e us d by witch s to tortur th ir innoc nt victims ,

the e h are exhibited in court hous to t e curious .

Salem is sorry for her mistake , but do es not ignore the

’ e u e e s ra pictur sq e lem nt of that e .

But there are no mementos of that Other fantastic error into which she fell almost immediately after — her re covery from this o ne and this was the cruel persecution of the Quakers . O ne can buy witch

an d s spoons in silver gold , and tick pins with an evil visaged old woman astride a broom stick ; one mav climb Gallows Hill and re ad the de ath warrant o f i poor foolish Br get Bishop . But nowhere is pre served the whip that scourge d th e backs of the un fortunate Quaker folk who offended through the ir very inoffensivene ss .

e a e e m Thus Sal m , like pr s rve of her own aking , piled the enchantment of archite cture upon the ex

f o citement o legend , the rich ﬂavor of history up n the

o f e intoxicating aroma adventur , the piquancy of too s ee i n the we w t , too b tter traditio n upo light po r of

An e c e One e gayety . d in due tim am who dr w a

m e silver blade and carved a Slice of the fruity ixtur , and placing it upon the embossed salver of his im a in i n i h F r g at o , laid t b efore t e world . o as an angelic

46 IN SALEM ’ S TREASURE HOUSE face sometimes seems to form from the shadows of a

er es es r chamb hung with gently moving tap tri , so f om th e - e e e e tradition lad n atmosph r of Sal m , with its

s its e r r bro sumptuou old mansions , gild d mi ro s and caded r e e chai s , carv d doors and gl aming white man

e its e e e s e t ls , with w ll k pt mus um and wid shaded streets and its ghostly ranks upon ranks of ancient

e e the e e chronicl , form d d licat and melancholy genius

of Hawt horne .

O n e see s how every phase of his environment laid

ee e e s e e a d pening shad upon his p n ive t mp rament .

re e e 7 ree The gamb l roof d cottag at Union St t , where

r the e e ee he was bo n ; ugly hous at Herb rt Str t , h u where e spent his solitary yo th , and which h as “ ” ee er e e e lately b n turned into a still ugli thr e d ck r, “ ” but still c lasps the little window under the eaves the residence at 53 Charter Street to which he came

e e as a lov r and which still stands , shabby, low studd d , cornere d by a graveyard : the Custom House where he — worke d unj oyously facing the delapidated wharves all of these mingle d in a soft and composite picture which he threw again and again on the screen of his romances .

the Salem is rich in Hawthorne memorials , but glamor ﬂushe s most rosily over the House of Seven

47 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

e e e the e s Gabl s , wh r Dutch s live d and where the

e e e te e si nov list oft n cam , con nt d to t in the white panelle d parlor and look out through the deep win

s the r e s h dow across ga d n loping down to t e se a .

The house with its he avy oak door studde d with — ’ e s s — iron nails , its tiny gift shop H pzibah hop its

its e e r long low dining room and conc al d stai way , is

An d h exquisitelv preserve d . if t e guardians have too conscientiously charte d and name d e ach room in — ’ accordanc e with the story for one may see Pho ebe s

’ f r e the chamber and Cli fo d s chamb r , and spot where — ’ Judge Pyn cheon sat“de ad (in spite of Hawthorne s assertion that his house was built of materials “ ” long since use d for constructing castles in the air !

is e re e nevertheless , it nti ly fascinating and w ll worth

e he - a fee of admission . N ar t many peake d abode a

r e its little bake y , restor d to condition of two hundred

e e e and ﬁfty y ars ago , its hand h wn b ams crudely or n ament ed er e - s with aug hol s , and hand plit clapboards ,

e e e e e th untouch d by mod rnism , is anoth r mil ston on e roa“d back to yesterday . The House of S even Gabl e s ﬂickers with the “ ” The r e e er lights and shadows of fancy , but Sca l t L tt

r r glows with the intensity of a mo e vital pu pose . In this tragedy Hawthorne climb e d to the summit of

48 IN SALEM ’ S TREASURE HOUSE

h r . e e t e e his art And h r in Ess x Institute , f om which we ee e rre e n d hardly hav sti d in all our wanderings , li s under glass the v ery volume which b e ars the statute — which suggested the theme a grim transcript of

’

r ir . man s spirit in a g im time . It was S James M

Barrie who thought this blurre d and terrible little

’ r book the most curious of all Salem s eliquae .

’ er th e e the e For , aft all , nds and b ginnings of Salem s

re ere her re s re history a gath d up in two t a u houses , to b e preserve d for generations of those who care to

e e e ponder over them . Could P gasus b pictur d as a

the b e the e s e e span , could imagination r in to guid , th n in a golden car to Whom distance is nothing and time

one ee the s a mist , might wh l back through decade of h city that once live d to t e full in romance and delight .

The trip is over : the enchante d coursers lose their magic shape and become mere buildings of wood and

h r e e e . T e e stone , with sh lv s of tabulat d cases ins of imagination drop from o ur hands : the golden car

the e ree dissolves . We stand on noisy Ess x St t of a

r the e the modern city , and hea whistl of train that is

to b e ar us away .

* i ht S alem made a pro f oun d i mpre ssi on upon St ory whi ch h e h as del g

1 71 . fully pre serve d for us i n rhyme . Page

49 CHAPTER VI

QU AINT MARB L EHEAD

n n t mbliln e Dow a arrow u g road , around a corn r up — , —- a hill around a corner and down a hill e a sharp

' e e the e turn to the l ft , a crook d turn to right , hous s

e r e s e th e pack d as tight as sa din s in a box , om facing

e e e r e str et , som standing sid ways to it , and ga d ns or graveya—rds in every patch as big as a pocket hand kerchief there never was such a higgl e - ty- piggl e-ty

e h r plac in all the world as t e town of Ma bl ehe ad .

H ere is a straggling lane down to the se a ; th ere is on e bordere d by a gray stone wall and kn arle d willows

e r th e e op ning to rock riddl e d pastu es . In r ar of that

’ old ﬁs“herman s house lies an overturne d catboat ” ’ e e hi r s r r is b ing caulk d, and in sneighbo f ont ya d a

r e . do y, dom sticate d into a nasturtium bed

THE ROMANTIC SHORE occult powers were of such a penetrating order that she r e e e must not be confused with vulgar fo tun t ll rs , but regarde d as one of those gifte d psychics who

e e e r ke e r r l av no succ sso and no y to th i myste ies .

Three more turns and a blind all ey : we pass the “ ” e re Spite House , a decaying arthly mnant of a feud long since dissolve d by de ath : down a bre ak - ne ck — incline and two more turns there is the Old Powder

e the the i house , which h ld ammunition of thrifty n habitants during the French and Indian and Revolu

h r 1 2 tionary Wars and t e Wa of 1 8 . It stands in well

r e re prese ved stolidity , complac ntly unawa of the proportions of a modern magazine . What? Another turn? O ne understands why the horse s look sleek here : what sp ee d is possible in a labyrinth of streets that would make Clovelly look like a boulevard? And what happen s to auto mo bile s? O ne scrutiniz es the p e destrians to see if they have develop e d some anatomical p e culiarity from stumping over these terrestrial vicissitudes.

e s s re e s e r the These plain hous s , ﬂu h with t t that b a — names of the patriots Captain John S e lman naval

fﬁ e the e e r r e o c r in R volution and Colon l Azo O n , , — another of o ur Vice Presidents the se houses she ltere d

er e s er e u m chantm n and navigator , st n j udg s and p

52 QUAINT MARBLEHEAD right statesmen in colonial days: now many of the m “ ” e es e e r r s an d hav Antiqu paint d on th i f ont door , blue plates alluringly arranged in their small pane d windows.

Th e old Town House stands by itself on a little

s s r e re ess oa i in Ma k t Squa , dumb witn to town me et ings for over o ne hundre d and seventy ye ars: it was th e scene of th e re cruiting of the famous Marbl ehe ad

1 776 th e se the ar regiment in , and as mbling of M bl e

r 1 h in 1 86 . t e r he ad Light Infant y April , Now G and

Army has its he adqu arters there : a ﬂag waves lan

l th e er the r guid y from loft up und oof , and trafﬁc e ddies desultorily around it .

th e e e s ree we see Pushing ou r way along m and ring t t , pe ople suddenly app e ar from littl e ﬂights of steps that conne ct o ne irrel evant thoroughfare with another :

in cred everything is crisscross and up and down , and ibly involve d ; the points of the compass shift confus edly with those of the we ather vane .

That gambrel roof we are passing b e ars half a hun dre d bullets in its stout timb ers: this o n e at th e j unc tion of Hooper and Lee streets had that corner slice d

’ off so that Lafaye tte s carriage could pass by ; in yon

’ alin a Whittier s rs der modest house live d E v Bray , ﬁ t

e and only love ; on the King Hoop r Mansion , once as

QUAINT MARBLEHEAD

e its e s es magniﬁc nt as titl ugg ts , with banquet hall and

s tea-r s is coat of arm , a oom ign swinging .

Marbl ehead is undoubte dly one of the most pi ctur

the es e s e es. is qu town on Unit d Stat It , and always

has ee e re f ere r th r N w b n , nti ly di f nt f om e othe e Eng

the e land settle ments. At tim when Sal em was deter

min e dl th e y laying down law and abiding by it , Mar

ble he ad was engaged in smuggling with all the compos

ture of a legitimate occup ation . Whil e Ipswich was piously ﬁning the wives of its deacons for wearing

r s r es e silk bonnets to church , noto iou pi at op nly stalk “ ” h se s e r e ing t e streets of that ction till call d Ba n gat ,

s e s er e and sailors in pigtail , citiz n in p iwigs , and wom n in kerchiefs and hobnaile d shoes conferred in a strange

s e er r th e s gutteral patoi , which n v was a pa t of Engli h language any more than Marblehead was part of the

Puritan commonwe alth . — There is a pungency in the tradition well auth en — ticated that in th e e arly days when none but church

er th e r memb ers might hold ofﬁce und Pu itan law ,

e e s se e the Marbl ehead having no church m mb r , ttl d question by disp ensing with all government for ne arly — half a century and settl ed it with a p rofanity which

- s. adde d to the horror of it s well behav e d neighbor

- For the men who lande d on this surf swept le dge

55 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

were not looking for farms but co dﬁsh : as soon as the boys were old enough to pull an o ar they followed the

the a e men to sea , while women st y d at home and did

the shore work . In the ﬁshing se ason there were no

mor e men in sight than in those deserte d Italian villages

- e e e few r to day , wh r a handful of wom n and a goats a e

re e r the e r all that a l ft afte y a ly immigration to America .

For half a century after the ﬁrst rude cabins were

raised there was no settle d minister and no school

e er e e ou the master . Wh n strang s app ar d streets they were hospitably p elted with stones ; when sailors

lande d they were treate d to a glass of grog or a pipe “ ” “ full of dog leg or pig tail What could be more natural than that a multitude of superstitions and

r wierd legends , lawless customs and cu ious dialects

e e n should spring up , and that two c nturi s should ot

succee d in levelling them to the dull tone of the com

monplace? Thus it was that the old English custom of saluting

e r the moon had its count rpart in Ma blehead , where

e the e the young girls , on nights wh n moon app ared ,

would gather at some house to catch a glimpse into

e r the future . Th y would hang an i on pot of tallow

over the open ﬁre and o ne by on e take turns In drop

e e ping hob nails into it . If a young man should nt r the

56 QUAINT MARBLEHEAD

room he would surely be come the husband of the girl

e e the who at that mom nt had dropp d nail . The be

e e li f, too , that if a maid n should throw a ball of yarn

ree the out into the st t , young man who stoppe d to

e e her e pick it up would b com lov r , gave rise to many romances. These and a hundre d more old folk tales were retold from on e generation to another and fol

e e the of r low d consci ntiously by maids Ma blehead .

e e e Of cours th y had th ir witch , “ Old Mammy Redd ” e Of Marbleh ad , who soured the milk in the churn and spirite d away the linen and pewter and plague d the cattle and

She a e e s. w s e cross d young lov r hang d , chieﬂy upon

’ es ss the r e e old wiv go ip , and Ma bl h ad superstitions continu e d as b efore .

There are two storie s conne cted with Marble head

e e s er s which v ry trang hould know, and which hav e

r h given th e the me to mo e than one novel . T e history of Agnes Surriage has been re cited so many times that

r e its e one cannot imp ov upon t lling , but it contains such in distructable elements of romance that no one

e r e nee d hesitate to try . Ouida and H n y Jam s could both ﬁnd material here .

57 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

r e o e Sir Ha ry Frankland , h ir to an bar n tcy in Eng

e s e th e land , handsom , da hing , youthful , coll ctor of

was e e e to lo cate Port at Boston , call d to Marbl h ad ,

the smuggl ers . But at Fountain Inn where he stoppe d he met an enemy more destructive to his p e ace of mind — th e er re an e than all smuggl s in c ation nchanting ,

e e e - e r r r barefoot d , sixt n y a old gi l , indust iously scrub

Sir rr r h h . l t e ing t e ﬂoor Ha y , b i liant man of world

s s hi s s ee r and haughty man of fa hion , lo t t l clad B itish

r e e e er e r er e he a t th r and th n , and aft som ath pr tty

’ p‘arlaying took th e ﬁsh erman s daughter to Boston as his ward to have her e ducated . All went well

re e her e re e until the little girl g w apac , b auty inc as d , and her intelligent young mind expande d . And

r e e e ere then Sir Ha ry , b witch d and b wild d , found him

H e self in de sperate plight . could not lay his um

’ e s r r ee he bl emishe d name and titl at a c ub gi l s f t , and would not relin qiush the radiant tre asure almost

she e within his grasp . Tradition has it that s ttled the vexed question herself : sh e was made to love and to be love d : she ignore d worldly warnings and se iz e d the larger issu e . But Puritanical Boston would sanction no such

h e e b h er r freedom . S e might hav gon ack to sc ubbing , or have been hidden somewhere by her lover : but to

THE ROMANTIC SHORE the stones and dug with her hands and scre ame d for

he e e : ere her e help until s r scu d him wh upon lov r ,

s er s e h er a r touched by o h oic a pas ion , mad L dy F ank

e e e land . And th n the l ct of London and of Boston lifte d their eyes and held out their hands and admitted her r re the s e into thei midst , and to this day lics of pl n did estate at Hopkinton are sold at fancy prices : the

e the e ere she was e sit of house on B acon Hill wh shunn d , and the fountain of the Inn in Marbl ehead where Sir

Harry ﬁrst saw the dainty ankl es of Agnes Surri age

he e the s are e as s scrubb d ﬂoor for his pas ing , point d * out to strangers . Although Marblehe ad never boaste d the aristo

e e e er e e s o ne the cratic dw llings of Sal m , n v th l s of very ﬁnest mansions of all colonial time s is preserve d

is the r er the s r e here , and as it p op ty of Hi to ical Soci ty ,

1 en is accessable to all . It was built in 768 and co st t thousand pounds : about on e hundre d f eet long and — ee ree s r es r r sixty d p , th to i , of b ick o iginally clap — boarde d both the design and th e timb er came from

. ere e r England Th is a magniﬁc nt hall , unning from r e e s s s f ont to back , with pan ll d wall and a umptuou ly wide stairway with baluster of twiste d and polishe d

The er he r e . e t e mahogany pictur wall pap , p f ct

e the e e the s e pan lling , s cr t stairway , ﬁni h d cornices

* Even Oliver Wend ell Holmes coul d not resi st t he t empt ati o n t o versify

1 76 . thi s romanti c t ale . Page 60 QUAINT MARBLEHEAD and the handwrought nails all deep en the beauty of the picture which the imagination so readily re con h structs. In t e kitchen food for a hundred could be

re re as e e e r p pa d , in a M dic an palac , and f om the side

e e the r the e r r hall op n d doo to slav qua te s . It is not difﬁcult to image Washington in these spacious cham

e s he was 1 789 as ere r e b r as in , w Mun o , Lafayette

s The and Andrew Jack on later . regality of the pro

r i r po tions s proud proof of its glo y .

e e r e e Anoth r uniqu building in Ma bl h ad is St . ’ — e s r the e e Micha l Chu ch s cond old st in this country .

its e It was brought from England in entir ty, frame

r e er e e wo k , p ws , altar , gall y and r r dos , and set up

h er h in 1 7 1 4 on t e spot wh e it now stands . T e organ that playe d the we dding march for George Washington and Mary Custis in Philadelphia has been brought

r s e e the e he e , and a ilv r cross mad from anc stral plate

r e e e the of a Ma bl h ad family gl ams in tranquil light .

e e It is a small church , in spotless pr s rvation , with many treasures locked within its simple walls : altar clothes embroidere d in re al p e arl s and re al topazes : an alms basin of solid silver too he avy to be use d : a brass chandelier which was presente d by the port col 1 732 h . l ector of t e port of Bristol , England in One may see the place above the chancel where King

61 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

’ George s Coat of Arms was torn down by excite d citi

e the e Inde en dan ce e z ns day wh n p was d clare d , and the b ell that was rung on that same day until it

e cracked . Like many oth r old churche s in N ew Eng

it e e e e he land has its c m t ry around it , but unlik t

e e e e e e others it has a s pulchr b n ath its ﬂoor wh r , for

e e ew e e e e over a hundr d y ars , p hold rs w r privil ged to

lay their de ad . Up from the precipitous shores of Marblehe ad j ut lofty headlands from which the visitor may catch a sweeping panorama of the most popular yachting

r port on the Atlantic se aboa d . There is Crocker ’ e e Park and Fort Glover , P ach s Point and innum rable

e e e e oth rs , but perhaps th r is no plac in all Marble head more poignant and impressive than , the old Bury

e e e ing Hill . The anci nt grav ston s of those earliest

ee e e e inhabitants have b n rect d , not in a s cluded valley such as we associate with the last resting place

e of t hose who have toil d hard , but upon the summit

e ﬂin e e . and the sid s of a ty hill , windsw pt and barr n

e he e the e- e Whiteﬁeld , wh n visit d brin drenched villag and saw the houses clinging to the le dge s and the roads straggling as b e st they might b etween“the e ridges which dissect the town , ask d mildly , But ” where do they bury their dead? For indeed , there

62 QUAINT MARBLEHEAD seems hardly enough earth to cover them ! But they

e e the so b e the r wer buri d on hill as to near chu ch , and the church on those days nee ds must b e on a hill top so that the sentinels might see the Indians if they appro che d at time of worship . There is something rather touching in the reﬂe ction that those sturdy men of Marble head might not be grante d pe ace even

lie re er e in death , but must fo v on a wind lash d hill , from whence a vigilant watch against the enemy could be held .

r r e e e e e The e a e v n rabl grav stones h re , carved slate ones against which the rains have be aten for two

re e s e e hund d y ar , and faintly arab squ d with quaint

r h inscriptions and ornamentation . Pe haps t e in scription on the Gre at Gale Monument will give us a

’ e are - e moment s paus , reminding us how frail man mad

: vessels in the fury of the storm . It reads

LOST

On the Grand Banks of Newfoundl and

e 1 4 In the M emorable Gale of S ptember 8 6 . 65M en and Boys 43 H eads of Families 1 55 Fatherless Chil dren

‘ The sea shall give up the dead that were in it .

63 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

The site of th e Fountain Inn where Agnes Surri age

sh e the looked up , y and startl d , at gold lace and

brocade of the youthful customs colle ctor : the Old

Brig where Moll Pitcher ﬁrst op ene d those eyes which were to see so many sad and strange visions of this

the e e e e e — world and n xt , b for th y clos d in de ath these

i h r r n h l e to t e leewa d of the g aveyard . O e can see t e spi re of Abbot Hall where th e spirite d ﬁgures of

’ s e e Willard s famous canva march for v r onward , and — “ the spire of the Catholic Church that Star of the ”

e e eere . Sea , by which many a v ss l has st d her course Out in the harbor are sonder boats and catboats

e e . motor boats , yachts , knockabouts , f rri s From the shore of Marbl ehe ad Ne ck and its summer colony rise the outlines of the Corinthian and Eastern Yacht

he The t . Clubs . Boston Yacht Club is across harbor A little later a star will twinkl e from the twin lights

’ e e the of Bak r s Island , from Marbl head Light on

e e the Point , from Hospital Light in B v rly and far to

’ south from Minot s Le dge . — h It is all here the n ew life and t e old . The bones of those rough ﬁsherfolk who swore and drank and

e e e e pirated and ﬁsh d two c nturi s ago , the shr ds and patches of the uniforms worn by e arnest patriots

sea who fought so passionately on land and , mingle

64 QUAINT MARBLEHEAD without discrimination with the dust of black and faithful slaves . From this Burying Hill one can look down into

e ree s e Marbl head with its st ts , patt ring against the ridges and ﬂowing j erkily along the lines of le ast

se e e i e resistance . Tho crook d lan s with the r crowd d h e e t e s . e hous s l ad back into pa t But ov r yonder ,

e e e e automo to the w st , li s the wid stat highway , with — e s b e bil s ﬂa hing smoothly y past Marbl head , on to — the life of today on to B everly and Manchester .

65 CHAPTER VII

THE WINGS OF A N E W MORNING

Those astonishing advertisements of cities where one may see Cleopatra chatting aﬂably with Daniel

e ee Boone , and Aen as languidly gossiping with Qu n

e e are e sur Elizabeth and Huckl b rry Finn , not mor prising than the phenomenon which the passersby in

For the Marblehe ad may witness almost any day . former is an assemblage of incongruitie s delib erately composed for the very obvious purpose of t he moving picture business : and the latter is o ne of those nu consciously striking and vivid example s of twentieth century progress in a seventeenth c entury se tting . O n e of the largest aeroplane factories in this country

e r the is at Marbl head , and half an hour f om city of

e r e men e Sal m , where two hund ed y ars ago and wom n

WINGS OF A NEW MORNING

huge spools of thre ad and stitch two rows at a time they are shaping by hand th e grac eful mahogany

e er un holsterin the e prop ll s , g compact bodi s , and

fastening securely the smooth braces and girders h of spruc e and as . It is marvellous to survey th“e swift construction ese es so of th ﬂying machin lightly , beautifully ” e er e e for built , with v y lin mad Slim sp ee d , and strong

r e e e er to ca ry its half a ton of ngin , pass ng , machinery

e h e and fuel . Ev n t most untechnical observer is struck

by the detail with which th e principals of strength

r rr h and lightness a e ca ied out . T e smooth frame work of the wings and of the body is honey- combed

r i with holes to e duc e ts weight . H ere in a she d th ey are packing the complete d

e e er e e e re machin s , laying ach p f ct pi c ca fully upon

r e re re r e anothe in a sp cially p pa d box , b acing th m with a few strokes with screws and a cl e at . These packing boxes will be Shipp e d on transatlantic steamers to — witness who can tell what sc enes on the North Sea?

Out in the harbor lies the houseboat of an American

’ millionaire waiting to carry home its master s last

We are the and most exp ensive purchase . gazing at

r ﬁnal word in private luxury and modern wa fare . The quaint town of Marblehead and the ancient

69 THE ROMANTIC SHORE city of Sal em to the we st settl e drowsily into their h undisturbe d antiquity . But in t e buildings of what was once a shipyard is the multifold activity of me

r chanics and draughtsmen . What centu ies of human inventivene ss have gone into the perfe ction of the se machines now b eing turne d out with such speed and

! ow e sureness And n , wh n the thing that was the dream of Leanardo da Vinci has become the instru

re r e e ment of warfa , spo t and sci nc , it looks so frail that one wonders that the ﬁrst ﬁerce wind does not

e crumple it like a brok n le af . But the wings of the

n e modern Icarus withstand both sun a d gal . — The hum of machinery the che erful sound of men — at work the strange parts of the monster bird wait ing in inarticulate suspense : and far out over the

r water the whi ring ﬂight of an aviator , sailing out

e r e e N ew and up above , the irr gula shor lin of the Eng l and coast !

70 CHAPTER VIII

THE FASHIONAB LE NORTH SHORE

On entering the Garden City of B everly one enters the precincts of the fashionable North Shore : the

North Shore of shaven lawns and deep bright gardens: of wide driveways curving up through the woods to

! the gre at estates hidden beyond : of high stepping horses and smartly painte d traps: of limousines with chauﬂeurs in livery : of el egant v ictorl as with old i th s s. as s e e ladie and pug dog And , oft n way with

h s e s the e s r s t e most exclusive exclu iv ne s , pl a ant oad

s e the r r do not glare with o t ntation , but , on cont a y ,

r v eil themselv es in the shadow of appa ent simplicity .

The sumptuous residenc es with their sun parlors and loggias and ball rooms are hardly visible from the public highway : on e must take a steam launch an d

7 1 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

the e e e hug Shor , ey s glu d to the mainland , to get a

se e e e the glimp of th m , p rch d on rocks , hangin g above the ocean or set back in lawn s that slope down to the e the e a dge of s . Over two hundre d twentieth cen tury palac es may be seen on the trip from Salem

. e Willows to Magnolia Millionair s , politicians , belles

e r e and beaux com f om all ov r the world , embroider ing a little more richly every ye ar that line of aristoc racy which fringes this se ction of the Essex coast some to ﬁnd a summer home , some to build a perma nent one .

e r e e Th e strang r passing th ough B v rly , Manchester by-the- Sea and Magnolia will gather an impression

e e e of well kept roads , of vine cover d f nc s higher than

He e he his head . will go through a grov of dark m

re d e e locks , catch a glint of a roof of an unpr t ntious

set the ee the bungalow among “tr s , pass imperial gate e way to some lordly cottag , a rustic wood path

e e down which a group of hors back rid rs ﬂash , an acre

e men are e e e of lawn wh ere a doz n r v r ntly kneeling , w removing with solicitude a handful of vulgar eeds, a country farmhouse stranded at the crossways , — — another high fence and then suddenly the sea! — , — For the se a of sapphire and opals is the pot of gold at the end of this especial rainbow . To get a piece of

72 THE FASHIONABLE NORTH SHORE — ground fronting it would cost you a small fortune ii

e Ten s indeed you could procur it at all . thou and

e ee e e e dollars hav b n paid , mor than onc , for an acr

e r on this wat r f ont , Of course this means that the casual passer - by may not take his wife and six children and picnic basket and

ﬁnd a sunny spot on th e b each where they may sprawl

e f r and bathe . He may trav l o an hour and count

e e se e e hims lf lucky if he g ts a glimp of old N ptun at all .

But the deprivation to the casual passer- by is the

e advantage of permanent dw ller . This combination

e of woodland and shor , this mingling aroma of pine

r e e ere the and b in is not surpass d anywh in world . Many an English visitor stands in wonderment sur veying a country house at the Cove“or the Farms or at Prides and then asks puzzled : But why do you ” talk about our English country plac es?

— es r e B everly which includ No th Bev rly , B everly

’ r se r e s r e Fa ms , Mont rrat , P id C ossing and B verly

the e e Cove , is g ographical b ginning of what many

e the re r e s peopl e consid r al No th Shor , and may al o be considere d the chronological beginning of the

h r present North Shore Colony . In t e e a ly forties when it began to be sought by Bostonians who wante d

e e e a change without travel , it was m r ly a coll ction of

THE ROMANTIC SHORE garden while a peacock trails its fe athers in the sun

h r e e . e b side You , too , if it vouchsaf d you , may

e e st p upon tapestri d brick , feel the ﬂicker of cool shadow from a marble pergola , and lean on a balus trade built after the fashion of that at Tivoli where countless men and wome n have leane d and looked out

e e e ov r the blu Campagna , b autiful in the be auty of

the e . see lev l lines You will not Campagna, but another

e e plain , as blu , as misty , with all trac s of its mighty

r traffic as smoothly oblite ated . You are surrounde d on every side by the luxuries of nature and of civili

er e rim z ation . Before you glitt s the oc an with its of pleasure domes and its burden of pleasure craft : on either side woodland and shore melt in harmony h or dazzle in contrast . B ehind you sparkl e t e gay

e To sﬁ l towns of Hamilton and W nham and p e d ,

r s e with thei golf links , hunting club , polo poni s and all the equisite equipment of costly amusement . It is hard to re alize that there were onc e old breast works back of the lighthouse which gl e ams so white

is so in the sunshine , and that the land which now pre ciously divide d into private domains was a great h training camp in the time of t e Revolution . Hard — to realize that the venerabl e Roger Conant he whose — gallant statue braves the winds in Salem petitioned

76 THE FASHIONABLE NORTH SHO RE the General Court in 1 671 that the name“of B everly be e e chang d to that of his native town Budl igh , because of the great dislike and discontent of many of our p eople for this name of Beverly because (we be ing a small place ! it has caused on us the constant nick

‘ ’ e of B e rl r e e th e nam gge y . Ha d to r aliz that e pr tty woods now so fondly tended and so carelessly roame d

e e e e be e e through wer onc whisp r d to b witch d , such terrifying roars and howls issued from them in time

f es e e e of storm , and such di ﬁculti att nded the trav ll r see hi e king s way on dark nights . In fact it is quit impossible to realize anyt hing but the faultless lovli ness of the day and the sheer delight of soft living that surrounds us . As you go from B everly to Manchester you will see the j ustly celebrated Mingo Beach about wh—ich there still echoe s the tradition of Robin Mingo a slave who had been promised his freedom on the day that the ebbing tide should leave a dry passage be

’ tween Mingo s B e ach and a rocky promontory calle d

’ H e e e Becky s Ridge . wait d patiently for this gr at

e in 1 773 e the re ev nt , and then , one morning wh n

e ceding tide did actually leave a dry passag , the kindly neighbors ran to tell him of the news . And awed and half terriﬁed by the strange signiﬁcance ,

77 THE ROMANTI C SHORE they found the black man had indeed attained his

e f r he — fre dom on that day , o was lying dead a smile upon his lips .

You will also pass t he old fashioned square house * e e the one r wher Lucy Larcom liv d , and “f om which Oliver Wendell Holme s date d his letter B everly- by ” the- e e e e D pot poking g ntl fun at his fri nds Mr . and

e . e er h Mrs . Jam s T Fi lds who w e t e ﬁrst to use the

e er-b - the - name of Manch st y Sea .

But Manchester-by- the- Se a it has remained ever

e e e r sinc , b coming mor p oud and handsome every

e r ye ar . Like Alice in Wond rland afte e ating the mushroom it has grown prodi“giously from its e arly ’ ” e Jeoffer e s e days, wh n it was known as y Cr e k .

e e e 1 45 not taking the nam of Manch st r until 6 , when

e e e it separat d from Sal m and becam a distinct town . But it clung to its provincialism for a long time after

e e the that separation , as is t stiﬁ d by church quarrel

1 e the ee e the e of 809. For wh n m ting hous in squar

e e r ee e was built , with its grac ful b lf y and st pl , the pro posal to heat it on Sundays was stubbornly oppose d

e e e e the by that cons rvativ l ment which , like poor ,

e e w e e e e is v r ith us , sp cially in matt rs of cclesiastical

e r h r e e dissension . How ve t e p ogr ssiv s won , and duly announced that hereafter the church would be he ated

* ’ Wh at i s probably Lucy Larcom s best kn0 wn poe m may be of interest here . Page 1 79. 78 THE FASHIONABLE NORTH SHORE

’ the r h on Lo d s day . T e next Sunday several of the congregation fainted during worship and others had

e e e the e e to l av overcom by xc ssive temperature .

re e e the the e P sumably th y wer from ranks of r cusants , for after service it was discovere d that owing to a

e e the e e r d f ct in h at r no ﬁ e had been built .

’ But Manchester s p eculiar attraction is that beach — a — of ruddy sand warm tawny pink which, when a carriage drives over it or p eople tre ad on it gives

e e forth a crisp not , som thing like snow un der foot

dr e h in y cold w ather . This odd formation of t e atoms which makes them triturate toge ther in keen musical vibration has poetically christened it the

e e he and e Singing B ach , a wond r of t world a nev r failing scourse of entertainment . — On through West Manchester the hidden country se ats and tasteful cottages still following in unbroken — continuity to Magnolia, named from the white s magnolias found nowhere else in Massachu etts, which , — grow profusely here their ivory blossoms delicately

n the starring the twilight of the pines . Mag olia ,

e e t r e village of hot ls , situat d on a point almos su round d

e and . with wat r , is redundant with walks drives

one the e And why not , when of largest unbrok n s s stretches of woodland in Massachusett , two mile

79 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

e long and about six wid , extends through here across

Cape Ann? There are land vie ws and ocean views : w k wood al s and sea walks , drives and vistas that

ff e e e o er a p rp tual obj ective to summ r strolle rs . One may spend a summer here and not exhaust the cor ners of this leafy shade .

But there are three walks which are e specially

e the charact ristic of Magnolia , and ﬁrst, of course , is ’ Wo to the Reef of Norman s e . Name d early in the seventeenth c entury for the Norman family who live d

not the near , it was until dreadful gale of 1 839 when forty dead bodies were washe d up on the Gloucester

e shor , one of them that of a woman lashed to a spar ,

e e re the e that Longf llow , de ply imp ssed by vent , wrote in a single night the ballad which will p erpetuate his name long after many of his more ambitious works

ee o e . have b n f rgott n Thus the rock , which was the

e e e a literar n scen of a shipwr ck , b came “y mo ument as re s e th well , and still ar its h ad above e white and “ ” ﬂee c y waves , that look soft as carded wool , while the surf churns and cre ams about it . The sound of the e e wind and the wat r , and the b ating rhythm of the

the e e ballad surcharge plac with strang noises , like

’ sit the b Prosp ero s enchante d isl e . One may in uckle

e e berry patch in a long, long r very , whil the waves

80 THE FASHIONABLE NORTH SHORE

surdly Parisian beads strung upon a sup erﬁne chain of

e e portico , til d ﬂoor and gl aming window . You are down on Cap e Ann with barren sea sand stretching for

r b e su e miles to ight and l eft , to r , but you may pur chase a diamond tiara or peach Melba or any frivolity that occurs to you quite as conveniently here as you

the Rue de or e might on la Paix Fifth Av nue . E n trancing and quite wicke dly se ductive little shops their gem-like wares spread out alluringly behind glass or range d on spotl ess shelv es and polished tables

— N ew e exotics of York or N wport , securely planted on plain N ew England soil !

Your third walk in Magnolia should be through the almost historic and not at all gorgeous hotel which never advertises and is always b ese ige d by more of the

r ! lite than it can accomodate . H e e one may meet

re e s s r r e the diplomats and fo ign r , ma t folk f om all ov r

e s n es ere the e e country , and may witn s da c wh toil tt s

er i . e r e vie with those of op a n ght Incid ntally of cou s ,

r e er s the there is a view f om v y window, and alway

r sweet tang of Cape Ann ai .

‘ The poem is given in full on p age 1 81 .

81 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

But the North Shore me ans more to its we althy

e e rendevouz s e e e r sid nts than a of tyl , and v rywhere are evidenc es of the ir sincere attachment to the plac e and their de sire to enhance its value in a broader

e e . s e e are e s ns At Magnolia, for in tanc , th re “two v ry attractive and complete clubhouse s for Those who ” ffe e s e e s work , chau urs and waitr s s , bellboys and oth r

s e e su e of that va t retinue that s rv s the mm r colonists .

are e ess e e e They uniqu and succ ful social xp rim nts . There is an aviary and a gladiolus farm which is an inspiring adaptation of western ide as to eastern con

i n N ew dit o s, where worn out England soil has been made to produce acres of superb ﬂowers by proper

e are te a treatment . Everywher rooms and club houses and bits of public landscaping initiate d and ﬁnanced by summer people for the advantages of the — natives tangible proofs of a very real interest in

Cap e Ann . The migratory popul ation is packed from one en d

r of the North Shore to the other from June to Novembe . From Winthrop to Plum Island their cottages and their activities are p aramount . But perhaps in no other se ction have they shown themselve s a more i“ntelligent and constructive force than along the ” a F shionable North Shore .

THE ROMANTIC SHORE

e Even today , with its int rests diffused into other

e channels , a ﬂeet of two hundr d or more vessels be ats

the e the f r out of harbor in s ason bound for Banks , o

e r Labrador , Iceland , Gr enland and No way . “ ” e the re Thos racks , or ﬂakes lining sho , covered

with rippling canvas or glistening with the ir naked

re e e e burden , a sagging b n ath hundr ds of barrow loads

s e of cod and haddock , plit and spr ad to dry in the

e e are e sun . In those gray sh ds th y b ing boned ,

r shre dded , packed in balls , in st ips , in boxes to be

e e e e e e e s nt to v ry conc ivabl mark t in Christ ndom .

e the e The factory has come to augm nt sh d , and the

by-products which use d to be thought waste are now

e e being made into glu , cod liv r oil , and various kinds

The e e of fe rtiliz er . market for th s is as c ertain

the e h as the market for ﬁsh its lf , and if t e workers

are no longer hale New Englanders but dark skinned

e er Finns and Portugu se , chatt ing an unintelligible

he r t e . tongue , it is all in march of prog ss If you will stand where the road from Fresh Water

Cove curves up into the Stage Fort Park you will see

h e e s h in t e harbor a for st of sl nder ma ts , and with t e puffing of the engines and ﬂapping of the sails a

the he n ew t . vivid panorama of old and That brig , which re calls the Cape Ann ﬂ ee t of square riggers

84 GLOUCESTER—FLOOD TIDE AND EBB

e the e es that sail d to W st Indi , probably has salt for

ri her cu ng In hold , and packe d so tightly that it will

b e have to mined out with pick and shovel . That — Schooner which was develope d from the pink

r es e had its o igin in Glouc t r , like Universalism : the prototyp e of that motor boat was ﬁrst use d for ﬁshing

r 1 r pu poses in 900. Fo the rest there are freight

e er e ee st am s plying b tw n the Cape and Cadiz , ste am

er e e r e yachts , cruis s and pl asur c aft of all d scription . There is o ne tall spire against the sky to our right

e r the which ris s , not f om harbor but from the shore the spire of the wireless station where experiments are s e e con tantly and qui tly b ing carried on .

e r we This Stag Fo t Park , in which stand , a lovely rolling tract of pasture on the West ern Shore extend ing from Fresh Water Cove nearly t o Blynman Bridge

e the e es which j oins Cap Ann to Mainland , mbrac

li s e three be ac es and ome nobl groups of rock . It was

’ originally Fisherman s Field and was th e ﬁrst land

e e e . e e e cl ear d in Glouc st r A ﬁshing stag was h r , long

e e e e was e e before any perman nt s ttl m nt att mpt d , and

w the e on Stage He ad as re are d second fort . H nce

i i h the name to dist ngu sh it from t e old fort . ” ee Gloucester has b n called a city of sorrow , whose ” e a whol un history is writt n in tears for , when e comm

85 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

m the e ity akes its living on op n sea, death sweepsover

i th e swee e it with p of very storm , and that yearly mid summer c eremonial whe n the children of the town gather to cast ﬂowersupon the re ce ding tide in memory h i of the dead , is bot symbolic and touch ng . The pathos of many of th e legends and much of the litera ture of Cape Ann is the integral part of a life where widows and orphans and maids who never will be

‘ ’ wives wait continually for a vessel to return with her ‘ ast e ﬂag at half in for thos who have been lost at sea.

et e u e inal And y , oddly no gh , Gloucest r was not orig

e ly a ﬁshing village . Standing on a s ries of narrow

es the ledges , rising like terrac from harbor , at the back

e Of each terrace was onc a swamp , leaving but meagre strips of building land on which the houses were

was crowde d together . Thus it that when the

1 727 the men e farms gave out in migrat d to Salem . Those who were left made a living by cutting timber

s e and shipping it to Boston in boat mad in the harbor .

When the timber was used up th ev utilized the boats

Revohi tion for ﬁshing . The ruined the industry , as it did so many o f the town s along the North

1 860 e e the ema re Shore , but in the tid turn d , d nd

and e t erﬁ vived , sinc then has continued wi h sup cial

‘ The Phant om Boat has a cert ain value when read in thi s connecti on

Page 1 84 . “86 GLOUCESTER—FLOOD TIDE AND EBB

Possibly it was for thi s re ason that th“e ﬁrst settle ment was not at the harbor , but on the ne ck of ” house-lots between Mill Creek and Anni squam River — the ree e e s salt c k which mak s Cap Ann an i land . At the south en d of this neck stood church and par “ ” so n a e e the —a g , whil ﬁrst burying ground spot well — r t e e the dese ving a visi lay n ar r harbor . Here the rude forefathers of the hamlet sleep under small

e e e r cubical blocks of undr ss d ston without insc iption .

Slate head- stones adorne d with winge d skulls were h importe d for t e next generation .

Inﬂu ential church memb ers ﬁnally procured the

the the removal of First Church to harbor . The “ ” the e the s r West Parish across riv r was econd pa ish .

e s was set O H e the Th n Anni qua“m , and wh n members who remaine d up in town wante d the old meeting house re- op ened they had to be the Fourth Parish much to their chagrin!

The great grandsons of some of those who petitioned that re- op ening were among those who later frequente d

’ the sea captains re ading room in the old Gloucester

e e e e e s e Bank Building . H r stori s which w r pa s d from mouth to mouth in l eisurely hours ﬁrst b egan to cir h culate and still e cho in the annal s of t e town .

Stories of merchants who had sent ﬁsh or mules to the

GLOUCESTER—FLOOD TIDE AND EBB

e e e West Indi s , Portugal and Spain , r c iving in return

r r s e molasses, suga , liquo s , trang fruits and old Dutch

r e silver and china . Sto i s of voyages to Sumatra to

e the e e i buy p epper and w igh it on b ach s , not dar ng to go a ste p further inland for fe ar of the unhe althiness

r which lurked behind those t opic sands . Stories of

e ere he - r the far away Philippin s , wh t sun bu ne d voy

agers from the n ew world had been welcome d into

strange and b eautiful house s like those in an Arabian

’ Nights entertainment with windows of moth er of pearl

the let th e w to keep out sun and in light , ith dark pol

ished ﬂoors on which gleamed the cane furniture : and — — h often e e e of the r es t e story r p at d how in thi ti , three

vessels coming from three differ ent quarters of the

r globe all met in Manila ha bor . As they exchange d

s e esse the e f r salute , ach v l ran up Am rican ﬂag ; o those

s h ad ee h three ship , which b n ploughing t e se as from

the the er e one end of world to oth , w re three Boston

ships commande d by three Cap e Ann men ! Thrill — ing re citals and humorous ones told again and again

to the e ager e ars of listeners who had he ard them

many times before . The se adventurous se a captains brought back bits of

r -a- e e Oriental b ic brac , pi c s of sumptuous drapery and

odd carvings which still ornament their brave home

89 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

ad ste s where their portraits , painted in conscientious exactness , look unyieldingly forth upon the comings

s and going of the ir descendents . Much that was quaint and pleasing in that life is still treasured in the summer colony of East Gloucester

e e the where artists love to go , and wh r gardens of mea

ee dow sw t and deutzia , larkspur and roses which once delighte d the eyes of men home from sea are still fondly

s e tended . Many of the spar hops and s ine lofts , block

r ee e e and sailo Shops have b n chang d to studios , t a

’ rooms and antique shops : and many of the ﬁsherman s

e e e cottag s , and the plac s which handl d oil clothing and deep sea outﬁts have b een remodeled for the conven ience of the ﬂeeting summer guest . But the charm of

ee the e Gloucester has not b n lost in gradual volution , and the same rambling roads and unexpe ctedly per fe ct colonial doorways with balustraded fences and posts topped with great white balls and back yards nodding with sunﬂowers have been pre ciously pre serve d .

e e From East Gloucest r one may cross to Rocky N ck ,

e e e r where Champlain is said to hav land d , and gaz f om its ridge out on the inner harbor full of boats and bor dered with its utilitarian two- story sheds and build

s of e e r n ings , and see the ite the old Fort wh r child e

THE ROMANTIC SHORE which many pe opl e have forgotten and more have never known took its name from a fresh water spring

which was covere d at high tide . It is a ﬂawless drive or walk around the devious ” Gloucester shore from the top of the Point to Bass

Rocks with the ocean on the right where gayly clad

are i ni cin s the groups p c g , building ﬁre on rocks

r the e is the from d iftwood if ev ning chilly , and with

e e e golf links , summer cottages , hotels and littl s ttl

e e is e m nts on the left . This j oyous atmosph re quit

ffe e the er e di r nt from crud , dark r quaintness of

Marblehe ad : its happy informality quite unlike

the patrician digni ty of Sal em with which there has

ee s e . always b n a si t rly rivalry Gloucester , and par

ticul arl e e IS the y East Glouc st r , colony of all others on

the e e e r e North Shor paint d , lov d , w itt n about and live d in by artists who have never e xhausted its

p e culiar witchery . On Middle Street ther e survive several houses of

Re volutionary Days : th e on e which belonge d to th e — e She rr e r widow Judith Stev ns who ma i d Mu ray , — the e e s e e s found r of Univ r alism has two hug chimn y ,

n the s e e o e of them out of plumb , and two tory xt nsion

h r in t e re ar is pierce d with little po t hole windows.

s e O ne enters through a gate et in a panell d brick wall .

92 GLOUCESTER—FLOOD TIDE AND EBB

Under the gambrel roof of the Babson house is much valuable old furniture and even specimens of the pens

e . th onc used for the Slaves The Ellery house, e Stan

’ se at s e e wood hou We t Gloucest r , Byl s tavern at the entrance to Beachbrook Cemetery and the Briggs house at Annisquam are all of in terest to the hunter of antiques .

Should the sturdy builders of these homes return for a day to their earthly habitat , what would surprise them most? The scattering golfers on the well -kept links where there was onc e only b arreness and waste ? The populous summer hotels with their laughin g girls and white trousered youths? The artist with his easel and box of paints? The Italians and the Fixin s who are doing the work which the Gloucester boys once did? Or the Portuge se settlement on the high hill above the “ ” e the e e e h ad of harbor wher , in the lat ﬁfti s , a simple

e e in the es n volubl folk , fl eing from fam e at Azor , fou d a spot which closely resembled their old home ? A

be e mat chless view may had from this hill , giv n an oddly foreign touch by the glimpse of the church far

e s new e e below . It is , p rhaps , at thi Portug s church ,

her be arin g an image of Our Lady with a ship in hands , that the staunch old Puritans returning to e arth w“ould s gaze at most long and curiou ly . This church of Our

93 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

Lady of Good Voyage where on Whit Sunday the blessing of the loaves an d the covering ofth e Madonna

e e e re i e tak s place , strik s us as v ry p ttily na ve , r minding

er a e o Amalﬁ e . us of that oth ﬁshing vill g f , wh re St

e re e e Andrew the ﬁsh rman is duly v r nced . But doubt

less those stern non- conformists would see only idolatry

be e here , and would willing nough to stalk back to their

graves , where they would be undisturbed by any vision

of popery . And yet those first comers might better survey in pride that one time fishing settlement to which comes now an annual school more profitable than any e arlier — catch men and women in holiday humor and with memories of foreign travel and a taste for what is fit

. the e and n t ne ting to repaint , falling hous s repla t he g h lecte d . e , gardens Glouc ster has c anged hands , it is

e e e . t ru , but it is in good hands , nev rthel ss There is

no , conﬂict between those transitory groups who come “ ” t e s m m an for h . um er, onths d those gracious natives

who still maintain their spacious homesteads , and

dispense a hospitality far famed and j ustly founded .

one e r And yet , with all its evolutions , fanci s the e are two threads woven into the woof of what is called “ ” the atmosphere of Gloucester , which will never

an d a change : the ﬂowers, in window boxes in sm ll

CHAPTER !

A D ESERTED V ILLAGE — A deserted village so utterly forsaken and for so long that there is nothing left exc ept a few goose

e the e berry bushes and lilac tre s by c llars , a tumbling

—k stone wall and an overgrown cle aring : nothing not a — ’ stick that was ever part of man s habitation . This curious plate au be tween Rockport and Glou

e — e e e oest r roughen d by hug bould rs , its unnatural solitude forever undisturbed except for an adven

n e r e turo s cow or a stray b r y picker , its stre ts and yards so completely obliterated that if you were not looking for it you might pass through and never

96 A DESERTED VILLAGE — re aliz e that this was the place this is Dogtown

Common .

e e are er r e er e Ruin d citi s v y ar in Am ica, sp ecially those that were inhabite d by white p eopl e whose

d ecen dents are living today . But Dogtown not only

r on e r e a h e i has a histo y , but which is fai ly w ll ut nt

cat ed for r e s s e s h , a ch ologi t and g ologist and local is tori ans e the er es the , fascinat d by v y blankn s of spot , have investigate d an d ferrete d about an d r e constructed and compare d gossip and ancient re cords until they

e e e er e re e e hav pi ced tog th a v ry comp h nsibl account .

To get to Dogtown from Gloucester is the thir h f teenth labor of H ercul es. T e ew“map s and written directions usually add truthfully : but the roads do

er e th e r re not quite int s ct , and o al di ctions which

one gleams from colloquial advisors run something like the playful information which Launc elo“t Gobbo e re e en d offere d his fath r , and not inf qu ntly ; keep on

e s r e e e s s r after the road g t ott n , but wh n it g t o otten ’ — ’ you can t keep on any more that s Dogtown

Common .

sa ‘ e im assa Nee dl ess to y , this d vious way is p

r e cer ble fo r a carriage o an automobil , and in

s tain we athers for p e destrians. Swamp and thick

ets and blin d paths surround it as z ealously as a

97 THE RO MANTIC SHORE

vigilant mother guarding an unalluring daughter

She e e on e tr whom is sur som will y to kidnap. No one wants t o do anything to Dogtown exc ept look

e e at it , but that innocuous d sir is fanne d into an in tense passion for achievement in the process of plowing

e e r through a swamp or two , climbing f nc s , tea ing clothe s on bushes and snags and scratching hands and faces on briars and losing the barely p erc eptibl e

e e e thread of a path a doz n tim s ov r . But if you are anything of an explorer by the time you hav e fathome d

’ ’ the intricacies of D ennison s road and Whale s Jaw

e n e er ee (if you com from A nisquam! or W bst Str t ,

e e Railcut Lamb L dg , Hill and Parting Path (if you come from East Gloucester! or the old Sandy Bay road (if you come from Pigeon Cove ! you will e merge upon the hidden village with the triumphant thrill of Cortez When he stood upon that p e ak in — an s e s a Darien . And it is oddly impre siv pot rock strewn waste e ncircle d by a girdle of woodland and a — r one e e r e mo e distant of sea r v aling no t ac , until on e

e the re examines it minut ly, of hund d families who

r live d here two c enturie s ago . If you a e meticulous you will draw a ﬁne distinction between Dogtown

n ar Village and Dogtow Common , but if you e merely curious yo u will be quite content with any arrival at any section of what was once Dogtown . It was

THE ROMANTIC SHORE a boom town in the West when the railroad turns el se where . Fragments of gossip still linger ab“out the place er ee h gossip about Tammy Young , qu n of t e ” e - e e she e witch s , sharp tongu d and profan , whos

n e e e c ellar is the ﬁrst o as you nt r by Fox Hill . Tam

e e e was es res e my , whos r al nam nothing l s imp siv

T homaz in e e as e as s re the than , smok d w ll wo , and handsome snuff box which was found in the c ellar not so very long ago seems to indicate that she also f took snu f . Gossip about Old Ruth , a mulatto who call e d herself John Woodman and dresse d like a man and built stone walls and whose name is commemo

’ e in s e e : er r er r rat d Ruth L dg about East Ca t , a isto r e the — r c atic and poor , who liv d in only two sto y house in Dogtown and picke d berries and told fortunes for

the en d h r her scanty living . Toward of e life and the en d of Dogtown days her house was an obj ective for er for she e e picnick s , would boil th “m a cabbag for the r the their dinner . Thus o igin of cabbage dinner ” picnic which is still a Cape Ann institution . Molly and Judy Rhime s were not at all re sp e ctable : Peter

Lurvey was a revolutionary patriot of no me an r er : se re e wa o d Johnny Morgan , who al nam s Morgan

e s e s Stanwood , mad a living cobbling ho in a hut “ ” e was und r a rock , and his Boo , or Booth , one of

1 00 A DESERTED VILLAGE

’

s r s . Dogtown s mo t familia ights Captain Isaac Dade ,

er e e r e aft a lif of adv ntu e , cam back to Glouc ester

r with a cha ming Southern wife . Fancy lingers a moment about the woman who had b een a friend of the Washingtons and whose youth had op ene d on the

e res r wid ac of a Vi ginia Plantation , and whose ﬁnal

e ere the e days clos d h in littl village of Dogtown .

There are re cords of most of the Dogtown inhabit ants: who they married and when they die d : there are scraps of rumors about the most picturesque of — ‘ — them more or less irrel evant or p ertinent which

h r e e s e r t e . e e e e hav p r ist d th ough yea s But n v rth l ss , there is in this deserte d tableland an indescribable

r s ense of desolation . It is a singula thing to stand in a place from which every trac e of life has been

The s s obliterate d . mooth hill of Carthage over which the shee p graz e pe acefully is not swept cl e aner of human impress than this . For although we can

e r e the e re e rs n ever r p oduc lif of two hund d y a ago , yet in towns and citi es where that life h as gone on

re th e s se the re without a b ak , pa t has fu d with p sent

r h as a current runs into th e sea . But he e there asb een

e e s no continuation , only a d cay and th n a vani hing .

ere is s e s s e e T“h a adn s in thi compl t oblivion , Where once the cottage stood and hawthorne gr ew — an infinite pathos in the gray solitude from which the flush of life has fled . 1 01 CHAPTER ! I

TH E RO MANCE OF ROC K PO RT

A network of black wires against a serene Sky the hardly p erceptible tremor of the arm of a mighty derrick : and the sheer cold sides of a granite quarry not unsuggestive of the concre te sides of the Panama

its e We Canal in its smoothness and str ngth . are in

e th e e Rockport , that littl town on North East rn tip of Cape Ann whose quie t ﬁelds have bee n split wide and forced to deliver up their tons of tons of granite

r w s gray and red and g een . As e tand here on the

i e e so e ee e brink of th s cold pr cipic , cl anly , d ply h wn ,

t e we seem to be looking down into ano h r world ,

1 02 e a ix hun dred acres of uarr and ﬁnishin cuttin and re are more th ns q y l , g , g polishi ng sheds in Rockport : th ere are wh arves and sloopes and

tow b oats to assist in carrying away the vast output . ROMANCE OF ROCKPORT

the e e as and now wat r , cl ar air and bitterly deep ,

e r r i lies for ve in its changeless prison . The e s some

e e s re s thing in xpr ssibly omb about thi immutable , sharp- cornere d pool with rough bushe s fringing the

r e e e ee s the ree the r ha sh dg wher it m t g n of pastu es .

O ne cannot help but wondering whether this maj estic — mass of stone helpless under the machinations of

man b eing dumbly hacke d and hewed into a million , — paving blocks did not feel an in articluate relief that

e r ee s e e s e its grand u had b n par d , wh n , il ntly and

the r e r e the irresistibly , wate came bbing in and d ov

men and the ir machinery out .

Many reﬂections pass before ones fancy here in

for r e this little se a bound town , Rockpo t has a path tic

r e e e history . Sandy Bay Harbo , pass d by s v nty thous

and vessels annually and on the route of practically

all the ships that ply b etwee n Maine and the Pro

is e e ice has e e e vinces and Boston , n v r bound and xc ll nt

e e or e holding ground . Th r are no bars intricat

s e er r : the channels , as in Bo ton and Glouc st harbo s if

ocean line rs should come in here they could save the

time of the trip on to Boston or N ew York and could

e er. ere re dock e asily in the de p wat Why not , th fo ,

make this convenient refuge the transatlantic termin

the re e s s e us, into which g at v ssel hould st am , and out

1 05 THE ROMANTIC SHORE of which should spread a ne twork of railroads carrying passengers and fre ight all over the coun try ? This was the ide a which ﬁxe d itself close to Rock ’ 1 port s he art . As far back as 835 a petition was pre

e e the e e s nt d to Gov rnm nt begging for a survey . It was sixty ye ars before the Governm ent took steps in

e 1 885 e e s the matter , and th n , in aft r som di creet

e e the ﬁve prodding , it comm nc d work on million dollar h e e . t e er br akwat r Rockpor , aft r half century of pa

x tient waiting , blossomed forth into brilliant e pec f a ion e e e . r e t t and tr m ndous fort Rail oads , wharv s , and piers were planne d ; the ﬁrst transatlantic cable was brought in here ; the little Cape Ann town pic

e ture d itself as a port of int rnational signiﬁcanc e . And then the appropriations began to dribble off;

n . e e the intere st b ega to ﬂag Now aft r thirty y ars , the appropriations have stopp e d altogether and the

e e breakwater is only o ne third done . P opl smile at

e e ﬂour Rockport . How ridiculous for a littl villag to ish such grandiloque nt ambition ! What if the bre ak water were built and did make the harbor safe ? Who

s e ss would want to start , or top , from such an inacc i

e s s ble place The vision fad d , as vi ion do , and only

e the unﬁnishe d breakwater , a painful remind r of a

1 06

CHAPTER ! II

IN AN AN N I SQU AM GARD EN — It is morning it is springtime-m in Annisquam !

the e - r e s Through fram of a gray ba k d pergola , cantily

e e ree er ee e s re v il d by a faintly budding c p , d p n a pictu :

ee r e i a slop e of gr n tu f , a tumbling ston wall w th a

r the r arm clump of ough shrubbery in c ook of its , the pl easant roof and white chimneys of a house half

h f far e the e way down t e cli f , and , far b low blu and

B th es opale scent calm of Ipswich ay . To e W t

h e e the e re r s across t e wat r , sw ll whit ir gula and dunes of Essex : dark moors lie like the shadows of clouds

1 08 ROMANCE OF ROCKPORT

h h upon their shifting steeps . To t e North and to t e East the sky vault arches in a vast low sweep abov e

r s the watery plain . The e is a my tical expectancy in the intense tranquility of the se a and the celestial

e r r lav ender of the heavens. W hold ou b e ath l est h r rr t e adianc e b e sti e d .

Where are there other gardens like these seaside gardens of Annisquam? Where else may the wanderer

his n es e r s e push u mol t d way th ough winging gat s ,

r ss r r s r s ac o f ont ya d and back yards , half g a s and half

d e e e s e r boul er , b tw n gap of ston walls , across a nar ow ,

r er W s e - r r dusty oad, und a i t ria hung a bo , along a dim tangle of little paths that twist and turn and l ead at last into secret shy inclosures where a bird bath or a weatherst ain ed marble sundial stands half sunken in — — the gr een grass? Somewhere somewhere a vague

e s vision forms and fad s . What do the e crudely

e e e e e s s r h wn st pping ston s b n ath our feet , thi t ip of

r e e i er — narrow ve dur on ach s de , bord ed not too — r b rr e e e e st aightly y na ow b ds , guard d by tall v r — greens and walled in by a l e isurely he dge what do they suggest? This thin parterre of Lombardy popu lars standing between us and the dazzling blue of sea and sky ; these violets clinging close to the shaggy rocks an d the pal e tan mushrooms that glimmer in

1 09 s o e of reen turf the easant roof and white chimn e s o f a house A l p g , pl y lf own the c iff and far e ow the ue and ha way d l , , b l , bl B opalescent calm of Ipswi ch ay .

THE ROMANTIC SHORE

r e r b two gray ampho a stand in d owsy dignity, and e fore us in a half fram e of rustic post and unfolding

r ee er s e r ea Vi ginia cr p hang a for g ound of s , a back

of sk se r e ground y , pa at d only by the white line of

The Essex sand . picture sweeps out beyond the — s its e : — — es conﬁne of fram out out to East to W t , — over our heads and under our feet we are in the

e re r The pe arly c enter of a blu and d aming sphe e . picture is more than a picture . it is a revelation to be

mirrore d forever on the soul .

The wholesome smell of fresh cut grass : the ﬂash

of a vire o : the hushed rhythm of the waves upon the

Lighthouse B e ach : lilacs purpling and apple trees

— we ar ﬂowering white no e not in Capri , but on the

is —it high shore of Cape Ann . It morning is spring — time in Annisquam !

1 1 2 CHAPTER ! III

ECCL ESIASTI CAL IPSW ICH

The main street sparsely line d with small nu e s r s e se f verish shop , ci cum p ct hou s and neat low

r es r r er buildings , cu v a ound a co n , climbs at leis

. rre r N ew ure up an i gula England hill , and then

r e e e stops , as if to d aw a cont mplativ br ath , at

h r i the foot of t e G een . It s not merely the for mation of th e town which brings us to the foot of the G reen and to the base of that gray rocky le dge upon which p erches with gentl e and som

h r r e n bre dominanc e t e Fi st Chu ch . It is mor tha

is re n s r e topography , it mo tha hi to y ; it is romanc

F r s ree the e . o and sentim nt thi G n, with smooth pretty patches of grass at the interse ction of the cross

e r the a e e s s re roads , b a ing nci nt monum nt and till mo

the r has ancient cannon , and ab upt old crag which

1 1 3 THE ROMANTIC SHORE carried upon its crest a church for ne arly three hun

e the e h n e e t e . dre d y ars , compris symbolic c nt r of tow

‘ It is impossible t o glanc e even casually over the history of Ipswich without b eing impresse d by its e ccles1 asti cism : indeed the history of t he town seems sometime s hardly more than the history of the church — , s in for all other development social , political and — dustrial ﬂowed to and from this c entral motive

The during its formative ye ars . old days when the

s s pre acher was timed by an hour gla s , and his alary shortene d in proportion to the shortening of the dis course : of de acons and tithing men : of men seated on

the e e e the e one side of c nter aisl and wom n on oth r , and muskets stacked outside the door : th e old days

s r e when praying , voting , publi hing of ma riag s , notice s

e r e e of town interest, requ sts for p ay r and xpressions of thanksgiving were all carried on in the single build ing which was town house and meeting house in one

he e s ers t old days wh n mini t in bands and gowns ,

e s e rs ffs j udges in scarl t , pri on in cu and chains and p eople in Sunday clothes or weekday ones entere d and departe d in pursuit of their various business these days which held the essence of the life of the

“ community waxed and wane d on this very spot which — e e e re still stands the s lf sam outlin of half ba , half

1 1 4

THE ROMANTIC SHORE

sense of security and there was no longer a need for a 1 74 . 9 garrison house In , still another meeting house — was raise d upon this spot a spacious n ew one with — a needle spire and double doors with bobbine d pe ws

and a sounding board . This was used until a century

ago when the present building was de cide d upon

s a th a brave little meeting hou e , maint ining e ancient

traditions in excellent spirit and holding its spire

e r steady and high , visible for mil s a ound .

There is hardly a foot of this Green but re calls the

e e the e past . Wh r monum nt now stands in modest aloofness was once enacte d the homely custom of

colle cting the hogs in the morning so that Abraham

War and Goodman Symond might drive them to the

e Commons . At sunrise Dani l Bosworth blew his

horn an d the village cows were gathered in similar

fashion and were thence conducte d to the public — d the e e e pasture lands , outsi e town limits vid nc that

Ipswich even at that early date had grasped the ad

the e e n vantage of some of f atur s of commu ism . On the South East corner of the Green was the town

W e e pound , here thos animals which were not plac d

’ e e ere e und r Dani l Bosworth s chaperonage w impal d . There was a watch house on the south side of the

Fi st hu h en u e and e im r C rc , t feet sq ar , b aring the

1 1 6 ECCLESIASTICAL IPSWICH

re e e The e p ssiv nam of Old Me ting House Fort .

was as e e e n the This built a d f nc agai st Indians , and the town re cords state with cle arness that every male

e e e e r adult ov r ighte n , of ve y family , including sons , ” servants and soj ourners was liable to watch house duty . Some one was oblige d to be there every

e r the mom nt , both to gua d small stock of ammunition and tokeep an eye out for the prowling Indians who — , , e e ere e e e e so e e e how v r , w a v ry p ac abl lot p ac abl , in

the e e e fact , that no occasion for fort v r aros , and in

1 702 was e the be it vot d that rocks should sold , and the e e proc eds us d toward buying a town clock . As t e had the e n h y a sundial , and as s xton , Simon Pi dar, was instructe d to ring the church bell every morning

ﬁ e the e e e o at v , good p opl of Ipswich had ev ry ppor tuni ty to know and improve e ach shining hour . Although the settl ement was l eft in pe ace it did not

e e wa e relax its vigorous standards . Th r s no pr ssure

t he es from without , but stern dictat from within

r f e e never falte ed . No town o ﬁc s were giv n to any

be but church memb ers . A man could not a hog reeve un til he had exp erienced a change of heart :

b re fenc e viewers had to e in good and gular standing , and the town crier must b e sound on the que stion of

as e original sin . Today one surv ys the tranquil ham

1 1 7 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

let re the S e e , unstir d by tamp d of progress, it is not difﬁcult to understand the pure simplicity of two

ﬁn centuries ago . Many e old houses still stand in

e e e re s digniﬁ d sobri ty , xp s ions now and then of self respecting inhabitants : the same wide ple asant streets , e er e ee s elm shad d , trail , div g , m t , cros and separate in the old leisurely way : the same lovely hills still

e e r the s hold the villag in th i cup , and ame river winds Y e the es. e s slowly und r bridg , it is easy to re con

Is wi ch th struct the p of long ago , for e Ipswich of

e today r tains much of its lingering charm . Should you make the easy ascent to the Town Hill and look South you will see the soft hills in an irre

- e r r the gular semi circl to you ight , with village safely

' i e the r er tucked nto the vall ys , iv winding from the

ee the sea , turning the wh ls of great hosiery mills

w e e which not only bring Ips ich comm rc , but bring

the e er e her , too , v ry mod n probl ms of immigration ; for the mills are ﬁll e d with Gre eks and Armenians

l e e e h and Po es , with th ir own s ttl ments on t e other

e s r side of town , th ir own tanda ds of living , their own

r e e e forms of wo ship and th ir own id as of r cre ation .

The river which one can see so cl early from here is salt at high tide up to th e point where it goes under — the Choate Bridge the ﬁrst stone arch bridge built in

1 1 8

ECCLESIASTICAL IPSWICH

es are e : s r dun visibl Plum Island , the in pi ation of much that is tuneful in the verse of this section of the

s e e e e country , tr tch s gray and whit and gr en to the

ne see e h l eft . O can from Cap Ann to t e dim Isle of

e r an d th e Shoals on a cl a day , conformation of the

r r shore cu iously suggests Dorsetshi e . That bar on which the surf is foaming will always be a thorn in the

e e e s side of r m mbranc , for without it Ip wich might have had the prestige of Salem as a shipping port — , and might even so e arnest antiquarians insist h have been t e capital of Massachusetts . — One cannot appre ciate the be ach road the Argilla

— e : is e h Road from h re it best to tak a carriage . T e

South Congregational Church and the Common are — at the other end of town a handsome pillare d build

s e e h ing and a hand om wid common , and t e road which winds from here to the summer settlement is

F r s ar . e e e e handsome , too o umm r p opl coming to

the se an d the Ipswich now , and big old farm hou s

re e e e e s little ones a being r mod l d , som time with bad

e e the n ew de taste but generally with good , to m t

e e e e enl r e mands. Th r are cottag s quit simply a g d by a veranda and a dormer or two : there are mansions with two chimneys and gamb reled roofs which nee ded

es no enlarge ment but only a fr h coat of white paint ,

’ *A deli ght fully appropri ate spot t o t urn t o M organ s well known line s on

89. Ipswi ch . Page 1 1 21 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

e are e e th and ther new hous s , half hidd n by e woods or set boldly out upon the plains. A Boston archi tect e e se h has v n built a windmill , clo ly following t e hexagonal outline s of those quaint specimens occasion

e n e e e e ally se n o Cap Cod . Th s sam summer resi dents have plante d Lombardy poplars beside the

the e winding road from town , and long distanc s b etween the dwellings is ple asantly broken by the

e s n thin and graceful shade . O n mu t ot leave this se ction of Ipswich without stopping to stare at the

e new e e e gr at stat of a Chicago millionair , conspicuous

s e upon a hill overlooking the sea . It tr tche s out in

e admirabl proportions , with its many rooms and

s e er e gardens , its tabl s and s vants quart rs and its — swimming pool a far cry indee d from the day

e e the e se ere i when v n b st hou s w two stories h gh . In those days the large white oak timbers

the e s the Showe d inside ﬁnish d room , and windows

r ee ee fee e e we e thr f t long and two t wid , with littl

- e e e three inch diamond panes set in l e ad . Th y op n d h e e e . T e out , eith r in halv s or in a solid piec doors of th e we althy had diagrams marke d upon them set in le ad lines with brass nails driven at th e points of the

e : the s e e e angle s . Lim was unknown wall w r daub d

e e with clay mixe d with straw , or plast r d with a sort of

1 22

THE ROMANTIC SHORE

her e in about ev r since , the hill still bears a name

her e the e t memory of , and lov rs climb in springtim o

he e e e h e e s Sit upon t l dg wh re s us d to tand , and pledge

their faith .

e s The leg nds , which draw a hining ring about the

e e . whole North Shor , clust r thickly here At the Green they will Show you the very spot where

he e —i e t Devil , enraged , disgust d or alarmed t do s — not sp e cify at he aring Whiteﬁeld thunder out his

e e e t rrible sermon to a vast outdoor audi nce , leap d down from the church roof where he had been perch h ing , and his cloven foot struck deep into t e rock . You may put your foot in the very print if you are

not convinced . The story brings us back to the Meeting House and

e as s e are . An the Gr en , Ip wich stori s apt to do d ,

e see e e es having com back , we half a doz n plac s of inter t

r r he which we overlooke d befo e . Whe e t gray M eth

the r se odist Church now stands was Cou t Hou , where Daniel Webster and Choate and Story made

e e e e s e th ir loqu nt pl a , and wh re two town houses

e s s have lived out th ir day of u efulness . A few

e n r e doors down is the S mi a y , mad famous by the

. e labors of that ardent ducator , Mary Lyons , before

she went to Mt . Holyoke . It was a fashionable

r e r in a e 1 . C elia Thaxter tells the sto y mor p ettily verse . P g 1 9

1 24 ECCLESIASTICAL IPSWICH school Sixty-ﬁve years ago : one of the very ﬁrst to

ffe e s e o r s riou and scholarly cours s to young ladies , whose parents hithertofore had considere d it quite

f e e s e e h su ﬁci nt for th m to li p a littl Fr nc , paint velvet h an d tinkle on the piano . Many of t e present in habitants of Ipswich remember the Seminary in

hal con e its y days , when pupils cam from Canada,

the e s e from middl we t and the south to att nd , and the most exclusive families in town felt honored to re ceive them as boarders . If their childish impression

ce n e of a most amazingly modern pla still li g rs , to us the curriculum of those days sounds quite whimsically

e n —if w the reverse . What Femal Semi ary e had — Female Sem“inaries in the twentieth century would announce The Analogy of Natural and Reve ale d ” Religion to the C onstutitional Course of Nature and “ ” “ The Evidences of Christianity and Intellectual ” Philosophy among its prescribed courses? An d

s what Female Seminary , fa hionable or not, could state

f i today with truth ulness that its weekly pr ce of board ,

be includin g lights and washing , would How

its was one the s res ever , in day this of mo t highly

e e Lar pected institutions in the country , wh r Lucy com and Mary Lyons taught with zeal , and which

n i mi many distinguishe d wome , ncluding Gail Ha lton

1 25 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

. e . and Mrs Jam s G Blaine , have been proud to call their Alma Mater .

Just above the seminary was the home of Elizab eth

n e Brow , who made black bobbin lac for a living , and who combined religion and comfort so inge niously

es s e that she d erve comm moration . On cold Sundays

her e it was wont to carry a tin foot stov to church ,

e . She e e ﬁll d with turf coals buri d two potato s in it ,

s e e and while Mr . Fri bi preach d his long and wintry e s e the s rmon , the turfs accompli h d two fold purpose

th e e ee her ee of baking potato s and k ping f t warm . In the intermission b etween the morning and after

e e noon servic s , Elizab th Brown placidly extracte d

e ate e e s re e her potato s , th m at l i u and was r ady for the

The e e e next session . sit wh r Aaron Cogswell found the whipping post and pillory which were once the integral part of ev ery well ordere d N ew England

r e the he community , is ma k d by elms which plante d

e e r se re a gentl r monum nt to histo y than tho grim lics .

Not far b eyond is the plac e where Anthony Potter

e e was e for e r e lived , he whos wif ﬁn d w a ing a silk bonn t

r the the is to chu ch . At bottom of hill the tavern

e e where Washington and Lafay tte onc stayed . Thus the half dre aming town of Ipswich still

he s e e dreams on , for t mill and th ir employ es are quite

1 26

THE ROMANTIC SHORE

e e . e ev ry dir ction Th y were always rather common ,

u se s s e of co r , but ubstantial and ho pitabl , and there

e s is something j olly about th ir habby outline s . As

e ee s e we walk the qui t str t , we f el as if we were in a

c e ongregation of old ladies , fashionabl or dowdy ,

w e e e do n at the he l or smartly r model d , but undeniably

a i . e old l d es The antiqu shops , the summer people

and l e e —the Historica Society have claim d som of them reclaimed in the last instance as the old

e e e 1 3 he Whipple Hous , built b for 6 8 and now t head

e e s r e quarters of a progr ssiv Hi to ical Soci ty, testiﬁes .

’ - r the This weather beaten landma k , ﬁrst of Ipswich s historic al obj ects to catch the e ye of the p assin g or

e alighting tourist , and containing a mus um worth a

e the r a n thoughtful surv y , is pat i rch of that co grega

' tion of venerable dames , which we may picture as

se e o and coming to life again , dat ly going t church discussing with discreet cheerfulne ss whether or not o ne might attain to san ctiﬁcation and yet be

e e a damned , wheth r imm rsion here will s ve from ﬁre

a e here after , and whether God m de H ll when He

made the rest of the Universe . For the old Ipswich was a godly Ipswich : a theo

logical , sternly orthodox community . No lure of

no n the meadows in spring time , beckoni g of river or

1 28 ECCLESIASTICAL IPSWICH

call of the sea turn e d their faces away from the Church

er r w in ma i founded lit ally upon a ock , orshipped , rr ed i and r ” an d e w a so m n buried f om , plac d ith pr yerful le nity in the high c enter of the town .

1 29 CHAPTER ! IV

THE W H ITTI E R COU NTRY

There are certain personalities which seem as char acteristic of the soil from which they Sprung as do

r native fruit and ﬂowers. And there a e certain regions which have been so enshrine d in the life and art of a poet or painter that always afterwards they

n be ar the impre ss of that poet or painter. O e cannot pass through that fairest of all the N ew

— sse s England country E x County , along the bank — of the M errimac without a perme ating re alization of what this lovely and yet viril e scenery might

r me an in the developme nt of a sensitive natu e .

if h he ee And t e be auty of Kenoza Lake and t sw t ,

1 30

THE RO MANTIC SHORE

e e e the l av s , cranking of machin s and handling of money and all the paraphernalia of modern life can not do better the n to fare forth to the birthplace of o ne whose spirit eve n more than his poetry is one of the purest products and on e of the ﬁnest heritages of

Massachusetts .

e r Haverhill is a busy mod rn city , and although the e are places in it conne cte d with the e arly days of

e the e he Whitti r , such as Acad my from which grad

we e e e e . uat d, yet it is not h r that ﬁnd his tru habitat

Three miles from the city hall in what is calle d the — East Parish of Haverhill is the birthplace three miles of curving road with a trolley every half hour or so three miles of woodland and hills with contours as

et the soft as any Italian mountain , and y with singular strengt h which distinguishes the N ew World from

e r the old . What is it that mak s this charming count y

e with its highlands and lowlands , its lak s and stre ams

e r? h not enervating but crisply , b autifully fai Is it t e

e e s the e h sturdiness of the ev rgr en , rough sid s of t e

e er? boulders , the not too languid rippl of the wat As we take the pleasant road toward East Haverhill we understand how the forces of Nature molde d the aspiration and forme d the taste “of the lad who walke d e e the her oft n , his eyes upon opulence of hill and

1 32 THE WHITTIER COUNTRY lakes and his he art musing on the wonders of r H e r c eation . who would app oach the Whittier country in a mood of sympathy should not whizz

e r through it in an automobil , but walk at leisu e and at leisure pause to dre am .

he e the is e so s e T lak on right K noza, chri t ne d by

e e the Whitti r , and the bright she t of water and idyllic — hills one of them crowne d with a castle more suggestive of the romanc e of Europ e than that of

— ee America now a public park , have all b n caught and

h h s e h held in isrhyme . T e mall r lake on t e left is a hundre d feet higher than Kenoza and far above most h h of the houses in the city . T e valley in which t e birthplace stands is almost dramatically picturesque .

The e e e s r s slop is g ntl , the spla hing b ook twi ts and

r es e the ees da ts in rippl , and the farmhous through tr

e e r gl eams whit as a farmhouse should . P eac b oods

h s re h r over t e pot on d aming wings , and all t e visito s

h r that come cannot disturb er deep t anquility .

The N ew England farmhouse has become a phrase in our vocabularies connoting the simplicity that i s

r Th comely and the plainness that is efreshing . e square house in which Whittier was born in 1 807

re e 1 88 was built by his g at grandfath r in 6 , and with

the the lilacs blooming by front door, the white well

1 33 THE ROMANTIC SHORE s weep near , the old fashioned garden , the wall of na , ee e tive stone and the scr n of mapl , walnut , pine and ash trees , it is as delightfully and wholesomely

i a typ c l as the imagination could desire . The barn is a ’ cross the street , longer than it was in the poet s

e e day , but the sam distanc from the house that it was when the boys tunnelled their way through it to the snow drifts .

Our buskins on our feet we drew ; e With mitten d hands and caps drawn low, ec s To guard our n ks and ear from snow, e e s We cut the solid whit n s through .

the e e And where drift was de p st , made e A tunn el , walled and ov rlaid ” With dazzling crystal .

And through this they

e the e r ached barn with m rry din . ” And the e es roused prison d brut within .

e O ne enters the house by a sid door , through a

a e sm ll entry into a long , old fashion d kitchen , low

me e the i ceilinged , rough bea d , a braid d mat on w de boarded ﬂoor before the huge ﬁreplace ; straight

the e e s backed chairs beside well scrubb d tabl , a pin — ning wheel and an ancient desk one which belonged

1 34

THE WHITTIER COUNTRY scrupulous exactness with which this room h as b een

r ser e h as r e e air ex p e v d , and it p oduc d a hush d of

ta ion the e re e pec t , as if man who liv d the for tw nty

e s b e e nine y ar might coming in any mom nt , and would

his th e e r r hang up coat on a nail by nt y doo , pull out one of the wooden bottome d chairs toward the ﬁre hi e e s s . plac , and chang boots , country fa hion There

s hiss e the e r even tand a pair of ho s on h a th , unfashion

e s e the e h abl , olidly mad , typical of plac and of t e * rustic boy who wore them .

In a little room at the western end of the kitchen ; up

e e the t e he two st ps high r than ki ch n , is t small cabin —“ ’ ” like chamb er Mother s Room . H ere again is that touching preservation of detail which makesus sensi ble ere e er s e e of an atmosph which is n ith pa t nor pr s nt ,

e but curiously embalme d b tween . For although upon the four- post bed there are still spr ead the sheets and

’ e Whittier s e e blankets wov n by moth r , some of th m

her e e th e e is he be aring maid n nam , although bur au t self same piece which has sto o d here for so many gen

ra ions the e ss is was e t , and littl shaving gla that which use d by Whittier throughout his life both here and at — Amesbury although the small chamb er still retains

r e e e e et we the Quaker a tl ssn ss of arrang m nt , y do not feel the pulse of life . P erhaps it is the fragments of

*The visi to r who wishes t o recall some of the best of Sn owboun d will

ﬁnd it on page 1 94 . 1 37 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

’ e ic baby cloth s , wh h once were worn by Whitti er s father and then were thriftily passed on to his son and are now carefully pressed bene ath glass and hanging

the ic e e on wall , wh h infus som thing of the airof a museum to the apartment . A sense of sol emnity gath ers within us as we stand in the midst of these

e e e e f things xpressiv of a deeply stablish d mode of li e , while that life itself has vanished .

In the room where Whittier was born we notice the quaintly mode st piece s of furn iture which were part

’ e of his moth r s bridal outﬁt . The unpretentious little

d e the e mahogany car tabl , demure red paint d chest , the cabinets containing intimate mementos of the

an n family . Brass diro s , candle sticks and whale oil lamps still shine as in the day of the energetic house

the keeper , and on the shelves books which Whittier handle d as a boy stand where the y stoo d then . It is

a s s e all very ne t , very substantial , almo t amu ingly fr e — from ornamentation of any kind a ﬁtting environ ment inde ed for the youth of the man to whom there

e e e e e was no b e auty so xc ll nt as moral b auty, no lur so

e e are e e strong as the b e ckoning of duty . Th r s v ral

r e e r e po traits of him here , int r sting as po traits of int r esting pe ople must be in Showing the gradual changes

e al which years work upon them . Th re is something

1 38

THE ROMANTIC SHORE

On the Country Bridge road on the way to Rocks

e isthe e ee or r s e h villag old P asl , Gar i on , hous , t e home ’ — of Whittier s gre at grandmother the one who brought

e h Quak rism into t e family . It was built with bricks

e 1 675 h brought from England befor , and in t e time of

’ e e ee e th King Phillip s war was us d as a r fug shelt r , as e port- hol es in its thick sides and the compartments in

h r t e e e . are te c lla still t stify Its walls of whi oak , sixteen

e the are e e inch s thick , and bricks fast n d with iron bolts .

e e is r e u ee Th r a touch of omanc abo t it , with its d p win

r dow seats and closets and attics. T adition has it that

the se e er e Quakers u d to hold th ir quart ly meetings her , w as they were not allo e d to worship in Haverhill . All

the nine miles from here to Amesbury have been often

‘ — the as e en he travelled by poet , a littl boy wh was

drive n chattering with the cold to the meeting house — on Po Hill as a lad when he traverse d these miles on

e he re e the e r foot , and as man wh n produc d N wbu y

the e s the er hills , glimps s of Ip wich Bay and south n

s re s ranges of the N ew Hamp hi Mountain , going back

r in his memory over the well known oad .

r here the ﬁft - e e ere Amesbu y , w last y six y ars of his lif w

the e e er spent , has not charm of Hav rhill , and n ith has the house where he live d the dire ct appe al of his birth

I e e place . t is an ordinary sort of building , int r sting

1 40 THE WHITTIER COUNTRY only because of many meme ntos which are on exhi

i e e e the bit on within . H re is a can mad from wood of his ofﬁce in Philadelphia which was burne d by a pro

e 1 858 the e e slav ry mob in , and of all can s giv n him some of them valuable and one of them made from the — wood of the house where Barbara Freitchie lived this

h n was t e only o e he ever carrie d . In the drawer of the “ ” desk on which Snowbound was written is an album

re e e e h p s nt d him on his ightieth birthday . It contains t e autographs of every member of the Unite d States Sen ate the e e e e he and Hous of R pres ntativ s , t Supreme

the e e - Court of Unit d States , the Gov rnor , Ex Gover nor and the Supreme Court of Massachusetts and many other distinguished names . One likes to notic e that not one single Southern Congressman or Senator failed to sign his name to a tribute designed for the most ardent of abolitionists. In what he calle d his “ ” ee Garden Room practically nothing has b n altered .

e e —Garris n Thom The portraits of his fri nds hang her o ,

e e C n as Starr King , Em rson , Longf llow, Sturge , hi ese

n e e e Gordo and oth rs , and the books he plac d ther still stand upon their accustomed shelves . The carpet he

e e the he in the sel ct d , chair sat , the stove, various ‘ Th pie ces of furniture are all as he last saw them . e , — house is not elegant hardly attractive . The zeal for

1 41 THE ROMANTIC SHORE righteousness which so often goe s hand in hand with indifference to external delights is quite apparent in the commonplace accessories with which the Quaker bard surrounded himself . In the town of Amesbury are many place s made famous by the writings of one who was known from

“ ’ h ” ocean to ocean in his day . T e Captain s Well is down the road half a mile ; if you re ad the poe m by that name you will learn how Captain Valentine Bagley who had been shipwrecke d had vowe d that if he were ever rescued from the miserie s of hunger and thirst that he would dig a well by the roadside so that all thirsty p assersby might quench their thirst . The

e one the e s e story is a tru , and w ll stand th re to this — ee u embel day . The Friends M ting house severely n i —i i e and a l shed s n the oth r direction , silver plate

he a a marks t se t which the poet usu lly occupied . — “ Salisbury B e ach the scene of A Tent on the ” a now e n ot Be ch , cover d with cottages , is far away , nor asan e it i i is Ple t Vall y , a favor e walk of W“h tt er and his sister and comme morated in the River ” i . i si e Path The founta n on Mundy H ll may be vi t d , although the fountai n is a Espring and a Willow

s o ak e ion d in take the place of the m nt e the verse . — i i a al itc i Whitt er H ll , loc lly c led Wh her H ll , and

1 42

THE ROMANTIC SHORE something of the p ersonality of one who gathered with

in himself the most intense expression of what is best

he N ew er in t England charact . For it is as a person ality more than as a poet that

be e Whittier will long st re membere d . His verse is more valuable as a faithful document of a fair land than

as literature . His message was of spiritual rather than

artistic import : and his life more mysterious than his art .

And is this not true of all who h ave a spark of the divine genius? Only as a human life is in tune with the inﬁnite

e e e is that life beautiful , and only as its work xpr ss s that harmony shall that work endure . The words that Whittier wrote will b e cle ar to N ew England hearts for

e e e e many g n rations , but his lif of cons crated idealism ,

e e e e e of r solut , r v rent s lf sacriﬁce , passing into the stream of all humanconsciousness and elevating it by j ust as much as it bore within itself of spiritual rathe r — e e if we e e e than mat rial r ality , must beli v in the de p — er me aning of existenc e b e of imperishable signiﬁ

e e cance . For a pure soul d ep ning under the griefs an d sweetening under the j oys of earthly experience i e e o s the suprem po m of mankind , and that p em ,

’ humbly an d patiently wrought through Whittier s

s e long and u eful years of struggle , is writt n invisibly , ineradicably upon these hills forever .

144 CHAPTER ! V

CHARMING O LD NEW B U RY PORT

A serene and ancient town with square White man sions r anged on either side of the lOng elm shaded street s : a town with a drowsy Mall and a placid pond :

e e he e behind it l v l land , t ﬂat Rowl y marshes , the p e ac eful prairies of old Newbury : on one side the

e an e he e s and Merrimac Riv r , d b yond , t qui t sand

! e e ! sea . How still it is how l isur ly how undis turbe d!

A horse waits at the station without champing the driver strolls across the street and takes the reins

1 45 THE RO MANTIC SHORE

e r h loosely in a casual hand . You l an forwa d from t e

e s e back s at and pop a dozen curiou qu stions , to which the drawling answer serves rather as a se dative than

are e r —th a stimulant . You in N wbu yport e end of — the North Shore a town which has incre ase d only about ten per cent in twe nty ﬁve ye ars : whose

e e e r history has long sinc b en mad , but a histo y of such vigor th at the digniﬁe d somnolence of today

r must b e respecte d as the slumber of a wa rior .

ee e l s th As you s the p op e moving without ha te , e immemorial elms interweaving the ir mild shade across High Stre et which pac es for six miles parallel — with the river : as you see the big three story houses

o e d end with their wide halls running fr m n to , not much altered Sinc e the days when their merchants and West India captains issue d grandly forth from

e e e t he them , it is hard to beli v that this was onc most vital and passionate of N ew England towns : burning

B ritish tea in the public square before the Bostonians even Starte d on their te a party : refusing to use or pay for or touch a British stamp : s ending out our first privateers which rake d in B ritish commerce to the tune of many millions : building the first ship that e er flew e the es v an Am rican flag on Tham , carrying

’ a broomstick on her p e ak- after Van Tromp s fashion

1 46

THE RO MANTIC SHORE

e the the T n s the h re , as did Springs , y g , Chase s .

s s the Caleb Cu hing , ﬁr t mayor of town , attorney general of the United States and commissioner to

s e the r China, Nichola Pik , author of ﬁrst Ame ican

s arithmetic ; William Lloyd Garri on , whose birth

e Wheelri ht place may still be se n ; William g , author of the gre at South American railroad system ; Josiah Bartlett one of the signers of the D e claration of , — Indep endence the name of her distinguishe d sons

an d of e is a legion , many thos names still continue on the ir native he ath .

fﬁ e e e It is di cult to r aliz that this un ventful town , sleeping under the summer sun or muffl e d in the winter

e e r r e . snow , merg d from a histo y of extrao dinary viol nce

They even had earthquakes here in the e arly days

e — a ﬂ h over two hundred of th m with ro rings , and as

a he ings of ﬁre running long t ground , fissures rending the

a t e e and rocks , cell rs split ing op n , chimn ys walls fall

r e e ing , ﬂoating islands fo ming , tons of whit sand b ing

e e ﬂung out to burn lik brimston , and springs drying up i and bre aking out n a singl e night . Thes e cataclysms were so frequent that the town chronicle mentions

e e them quit incidentally , as it might ref r to a full moon or a ﬂood tide . Their religious history was as exciting as their

1 48 CHARMING OLD NEWBURYPORT

seismati c . e e e the G org Whiteﬁ ld , magnetic and eloquent English revivalist who crossed the ocean fourteen times and delivere d over eighteen thousand

e e re the sermons , pr ach d mo than once in First Pres b terian ee e e the y M ting Hous , now call d Old South

Church on Fe deral Street . Dramatic as all his

e e e was adv nts w r , it on his last visit —to the town thirty years to a day from the ﬁrst that he was the central ﬁgure in as impressive a scene as

He e can well be imagined . arriv d very tired on Saturday night and as he was going upstairs to his room the p eople who had gathere d to greet him crowd

H e ed about th e foot of the stairway . stood there

e e e above th m , w ary and breathing painfully , his candl

e h e e . in his hand . And th n began to sp ak He addresse d th em with difﬁculty but with intense

e e s e e e e arnestness. They list n d , hu h d and xp ctant ,

his the e the ir faces upturned to , candl light illuminat

e . e e e ing his worn countenanc The candl ﬂick r d ,

The e burne d out and went into its socket . gr at

’ e e se evangelist s voice stopp d , as a b ll that cea s

he e e . ringing . T n xt morning he was d ad

The house in which he died , his tomb , the

the re h e e e bible he use d , and church whe pr ach d * are preserved to this day . The church is worth

* xtraordinar ma n etic er Whi t ti er h as t ran smi t ted so methi ng of this e y g p “ ” a e 96 . sonality int o hi s Preacher. P g 1

1 49 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

e e se ing , not only b cause of its architecture

the whispering gallery where the black Slaves of

e e the sea captains used to sit is quall d only by St .

’ Paul s in London : the straight backe d pe ws have been

here since 1 802 and the communion se at and vener able haircloth sofa are worth more in money than the

e h original e diﬁce wh n it was built , and t e bell was — cast in 1 802 by Paul Revere and Son but because

s of its stirring historical as ociations. Here Whiteﬁeld

’ preache d and is buried : here Arnold s expedition to

ofﬁcered the s Quebec , by da hing Aaron Burr , marche d

on the Sunday before its departure with drums beat ing and colors ﬂying and Stacked its mu skets in the

side aisle while the citizens packe d the gallery an d

he : e e the e e e e t stairs and h r gr at R volutionary pr ach r,

e the John Murray , on whos head British Governme nt

- e place d a reward of six hundred guin as , so ex

horted a discourage d regiment which was about to

e the disband that not one man l ft ranks .

Newburyport live d energetically in those days both

She e ver s ee r on land and sea . s nt o ixt n hund e d soldiers

h entertainedWashin ton to t e Revolution , g and Lafay

e e ette , and when the war was ov r appli d herself with h equal strenuousness to t e ways of p e ace . She built

merchantmen and rigged them , and some times more

1 50

THE ROMANTIC SHORE — cellars were all fused into i nstruments of hospi

the f the tality by urbanity o host . H e was ele cte d

e was s senator to Congr ss , ucke d into the whirlpool of s extravagant living in Wa hington , and everything — sumptuous estates and kingly exchequers were swept h away , and the gracious lady of t e manor who had entertaine d in brocades and lac e eked out her meagre

r e old age by opening a boa ding hous in Boston .

on e A tragic ending , but which pulses with the

e throb of romanc .

—w — So does the Indian Hill Farm of a later date in

h t e West Newbury , whic af er a hundr d ye ars remains

e e e e N ew one of the most r markabl stat s in England .

It was rebuilt into its present shap e in 1 832 by Ben

e e e rre Perl y Poore , with ston tow rs and tu ts , ancestral

' e portraits and anci nt armor , diamond pane d windows

e s e er h an d charming gard ns , om what aft t e fashion of an e e ee English country plac , and must hav b n a won .

r der of the age a c entu y ago . B eside its rooms of

s ses o s an d Indian relics , powder horn , cutlas , b w arrows ,

e e e e e r antique p wt r war , old china and innum rabl cu ios, it has the additional interest of b e ing partially con structed from some of the most historical buildings in

r se r the r Massachusetts , including a stai ca f om T acy

e house in Newburyport , a wainscoting from Gov rnor

1 52 CHARMING OLD NEWBURYPORT

’ es e e Hancock s r i denc , and a richly ornam nted mantel

h e e Th from t e old Provinc Hous in Boston . e Indian “ s b e ee th e r Hill Farm may till s n by cu ious , honey suckle and cl ematis over its picturesque front door distinctive and odd , but not unattractive in its elaboration of detail . Another building of immense interest and charm is

se e e e e he the Spen r Pi rce Hous , oft n call d t Garrison

HouSe be cause the powder supply of the town was

s . e effe tored in it Lik an English manor in ct , of s o e e t ne , bevel d brick and plaster , roomy , d ep walled ,

the e se ttled into b coming air of old age , frame d by a wide lawn and groups of tre es and a view of the pass

e e ing river , it is a uniqu pi ce of architecture in this

a s e N ew country . It stands on id lane in this Eng

e r r land to wn looking vastly lik a bit of Wa wickshi e .

r r s e e It is th ee storied , its b ick and plast r m llowe d

its e e ee by time , arch d windows small pan d and d p

its e e e ee set , h avy oak n door h ld by hinges two f t

he re s e long . T porch is markably hand om , and its

e square tile d , foreign looking ﬂoor op ns into rooms

e e er e twenty fee t square . Th r is no oth hous in this

r country like it . It was o iginally in the form of a

r ee Greek c oss , but has b n changed by its various owners into a Roman one . But its fundamental dis

1 53 THE ROMANTIC SHORE tinction and excellenc e of proportion has preserved l it from dispoi ation . It was probably built in 1 860

e e h by John Sp nc r , passing into t e hands of Daniel

e he th Pierc , t village blacksmith , by e c eremony of h — turf and twig . It staye d in t e Pierc e family from — whom came on e of our pre sidents for a hundred

e was years or more , and th n bought by Nathanie l

ri ma e vat es n . Tracy , the m rchant and p What tales those regal rooms with their chaste panelling could tell of the fine furniture and fin e folks once lit by the flame s from the deep fire plac e s ! When Cap tain O ffin Boardman took it he built the wooden

’ addition for his invalid wife : John Pettingell s owner

e ship was followed by that of Edward Littl , in whose i family it still remains . For all ts solidity of archi tecture it has curious gaps in its history and much — diversity of opinion as to its ori gi nal purpo se whethe r

e o f ee or s e i a fort , a garrison in tim n d , a spaciou r s — e er ere is for e e cen denc e . How v , th it almost thr turies a thing of j oy .

The house of Timothy D exter has happily been altere d Since the days of its erratic owner who succ eed e d in bruiting his ridiculous reputation all over N ew

— F r h buryport much to its disgust . o e took a house on High Street and converte d it into a museum of

1 54

THE ROMANTIC SHORE

’ But N ewburyport s halcyon days were shattered

e catas r hi h by a seri s of t op es. T e Embargo Act crippled her so swiftly and seve rely that she never

r e e e re cove e d . Gr at v ss ls rotted at the w“harves un ’ e - e e e us d , with tar barr ls , d risiv ly called Madison s ” night caps inverted over the topmasts to save the

i i h the e e r gg ng , w ile idl cr ws hungrily patrolled the

r The the st eets . ﬁrst anniversary of Act was observed

e by ﬂags at half masts , tolling b lls , and proce ssions

e fl e in cr “pe and muf ed drums , utt ring the now classic wish that Hell might be boiled down to a half pint ” and Madison forced to drink it . Upon the heels of this paralysing stroke came the

1 1 1 ee re gre at ﬁre of 8 , destroying sixt n ac s in the most compact section of the town . All night long

e in s ee ﬁre it raged , the ﬂam s stretching a h t of from

e e e the one squar to anoth r , glass m lting in windows ,

e e e r u animals and p opl shri king , bi ds ca ght in a

e e s e e r shower of fury , and pric l s hous s with th i treas

e e ures dissolving for ver from mortal vi w . Many

e e si families were b ggar d in that night , bu ness was

e e e th e er e . t rribly d press d , and whole town impov ish d

h 1 1 2 e the n s f ere T e War of 8 , wh n tow u f d a long

’ e ser e blockade from the en mies crui s , again check d

e commerce brutally, but it was the fourth blow , d alt

1 56 CHARMING OLD NEWBURYPORT with the quietness that often marks the supremely signiﬁcant event in community as well as individual

the life , which was last and fatal one . With the in tro duction of railroads and the developments of steam power the fore ign and coasting trade along the Atlantic was gradually concentrated in two or

: three cities. That was all Newburyport who had

e r withstood many slings of arrows of outrag ous fo tune , e e her er- e s parat d from moth oc an and its gifts , we aken e d like some New World Amazonian Atlas . She had fought a brilliant fight in war and peace : she had in itiated the first insurance company in this country had taken the first daguerreotype : established the

e the ﬁrst incorporat d woolen mill , ﬁrst incorporated

e i : the re academy, the first f male h gh school first gularly e ducate d physician of New England came from here and the first Bishop of M assachusetts .

e s She had been the conspicuous home of inv ntor ,

uns ectacu literary and professional men . But this p lar turn in the tide of progress drained her like a pain less and insidious disease . Her ship owners and mer

e chants became spinners and weavers . The gold n days were over . And yet today as the stranger walks up the tran quil streets of the unstirring town he ﬁnds her still

157 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

beautiful . There is a repose and dign ity here that he e met e e his r has not oft n b for in all j ou neyings .

e a s se High Str et m intain it lf , handsome and aristo

e ma niﬁcen ces e cratic aft r all its g , vicissitud s , and the

s e se e e e e r big quar hou s , in xc ll nt r pai , look out calmly

e s e r e i e and unr proachfully acro s th i w ll cl pp d lawns . — e e s es Plum Island that nin mil e str tch of and dun ,

e e s'ii mmer e e e b ach plum bush s and cottag s , s parat d from the mainland by marshes thre ade d by gre at bow knots of silver ribbon at low tide and melting into a — broad mirror from shore to shore at ﬂood tide is still

r the i the love d playg ound of community . Few s lands on our coast hold a more constant place in the

e e e r s affections . Ev r sinc r volutiona y troop were statione d here to prevent the landing of soldiers or

e e s e er e rr es sailors from English v ss l , v . sinc Ha iet Pr

ff r . e er cott Spo o d , Hannah F Gould , C lia Thaxt and others of that gifte d co“terie wrote so intimately an d so vividly about those low green prairies of the sea

ere e has ee spanned by a m ﬁng r of a bridge , it b n

r ar cherishe d with a p e culia fondness . If you e a

e stranger in N wburyport you may miss Plum Island ,

e e for but if you are a visitor th r , if only a day , you will surely be taken or driven over to it to picnic on

1 58

THE ROMANTIC SHORE

No longer may argosies laden with we alth come up to

e e he the littl port , but on the lev l ﬂoor of t wide stream shine tints and lustres that bre ak and shimmer as prodigally for the oars of a dory as they ever did for

e he s r stateli r keels , and t yellow ma ts and b own shrouds of a blistere d schooner are reﬂe cte d in the dock water as richly as were the trappings of the barge that once

r h s r carried Washington ac oss to t e Sali bu y shore .

e f h r e s e e Newburyport is qui t a ter e y ar of ag rness . Those who j udge value by noise will ﬁnd little here

e e e to hold their fancy or quick n the ir s ntim nt . But f r essense o those to whom the of a place is its spirit , this last of the North Shore Towns will always possess a special and enduring charm .

1 60 FAM O U S PO E M S OF THE N O RT H SH O RE

THE ROMANTIC SHORE

N o r sto rms a lon e : I hea r t h e mo an O f oi ces c o d n d as in r ne v h ke b y h g b i , Wh en sunk en rock O r te mpe st shock ’ C rus ed th e o od e sse s o a en s in e h g v l k p .

Wlh er end s th e e ac e b h , Th e c liffs upreach T h e i r li che n-wri nkle d fo rehea d s o ld And e re st h re I , Wh i l e a ll th e we st ’ ro ri er - G ws b ght with th e sun set s gold .

Far o ut at sea, Th e shi ps t h at ﬂee ’ Alo ng th e d im h ori zon s li ne Th e i r sai ls un fo ld L i c ot o d ke l h f go l , T ran sﬁ ure d t a t i d i i n g by h l g ht v e .

c a m mo re d e e A l p , ’ As t we re a s e e l p , Upo n th e weary o c ean fa lls S o w i t si s o l g h ,

It s murmur d i e s, s Wh i le shril l th e bod i ng c ric ke t call .

0 P e ace and re st ! Upon th e b re ast i mse see t ea n O f Go d h lf I m o l ,

‘ N o b reak, no b ar O f sun o r star :

J ust G od an d wi t na u t b etwe en . I , h g h

O h w en some da , h y In vai n I p ray s i e i s t me a ai n Fo r d ay l k th o c o g , I shall re ! oi ce Wi th h eart and voi ce

That o ne suc h d ay h as e ve r b ee n .

J ohn White Chadwi ck .

1 64 FAMOUS POEMS OF THE NORTH SHORE

LYN N

A poem that should b e re ad on the very spot whi!ch ! ! e e inspir d it, for it is not only a cl ar guide but an in spiring on e to this se ction of t h e New Englan d coast e lin . HIGH ROCK

O er ooki n h to wn o (L nn v l g t e f y , ’ So far abo ve that th e ci ty s d i n Mi ng l e s and b le nd s wi th t h e h e avy ro ar O f t h b rea e rs a on th ur i n s o re e k l g e c v g h , Scarre d and urro we d an l aci e rs ea med f d g , B a i n th e a e s s on a o c k g o l g g , Th e b o ld e st philo so ph e r n ever d reamed ’ To c oun t th e c en turi es e bb and ﬂo w, Stand s a rock wi th its g ray o ld fac e E a stward e er turn t th e ac e , v e d, o p l Wh e re ﬁ rst th e ri m of the sun i s seen W en e e t h mo rn i n sk i s b ri t h v r e g y gh , l ea i n t i st eni n anc i n s e e n C v g h e g l g , g l g h i f O f th e se a wi th d sk o f i nsu fe rabl e li ght . D o wn i n th e ea rth h i s roo ts stri ke d e ep ; U t h i s b re ast th e ou se s c re e p o h p , ’ C imb i n e en hi s ru e ac e l g t o gg d f ,

O r n e stli ng lo vi ng ly at h i s b ase .

St an . o n h i s ore e a d b are an d b rown d f h , , ’ t h e oo of th e to wn Se nd yo ur g a ze o er r fs , t i n e s aint an d d im Away to h e l o f . Wh e re th e sk y stoo ps d own to th e cry stal ri m r Atl n ti w o se bi ows to ss O f th e b o ad a c h ll , W re stli n g and welte ri ng an d hurryi n g o n W i th a wful fury wh e ne ver ac ro ss - d ! b ri t sur ac e with ow an d moan H i s b ro a , g h f h l , T t w e e s wit b a c wi n b owed Th e e mp e s h l , h l k g w to th c o ud To th e yi eldin g waters hi ch ﬂy e l , O r hurry a long wi th t hun derous sh ocks To break o n th e rag g ed a nd riv en rocks.

165 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

W e n th e t id e co me s i n o n a sun n d h y ay, Yo u c an se e th e wa ve s b eat b ack i n spray F ro m th e s i nt e red s urs o f i i s H pl p Ph ll p ead , O tri i n a o n wi t d ai nt tre ad r pp g l g h y , As of a millio n g lanci n g fe et Sh a e out th e i t i n a ui re tre at k l gh q ck , O r a o n th e smo ot c ur e o f th e b e a l g h v ch , Sn ow a n cur in i n on i n re - h y d l g l g l e s ac .

An i sle t a nc ho re d an d h e ld . to land B a i steni n oam- ri n ed ri bb o n of s nd y g l g , f f g a ; ‘ T a t s N a ant a t at o ar ed e h i h , nd h h y l g

To th e e t i s E . Roc i k e a b unted wed e l f g g k , l l g , ’ C' e i n th re stle ss c e n s brea st l av g e o a , An be ari n th e i t o use o n ts c r d g l g h h i e st . e se th i n s an d a u nd re d more All th g h , H i an d mead w a nd marsh an s o re ll o d h , ’ ’ Your e ye o erlo ok s fro m th e g ra y bl uﬁ s b ro w; An d so metime s wond e r W at i f no w I h , ’ T l d r h ad o i ce t wo u d sa h e o o ck a v , l y O f th e count l e ss y e ars i t h a s ga z e d afa r O ve r th e se a as it loo ks t'o -d ay G a ed unmo e d t o u wi th urrow and scar l z v , h g h f T e scu t or a e s h a e wrou t h i s ace h lp g v g h f , h i ce nturi e s ame and wen t a ace W l e c p ,

' Ju st li ke th e lce asl e ss e b b a nd ﬂo w O f th e re stle ss hurry-i n g tide s E i za eth l b F M erri ll .

1 66

THE ROMANTIC SHORE

Ti ro th e sh udd eri n sea wit ur wi d i ncan ll f m g , h yo l

Y um o n u th s ectra moo n ll f L nn ! e s m p e p l , O B e e o y

And start e at th e si t i e th e wei r wo man o f l d g h , l k d

Ye and t e ar sti Be s of L n n ! h n e ll , 0 ll y L Henry Wadsworth ongfellow. FAMOUS POEMS OF THE NORTH SHORE

N AHAN T

We have all love d c ert ain places and have recalle d e the e r th m with half m lancholy, half smiling th ill of r myriad associations. When we d ift with Story back re e r e s r to his m mb anc s of happy day at Nahant , ou personal reverie is enriche d by companionship with o ne of the choic est spirits that N ew England ever we e t h produce d . And mus with him abou t e spell of a pl ac e which will always be tenderly treasured in the r the history of No th Shore . WETMORE COTTAGE

T h e ho urs o n the o l d pia zza T hat o verhang-s th e se a W i th a t end e r and pen si ve swee tne ss At time s steal o v er me ;

’ An a ai n o er th e b a con eanin d g l y l g , W e i s t o th e sur o n th e b each l t f , That ﬁl l s with it s so l emn warn i n g e Th e i nt erva ls o f sp e c h .

n i i n th e m n i t W e t hre e si t at ght oo l gh ,

As w e sat i n th e summe r gon e , And we ta o f art and nat ure lk , A-nd si ng as we si t a lo ne ;

f rr W e si ng th e ol d son g s o So ento , ’ e o ran e s an o e r th e sea Wh er g h g , An d o ur he art s a re t end er wi th d reamin g

O f d ays t hat no mo re sh all b e .

Ho w g ay ly th e hours went wit h us s d a s t a t are o ne In tho e o ld y h g , we wer all t o e t er Ah ! would e g h , i e Whe re n ow I am stand n g alo n .

? Could li fe b e ag ai n so pe rfe ct n e er ! t e se ears so d rai n Ah , v h y r Th e eart o f i ts fre s ness of fe eli ng . “ h h o u th e on i n b e vai n . But I lo ng , th gh l g g

169 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

N AHAN T

It is rather impressiv e to re ad again the sonnet that n e Lo gf llow wrote to Agassiz at Nahant , and to re call t“hat both were love d and familiar ﬁgures here in its golden days . AGASSIZ

stan d a ai n o th ami i ar s o re I g n e f l h , An d h ea r th e wave s of th e d i st racte d se a

i te ous c a i n an ament in . t e e P ly ll g d l g h , An d wai ti n re st e ss at th otta e d o r g l y c g o . T h e ro c s th e se awe e o n t h e o c e an oo r k , d ﬂ , Th e wi o ws i n th e meado w a nd th e re e ll , f W ild wi nds o f th e Atl antic we lc ome me ; T en wh s ou d st t o u b e d e ad a nd ome no mo re ? h y h l h , c wh s ou dst t ou b e d ea d w e n co mmon men Ah , y h l h , h Are b us t t e i r tri i a a ffai rs y wi h h v l , H a i n and o di n ? Wh w e n ho -u ad st read v g h l g y , h t h ’ a ture s m ste rio us manuscri t an t e n N y p , d h e st re a t re ea th e trut i t b ea rs W dy o v l h , ‘ - ? Wh y art si l ent ? Wlh y sh ould st t ho u b e de ad r h l Henry Wadswo t Lon gfe low.

1 70

THE ROMANTIC SHORE

Wh at we alth b e si de th ei r real frei ght O f ric h mat eri al thi n g s the y bo re ! O urs we re ra ia c ar o e s ai r A b n g , f , M steri ous ex ui site and rare y , q , ; F rom far romant ic lan d s bui lt o ut of air O n a n id e al sho re Sen t b ad din C ama ra'l zaman y Al , , Mo n i an a o r Ba do ura o r th e K an g , , h , T rea sures of Si n b a d a u a nd wo nd rous t i n s , v g e h g B e n h u ’ yo d t e reac h o f a ght b ut Yo uth s i magi ning l .

i t 8 ti i t

How oft ha lf-fearfully we prowl ed round t o se ab e d o use s uai nt a n old A h g l h , q d , W o se e en ds ri and te rri b e h l g , g m l , O f tc an st t t use d i n t e o e wi h d g ho ha h m t dw ll , Aro und t h e twi li ght ﬁre were to ld ; While hudd le d c l o se wi th a nxi ous car W e eard t e ui eri n wit ear h h m q v g h f , ’ And i f th e da i h t a o ercame th e s e , yl g h lf p ll , ’ T was with a lin g e ri n g d read W e o ped th e d oor an d to uc h e d th e st i n g i ng b e ll In t h e d r s o t l e d a k h p hat , ’ Fo r s me h ad a en und e r time s d i s rac e o f ll g ,

T o me an er use s an d a lo wer plac e . ’ B ut a s w e ard i t ri n our e arts uic ants e h g , h q k p Almo st we re aud ibl e ; F or with i ts sound i t se eme d. t o ro use th e d e ad An d wak e some g ho st fro m out th e d usky haunts W e r ain t e d a i t e h e f t h yl g h f ll .

Upo n th e sunn y wha rve s h ow o ft Wi thi n some d i m sec lud ed lo ft W e a ed an d d re ame d th e i e o n pl y , l v l g An d all th e world was o ur s i n p la y ; W cared no t l e i t s i awa e , t l p y, An t e n o ur- l ass run d let h sa dy h g , T ime i s s o n and i e so on o l g , l f l g n W hen i t ha s ! ust b e gu . li r Wil am Wetmo e Story.

1 72 FAMOUS POEMS OF THE NORTH SHORE

MARBLE HEAD

’ re r s re Skipper I son s ide nee d no fo ward . W—hether or not the skipper has been unj ustly b—lamed there has been some controversy on this point the vigorous verses will always remain o ne of the best things that ’ Whittier ever did and o ne of Marblehead s unique posse ssions .

SKIPPER IRE SO N ’ S RIDE

O al th e ri d e si nc th e bi rt o f time f l s e h , T d i n to r o r sun i n h me o l s y g r y , ’ n A ul i us s Go den Ass O p e l , ’ O o ne-e ed Ca end ar s o rse o b rass r y l h f , 'W t a stri de of a uman b ack i c h h , ’ s am s ro et o n Al-Bo rak I l p p h , Th e strang est ri d e that e ve r was sped ’ Wa s Ire so n s o ut from Marblehead ! O ld F o re son fo r h i s ard eart l yd I , h h , T arred an d feath e red a nd c arri ed i n a cart By th e wo men o f Marbl ehead !

Bod o f turk e h ead of owl y y , , i n s d ro o rai n ed -on fow W g a p l ike a l , re d nd ru e d in e er art Feathe a ffl v y p , h r Ski ppe r I re son stood i n t e ca t . r f men o l and o un Sco e s o wo , d y g , Stron o f musc e and i b of t on ue g l , g l g , n u e u th e r ane P ush e d a d p ll d p ocky l , Sho uti ng and si ngi ng th e sh rill re frai n “ ’ - e F d O i rson fur h i s h orrd h orrt H re s lu , , ’ ’ ’ ’ T orr d an futh e rr d an mu d i n a corrt ’ ’ ” By th e women 0 M orbl e ead !

173 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

W ri n l e d sco d s wit an d s o n i s k l h h h p , G i r s i n b o om o f c ee a n i s l l h k d l p , W i d -e e d re e- i mb ed su ch a s c h a se l y , f l , Ba cc u ro un d so me an ti u ase h s q e v , B ri e f s i rt wi t a n e s b are f o k , h kl , L o o se f k erc i e and o o se o f ai r o h f l h , ’ W i t co nc -s e s b o wi n a n d ﬁsh -h o rns twan h h h ll l g g , O ver a nd o ve r th e Maena ds sa ng “ ’ H e re s F ud O i rson fu-r h i s orr-d h o rrt l , h , ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ T orr d an futh e rr d an co rr d i n a co rrt ” ’ - .B y th e wome n 0 Mo rbl e ead !

' — Small pi ty fo r h i ml H e sa i led a wa y F ro a ea i n sh i i n Ch a e ur B a m l k g p , l y , S'ai e d ro m a sin i n wre c l a way f k g k , W ith h i s own to wn speo pl e o n h er d e ck ! “ ” e . L ay by ! L ay by ! t“h e y c all d t o h im. B ac h e nswe red Si n o r swim ! k a , k ” Brag o f yo ur c atch o f ﬁsh a g ai n ! An d o ff h e sai l e d through th e fog a n d rain ! O ld F l re so n for h i s ard h ea rt oyd I , h , Ta rre d and fe ath ere d a nd ca rri ed in a c art B y th e wo men o f Marbl e hea d !

Fa tho ms d e e p i n d ark Ch a l eur h r a o r e T at w e c k s ll li e f ev rmore . Mo an si ste r wi e a nd ma i d th e r d , f , L ook e d from th e ro cks o f Ma rb l eh e ad O e r th mo an i n and rai n sea v e g y , L ooke d fo r th e c o min g th at mi g ht not b e ! - Wh at di d. th e wi nd s a nd th e se a b i rd s say O f th e crue l ca pt ain wh o sa i l e d a wa y ? O ld F o d re so n for i ard e art l y I , h s h h , T arre d a n d fe ath e re d a nd c arri e d i n a c art By th e wome n o f M arbl eh e ad !

T rou th e stre et o n e i t e r si de h gh , h fl w i nd ws d r s id U p e w o , oo s wung w e S'h ar -‘to n ue s i nst ers o ld wi e s ra p g d p , v g y , ’ T r b n h e afish - o rn s b r e l e l e t t h ay . Se a-w r r nd si re s i l e - un d o n g a , c r pp bo , H u f l d ai o rs a n a roun d lks o o s l r g , Sh oo e ad and fi st a n h at a nd c ane k h d , An d c racked wit h cu rse s Ith e hoa rse refrai n “ ’ H e re s F ud O i rson fur h i s h orrd h o rrt l , , ’ ’ ’ ’ ’ To rr d an futh e rr d an c o rr d i n a co m ’ ’ ” By th e women o Mo rble e ad ! 174

THE ROMANTIC SHORE

MARBLE HEAD

The story of Agnes Surriage will neve r fail to stir

the n . s s romantic fa cy Some novel , and many torie s have been base d upon this tale and Oliver Wendell e e N ew Holmes , who d light d in England legends , t e u found here a hem partic larly attractive to him . The following description is of the Frankland mansion

e t . at H opkinton, Massachus ts

THE FRANKLAND MANSION

O o ur we rumb e th e ra i ne h l on l , n e a - u ui d e th e rei n O h lf ho r g , ’ W rea h a t a st o er i and da e e c l , h ll l , i n h ai n T he v llag e o t e pl .

W i th Ibla ck eni ng wa ll an d mo ssy fWit sta i n ed a n war i o or h d p ng ﬂ , stat e ma n si on stan d a o o A ly s l f , A r i au h r nd ba s t s h g t y d oo .

T i s ow i er o rt a ma b t ri ed h l l p l y e , T ha t b reaks th e g able wall ; An a r o en in d e d 10 ! wi th c h e s p g wi , ’ Sir Ha rry Frankl an d s hall !

‘ ’ T wa s i n th e second G eorg e s d a y T u t o re st s ad e h e y so ght h e f h , ru s t e re d wa Th e kno tt e d t n k h y c l ea a y ,

Th e ma ssi ve b ea ms the y la id .

e imn e ta Th ey pi le d th e ro ck h wn ch y ll , h e rraced round T h e y smoothed t t e g , Th e y reare d th e marble -pi llared wall

Tha t fenc ed th e mansio n round .

1 76 FAMOUS POEMS OF THE NORTH SHORE

Far stre tc h ed b e yo nd th e vi llag e b ound ’ T h e Master s bfro a-d domain ; W c a e an d a e t h o rse a n o und p g v l , d h , H e oo d rai e k pt a g ly t n .

And all t h mi d a n count ro u , e l d y th gh , T h e plo ug hman sto ppe d to g a ze ’ Wlh en e e r h i s c hario t swept i n vi ew B e i n th s i ni n b a s h d e h g y .

W i t mute ob ei sa nc e ra e and s ow h , g v l , Re ai ; no d o it e p d b y p l , F or such th e way wi th hi gh and lo w T i a ft- n rd ﬁ ll e r Co co g ht .

I te o u a s m t a e b e an ll y , y l g , Th e H a ll i s sta n d i n g stil l ; And o u i n d i ste n e r mai o r man y k l , d , ‘ M s f wi ay e e i t i yo u ll .

Th e b ox i s i sten i n u e and reen g l g h g g , L i e tre e s th e i ac s ro w k l l g , T re e ms i -arc i n sti are se en h e l h g h h g ll , r And o n e li es st e tch ed b e lo w.

Th e an i n s rou h wit e e t o wers h g g , g h v lv ﬂ , Fl ap o n th e la tt i ce d wall ; ’ And o er th e mo ssy rid g e -pol e towers ‘ h - h T e ro ck h ewn c imn ey tall .

T us n e s wo n h e r no b e na e h Ag l m , ’ H e r l awl e ss lo ve r s hand ; T h e lo wly maid e n so b ecame A la d y in th e lan d !

Th e t al e i s do n e ; i t lit tl e n e e ds T o tra ck the i r after wa ys And stri n g ag ai n th e g ol d en b ead s ’ s Of lo ve s unc ounte d da y .

1 77 THE RO MANTIC SHORE

The y lea ve th e fair anc e st ral i sl e ’ F or bl ea k N e w E n g la nd s sho re ; Ho w g racio us i s th e c ourtly smi le O f wh rown e d b e re a ll o f fo .

’ Ag ai n t hro ug h Li sbo n s orang e b owers ’ T h e wa t c th e ri e r s eam y h v g l , And shud d e r as h er sh ado wy to we rs S e r i re hake i n th t embl ng st am .

F ate parts at l eng th th e fo n d est pai r ; H'i s c h e e a a s! rows a e k , l g p l ; Th e b re ast t ha t trampli n g d e ath co uld spare H i se e s a ail i s n o l s sh fts a ss .

H e l ong s to ch ang e th e h eave n of b lue ’ F or E n and s c o ud ed sk g l l y , To b rea th e th e ai r h i s b o yho od kne w H s u e ee ks t h e m b t to d i e .

T h e do o rs o n migh ty hi ng e s cla sh W i t massiv e b o t an d ba r h l , Th e h e avy E ng li sh -mould e d sash mi - i n d r Sca rc e can th e g ht w s ! a .

A g rad e d t e rrace y et remain s; If o n i ts turf yo u stan d An d l oo k alo n g th e wo o d e d p la in-s T h at stretc o n e it er and h h h ,

Th e *broke n fore st wall s d e ﬁn e dim r e di n i ew A , ec g v , ’ Wh e re o n th e fa r ori o n s i ne , h z l , u H e cut h i s vi sta th ro g h .

r n de e Oli ve We ll Holm s.

1 78

THE ROMANTIC SHORE

F a r un H ann a i yo g h , B en th e sun burnt ﬁs e r a woo e s , h , g yly H a e and c e e r l l v , F r i eart n d an d ues o a w llin g h a h h e s . Ma -d a s i e s ar all a o w y y k e g l , And th e wa ves are l aug hi n g so ! F or h e r we dd i ng “ Ha nn e a e s h er wi n do w a n h e r s oe s ah l v d h .

May i s passi ng M i t e u s on e s d h e appl b o gh a pi g e coo . H a nna s udd ers h h , Fo r h mi so ut weste r mi sc e b re ws t e ld h hi f , Roun d th e ro c s o f Marb e e ad k l h , O u tw r boun d a sc o one r s e d a d, , h p Si ent on e so me l , l , ’ H s i nd w in d i n anna a t th e w o b s o e s. h , g h

’ T i o emb e r s N v , N n te ar h ste d c e e e d e ws o w o e r wa h k b . From N ewfound la n d N ot a sai re turni n wi sh e o se l g ll “ l , Wh i s e ri n oarse F i s e rmen p g h ly, h ” H a e o u a e o u h e ard o f B en ? v y , h v y O ld wi t watc i n h h g , ’ wind o w b i nd i n o s Ha n na at th s e . h s e , g h

Twenty wi nt ers B nd h r r h i le ac h a t ear t e agg ed sho e s e v ews. T we nt y se aso n s

N e ve r o n e h as b ro ug ht h e r any n ews. Sti ll h e r d im e ye s si l e ntly ’ C ha se th e wh i te sai l s o er th e sea e le ss ai t u p , f hf l , H ’ h wind b i nd i n anna s at t e o w s o es. h , g h L L r ucy a com.

1 80 FAMOUS POEMS OF THE NORTH SHORE

MAGN O LIA

e are r e s e e e Am rican ballads ar , and thi xc ll nt one e e e the s e r r is d stin d to liv in annal of Am ican lite ature . It may interest the re ader to know th at the name of ’ Norman s Wo e came from the family name d Norman h r e e r t e e s . e esse who liv d n a fat d pot Longf llow, imp d he e s the re e e e the o ne by t n w of w ck h r , wrot ballad in — e he a the r night asily , said , and practic lly in fo m in which it now stands .

THE WRECK OF THE HESPERUS

It wa s th e sc hoo ne r H e sp e rus T h at sail ed th e wi ntry sea A d h sk i er ad t a en h s e d a u te r n t e pp h k i littl gh , r c m n T o b ea him o pa y .

B ue e r h er e e s as th ai r -ﬂa x l w e y e f y , H c e e s i e th awn o f d a e r h k l k e d y , A r so i t e a s th e a wt o rn bud s nd h e b o m wh h h ,

Th a t o pe i n th e month of May .

e r h sto od b e si d e th e e m T he skipp e h l , H as i n h i mo ut i s pi pe w s h , And h e wat ch e d h o w th e ve e ri ng ﬂaw d id blo w

Th e o we st now sout . e smo k n w , h

ak an l d sai or Th en up an d sp e o l , H d sai e t t h e S an i s Mai n “ a l d o p h , t e e ut i nto o nd er ort I pra y h , p y p ,

Fo r I fea r a hurric ane .

t t th e moon h a d a o den ri ng , L a s nig h , g l ” And t o ni ght no moo n we se e ! r e ew a w i f rom h i s i e Th e ski p pe , h b l h f f p p , And a sco rnful laugh laug he d h e .

1 81 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

Co d er and o ud er b ew th l l l e wi nd , a e from th e nort east A g l h , Th e sno w fe ll hi ssi ng i n th e b ri ne And th e bi l o ws rot e d i e a l f h l k y e st .

D a me th e sto m and s o wn c r , mo te amai n Th e v e sse l i n it s streng t h ; Sh e s ud de red a nd aused i e a ‘ ri e d h p , l k f ght ste ed , ’ T en l e a e : e r ab s n h p d h c l e l e g th .

Come i t e r ! c om i t er ! it t e r h h e h h my l l daug hte , An d d o no t tre mb le so ; Fo r I c an we ath e r th e ro ug he st g ale ” T a t e i n d i h ev r w d d blow.

“ ’ H e wrap pe d h e r w arm i n h is seaman s c o at Ag ai n st th e sti ng ing bla st ; He cut m ro a b ro e n s a r a m f m k p , A n h e r e mas nd b o u d t o th t .

O ﬁath e r ! e ar th c urc -b e s ri n I h e h h ll g , ” 0 sa w at ma i t be ? y , h y ” - T i s a n he ll o n. a ro ck bo und co ast !

And h e ste ere d fo r t h e o pen se a .

0 at er ! ear th e so und o f un s f h I h g , ” 0 say w at may i t be ? “ , h lSome shi p i n d i stre ss t ha t ca nno t live In such an ang r y sea ! “ * a h er ! s e amin i t O f t I ee a g l g l g h , ” 0 sa “w at ma i t b e ? y , h y B ut th e fath er a nswe re d n eve r a wo rld,

A fro ze n c orpse wa s h e .

L as t th e lm al l sti f and star h e d o e h , f k , h i s a e turn e d t th e s i e s W i t h f c o k , w Th e l an te rn g l e ame d, th rough th e g l e aming sno

O n h i s ﬁxed an d g la ssy ey e s.

182

THE ROMANTIC SHORE

GLO U CE STE R

The North Shore is burdene d with tragedies simpl e

and . e re er e profound This hom ly nd ing of an incid nt , perhaps not more typical of Glouc ester than of any the s s s r of old coa t ﬁ hing town , pre se ve s something of the sup erstition that fre qu ently attache s itself to such episode s . THE PHANTOM BOAT

i o me i n n T h e t d e c s , a d th e ti d e go e s o ut , And th e ro e rs b rea o n th arb ba r ll k e h or , And u rom t h d istan c o me s sai p f e e c a l , ’ mi it e ne a! th e i n star G ea w t morn . l ng h , h g

F i s i n t ac e a b o ats n d e c h g kl n d o k, Run n i n ri i n b e a ed an d t rim g g g g , l y ; ’ R n s' a rs —t i s n b att ere wre c aki g p , o d k u di n Sai li ng o t in th e sta ce d im.

It d raws no t e ar t o u th e wi n d i s ai r n , h g h f , T h e s e ts re e b ut it c ome s n ot n i h h e a re f , g , B an s a o i n t n th e mo rni n air ut h g , p o g , ’ i ctured sai twi xt th e se a an d sk . A p l , y

F i s erman te me wh o n-d e r b oat h , ll y y lSa il s nd o n e are r come s to s o re , a n h r N o r i n th e d i stan ce g rows emo t e , ’ h b re s r N o r a rip ple e r bo w a k o e .

’ r n er re c o n ou aren t ere o n St a g , I k y h l g nn n ﬂ Many a y ea r h e r pe a t ew . r a wo rn o ut son O ld i s th e sto y ; g , a B ut h e r d e ck i s t rod b y no mo rt l c rew.

moment an se e th e ame L o o k a , d ﬂ Glea mi n g whi t e o ver ma st and spar re ta e m ass o u ca n re ad th e name He , k y gl ; y

' ’ Un d e r he r st arn ; t is th e Ali c e Marr .

s a ai r oun i r Alic e Ma rr wa f y g g l , ’ L ong ag o in Glo s t e r to wn ; sunn cur Ri ppling t resse s an d y l ,

r r i s an d a c eek o f b rown . Ra e ed l p , h 1 84 FAMOUS POEMS OF T HE NORTH SHORE

’ T at was ic e th e ﬂsh er s rid e h Al , p L o ve rs so ug h t h e r from n ear a n d far ; ’ Sh e was Jo hn Ackman s promi sed b ri d e ; H na me h i s e sse th e i M rr e d v l Al c e a .

’ T a r s not i n sa rt in st ran er i n ife h h g , g , l ; ’ W e re one to -morro w t o u e re g , h g h h tod a y ’ n ot e r v a e sh w ou d b e h i s i e A h y g e l w f , ’ At e ast so I ve e arn th e o ssi l h g ps say .

o r o tato e s a nd ard t ac stowed P k , p , h k , W ate r i n ba rrel s and wate r i n tan s k , ’ N i ce ﬁxe d for a t re e mon t s crui se ly h h , H sai e d wa f r h e ﬁs in nk s e l a y o t h g ba . 48 =I= 4!

M o n t s ro e ; o n an d ne e r a wo rd h ll d , v Si x mont s twe e mont s: o n th e d a h , lv h y T h at ﬁni sh e d th e ye ar was a rum or h eard O f h i Marr i h o t-er a t e Al c e n t e u b y .

Bo at s ut o ut b ut t e d rew n ot n ear p , h y , Sl o w si en t on sh e st e ere d : ly , l ly , ’ Ski pp e r Ac kman ! H o ! wh at ch eer !

Sh e h a n i sh e d h ad di sa eared . ad v , pp

‘ E e r a s ro l s th e e ar around v , l y B rin i n a a n h e r sai i n d a g g g i l g y , Ri s h e r ro th e de t s ro o un d e s hull f m p h p f , A ru e r n d slo wly c i s s th e oute b ay .

’ N o t a world! of h er maste r s fate ! O nly a g limmer of sai l an d Sp ar ;

N ot a wo rd o f h er c rew or mat e , ' r Thi s i s th e g h o st of th e Al ic e Mar .

d own h e ace u ba Sti ll sh e wat ch e d t e p f l y , Sti ll h er ey e scann e d e ach g ath eri ng clo ud Ye ars re c e d e d an d worn a n d ra , , g y ,

H er wedd i n g dre ss wa s h er fun e ral sh roud .

n Gunni son . E . N orma THE ROMANTIC SHORE

GLO U CE STE R

’ This rhyme of Whittier s is chiefly of value b e cause it re cords the tragic o ccurance which is still co mmemo h ’ rate d in t e name of Avery s Rock . It is admira bly correct in the atmosphere not only of time and place but of the religious point of view of the period .

THE SWAN SONG OF PARSON AVERY

’ Wh en th e rea e r s ta w s nd a nd th summe r p sk a e ed , e wea ri n at e g l , ar s-on e r sai ed rom ew ur i t hi s wi e and P Av y l f N b y , w h f c i d re e i t h l n g h , D ro ppi ng d o wn t he ri ver eh arbor i n th e sha llop “ ” ‘ Wa tch a n d. W ait .

Ple asan tly la y th e c l eari ng s in th e me llo w summer

mo rn , W i th th e n e wly p la nt e d o rch ard s d roppi n g th e i r ruit s ﬁrst- o rn f b , An d th e ho me ste ads like g re en i sl an ds ami d a sea o f

c orn .

Bro ad me ad ows rea ch ed o ut se award th e ti d ed c r e s e twe en e k b , - An d i s ro ed wa e ik e i nl anldl wit o a s an d wa l h ll ll v l , h k n uts gre en ; ai re o me d i er and h is e e s ha ne er A f r h , a g oo l l , y d v

se en .

Y e t wa sai e arso n e r awa w e re d ut l ed a y l d P Av y , y h y , An d th oi c e o f Go d seemed ca i n to b rea th e e v ll g , k l ivi ng b re ad To th e so u l s o f ﬁsh ers starvi ng o n th e ro cks o f M r e a bl head .

1 86

THE ROMANTIC SHORE

T ere a co mra de e ard h im ra i n i n h aus of h h p y g , t e p e “ wave and wi nd Al l m own a e o ne b e o re me n i n er u y h v g f , a d I l g ! st b ehi nd ; No t fo r l i e ask bu on fo r t h re st th ransomed f I , t ly e y ” ﬁnd ! 3 t t t t

’ Th e e ar o f God was op en to h is se rvan t s last t e que st ; As th e stro ng wa ve swept h im d o wnward th e sweet mn u war re ssed hy p d p , And th e so u f F at e r er went si n in t it s l o h Av y , g g , o

T e r was wai i o n t h e mai n and from rock s h e l ng l , the o f M arb l ehead ; In th e stri ck en c hurch o f Newb ury th e notes o f p ra yer w e re re ad'; An o n b b ro ad an ea rt st on e th e i i n d l g , y d h h , l v g

mourned t he de ad .

And sti th e ﬁs ers o ut o un d o r scuddi n ro m th e ll h b , g f s ua q ll , Wli th ra e an d re e re nt ace s th e a nc i e nt t a e re g v v f , l ca l l , Wh en t he y se e th e white wa ve s bre aki ng o n th e ’ Roc k o f Ave ry s F a ll ! h t J ohn Gr een leaf W i t i er .

188 FAMOUS POEMS OF THE NO RTH SHORE

IPSWICH

’ Ipswich has appe ale d to more than one writer s e e e imagination and s nse of r sp ctful humor .

IPSWICH TOWN

o e t t i n o o ld swi c town I l v o h k f Ip h , O l d swi c o wn i n th e E a st un tree Ip h t co , Wh enc e o n th e tid e o u c an oat own , , y ﬂ d Th ro ugh th e lo ng salt g ra ss to t he wailin g Wh e re th M a o we r d ri te off th e ar e yﬂ f d b , lSe a-worn an d wea r on ea rs a o y , l g y g , And d a red n t e nt er t sai ed a o , bu l wa y T i h B ll s e land e d h er b oa ts i n Plymo uth ay .

I love to thi nk of o l d Ipswich to wn h e r it ﬁe re ac ed i n t e c h urch on th e i W e Wh ld p h h h ll , D ri vi ng out th e d e vi l ti ll he leape d d own F rom th ste e l e i s to w ere t e sh ow ou sti e p p , h h y y ll , mbed d e d d e e i n th e so i roc I p l d k , Th i nd e i b e ri n o f h i s o e of e l l p t c l v n ho , And te ll yo u th e d evi l h as ne ver shown si n Fac e or hoo f c e that da y in th e hone st town .

I lo ve t o thi nk o f ol d Ip swic h tow-n ; Wh e re th e y shut up th e witch e s un ti l th e day u ro a or u b rown Wh en th e y sho ld b e st ed so th o g hly , I Sa e i l a e twe e mi e s awa n l m v l g , lv l y ; ’ The y ve mo ved i t o ff fo r a stable now ; B u t ere re th e o es e re th stout ai stood t h a h l wh e ! l , An d at ni h t t e sa th at o e r th e h o e s g , h y y , v l

You can se e th e g ho st of Go ody Col es.

189 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

I love t o thi n k o f old Ip swich to wn ; T h a t ouse to o ur ri t a rod o r more h y gh , , Wh ere th e ste rn o ld e lm-t re e s se em to fro wn o u e e r to a rd t ro u th e en d oo r If y p o h h gh o p , Sh e lt e re d th e re g i ci d e ! ud g e s t hre e Wh e n th e ro a sh e ri if s we re a te r t em y l f h , An d ue er l d i a e r o nc e me t a q o v ll g I , ’ h sa s i n th e a r e r i W o y c ell th y e l iv ng ye t .

I l ove t o thi n k o f old I pswi ch to wn ; H arr Ma i n o u a e eard th e ta e i e d t ere y , y h v h l , l v h H e b a s' em God so t e ut h im down l ph e d , h y p Wi t a n iro n sho e at swi Ba r h v l , Ip ch ; T h a i n h i t e re fo r t o u an e ars he y c ed m h a h s d y , As th e se a ro lls u p to sho ve l i t *b ack ; ri h - So , w e n th e se a c e s t e g oo dwi ve s say “ h , H a !M i n ro w s at h i s o r t od rry a g l w k ay .

I l ove to th i nk o f o l d Ip swi ch to wn ’ T e re s ra e ar d u on h ld H h S ree t h a g v y p t e o i g t , Wh ere te n g en erat io ns are lo o ki n g do wn O n th e o ne th at i s toi li ng at th ei r fee t ; er h e sto n e s st an d s ou d e s u der i ke W h e t h l r to ho l , l troo ps r wn u t re cei a a a r c ar e D a p o v e c v l y h g , An d g ra ve s h ave b e e n d ug i n g rav e s ti ll th e sod m n ne Is th e moul d o f g o oldn e g o to Go d .

I l ove to thi nk o f o l d Ip swi ch t ow-n O l d swi to w i n th e E a st c ountree Ip c h n , Wh e n ce on th e t i d e ou can o a t d o wn , , y ﬂ T r u th o n sa t ras t th e ai i se a h o g h e l g l g s o w l ng , And l i e al da n t h e a ss b e a c l y o g l y h , An rn h e ss n th e re e n wa e s t eac d l e a t e l o g v h , T i a t sun set from sur an d sea we e d b rown ll , f , n Yo u a re p ullin g ba ck t o Ipswic h tow .

J amesAppleton Morgan

1 90

THE ROMANTIC SHORE

F asteni ng h er e yes upo n eve ry spec k Th at crosse d t h e o cean wi thin h er k e n ; Mi t no t h e r o e b e wal i n th k g h l v r k g e d ec , S ure ly and swi ftly return i ng aga in ?

Th s e o f S o a s o omed o ne and dim e I l s h l l , l ly , In th e no rt e ast i stanc e far and ra h d g y , ’ Amid o n th e h ori zon s ut te rmo st rim T l r f B n h e ow ock h eap o o o e I sland la y .

And north a nd so uth an d we st a nd east St re tc e d sea a n d a nd i n t h b i nd in i h l e l g l g ht , Ti l e e ni n e an h e r i i c e a se d l v g f ll , d v g l , And man e art - o l i t th e ni h t y a h h g l w g ,

To mo ck tho se se t and g li tt e ri ng e y es F r i n i s r ast g o w g w ld a h e ho pe we nt o ut .

H a te u se eme d eart 8 . th e h o o w s ie s f l h , d ll k ,

L i e h e r wn h ea rt em t of au t but doub t . k o , p y g h

O h b ut th e we ar me rc i e ss d a s , y , l y , Wi th th e sun a b o e wit th e se a ar v , h a f No cha n g e i n h e r ﬁ xed : and wi st ful g aze F rom th e mo rn i n g -re d to th e e veni ng sta r!

O h th e wi nd s t at 'b e w a nd th lbi rds t at san h l , e h g , Th e c a m s t at smi e d an d th e sto rms t at ro ed l h l , h ll , T h e b el s ro th e o wn b e n ea t h at ran l f m t h , t g ’ ’ T h ro ug h th e summe r s h ea t a nd winter s c old !

Th e a s o th un i sur e s i te ﬂ h f e p l g ng g wh , ’ Th e so ari n u s wi d boldlin c r g g ll l g y , Sh e was w eary o f a ll ; t here wa s n o d e li ght

In h ea en o r eart a n d sh e on ed to di e . v h , l g

Wh at was i t to h er tho ug h th e D awn sh ould pai nt ? W i th d e licat e be a uty ski e s a nd se as But th e swe e t sad sun set s en do rs ai nt , pl f Mad e h e r soul si ck wit h memo ri e s!

1 92 FAMOUS POEMS OF THE NORTH SHORE

D rowni ng i n so rrowful p urple a sai l s wh h In t h e di stan t e a t , e re s ad o ws g re w, h t i i t s ro ud e d i t CO Il a nd a e Ti ll t e w l gh h , dJ p l , h r a n ui s r se ne An d th e t id e o f e g h o a w.

L ike a sl end er statue ca rve d o f sto ne Sh sat wi t a rd motio n o r b reat e , h h ly h

Sh e wep t no t e ars an d sh e mad e no me an ,

But !h e r o e as stro n e t a n i e or d eath l v w g r h l f .

H e ne e r me b ac ! Y e t ai t u s i v c a k f hf l t ll , Sh e watc d r i -to h r h e t om the h ll p e lif e a way . An th t own s o c ri ste n e d it H ea rtb r a Hi d e f lk h e k ll , And t r n m i s er d i b ea s the a e to th v y ay.

Celi a Thaxter .

1 93 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

HAVE RH ILL

’ Whittier s poetic gift never found more suitable material nor Worke d itself out in more enduring he in medium th an in Snowbound . T loving m utesness of every small detail and the spirite d scop e of the simple human re cital has crystalliz e d the old fashione d e r is New England wint r to us fo ever . Snowbound - worth re reading from start to ﬁnish . This fragment proves it . SNOWBOUND

“ Th e sun that bri ef D e cemb er d a y ee r e ss o e r i s o f ra Ro se ch l v h ll g y , An d ar c i rc e d a e at no on , d kly l , g v n ni n mo on A sadde r lig ht tha wa g . S’lo w tra ci ng d own th e thi c keni ng sk y nd o mn io us ro e c Its mute a p ph y , n eemin ess t a t rea t A po rte t s g l h n h , e It sa nk from sigh t be fore i t s t . i n a t o we e r st o ut A c h ll o c o , h v , f ou d ui t ut ut O f h ome spun stuf c l q e sh o , rd d u b itterne ss of c o d A h a , ll l , e c e d mi d- ei n th e ci rc i n race Th at ch k , v , l g a n h s ar en e a ce O f l ife bl oo d i t e h p d f , - Th e co mi ng o f th e sn ow sto rm t o ld . T h e wi n d b le w e a st ; we h e ard th e roar ‘ h i s wintr s ore O f O cea n o n y h , An d fe lt th e st rong p ulse th ro b bin g th e re i Be at wi th low rhythm o ur in la n d a r. i ni t c ore s Meanwhi l e we d d o ur g h ly h , ro ou o f d oors B roug ht i n th e wo o d f m t , -s a n d rom th e mo -ws L itte re d th e stall , f ’ Rak e d d own th e h erd s-g rass for th e cows H e ard th e ho rse whi nn yi ng for h i s co rn ;

An d s ar c as in orn on orn , , h ply l h g h h Impati ent d own th e stan chi on rows

1 94

THE ROMANTIC SHORE

N EWBU RYPO RT

e er e Whitti r was v y fond of N wburyport , which he visited often toward the en d of his life ; and the ’ staunch old record of Whiteﬁeld s career app e ale d ’ to the Quaker s simple piety and lent itself well to his plain rhyming form .

THE PREACHER

It s wi nd o ws ﬂa s i t th e sk h ng o y , B ene at a t o usan roo s o f brown h h d f , Fa r down t he a e m ri en d a nd v l , y f I B eh e ld th e o ld an d qui e t town Th e gh o st ly sai l s ! th at ou t a t sea Fl a e d t e i r w it e i n s o f m ste r pp h h w g y y , Th e b eac e s immeri n i n th e sun h g l g , An d t h e lo w wo o d ed c ape s tha t run In to th e se a-mist n orth a nd south ; ’ Th e sa nd -lbluihs at th e rive r s mo uth ‘ Th e swi n i n c ai n -bri d e and ar g g h g , , af , Th f m- i h or- e oa l n e of t e h arb bar.

O ver t h e wo o d s an d meadow-l an d s A c rimsont i nte d sha d ow l ay O f c lo ud s throug h whi c h th e setti ng da y F un s a nt or far a wa l g a l g l y y . It i tt e re on th e wet se a -san d s g l d , ’ It ame d u on th e ci t s an e s ﬂ p y p , Smo te t h e whi t e sai l s of ship s th at we re ’ O ut wa rd or i n a nd i d e o e r , g l d T h e ste ep le s wi th t he i r ve e ri n g van e s!

Awhil e my fri en d wit h rapid se arc h ’ “ O e rra n h nd sc e Yo n - r i r t e la a p . de sp e O ve r ra roo s a s a t o f ﬁ re g y f , h f ; Wh a t i s it ra ? T h e W i te ﬁe d C urc ! , p y h l h h W all e d abo ut b y i ts b a sement sto ne s ’ T e re h r e o u r n h re st t e ma v ll s p oph e t s b o e s.

1 96 FAMO US POEMS OF THE NORTH SHORE

Th en a s o ur homeward wa y we walk ed ’ O f th e gre at preac h e r s life we talked ; And t hro ugh th e mystery oat our th eme Th e o u ward or see med to st rea t g l y m, ’ An d N a ture s se lf i nt erprete d T h e d o ubtful reco rd of th e d ead ; An d e very l e ve l b eam th at smote Th e sai s u on th e d ar a o at l p k ﬂ , A symbo l o f th e li gh t *b ecame Whi c h touch ed th e shadows o f our blame W it to n ue s Pe n t e scota h g o f l ﬂame . a: a: ti t t

nd e r th e c urc o f F ed era IStre et U h h l , nd er th e tre ad o f i t Sa bbat f eet U s h , Wa ed ab out i s b ase ment s one s ll by t t , ’ !Li e th mar e o u re a er n s e v ll s p c h s b o e . N o sain tly h onors t o th em are sho wn N o si g n no r mi racl e ha ve th ey kn own B ut h e wh o p a sse s th e an ci ent c hurc h Ste s i n th sh ad e f i ts b e fr - o rc p e o l y p h , And po nd e rs th e wo n d e rful l ife of h im e s a re s a Wh o li t t i n th t c hann el d im. L ong sha ll th e tra ve ll e r strai n h i s ey e F ro m th rai ro ad c ar as it un e s ‘b e l , p l g y , An d th e van i shi n g town b ehi nd h im search Fo r th e sl end e r spire o f th e Wh i te ﬁeld C hurc h An d fe el for o ne moment th e g h o sts of trad e And fas i on an d o a n ea sur ai d h f lly d p l e l , B th e t ou t t a t i e ure in tent y h gh of h l f of p , T a t o i ce warn i n et e o uen t h v o f g y l q , O ff o n on th e e rran d s of a n e s sent e g l , tAn d it wh e re h e l ab ored th e ﬂ ood of sin Li a tid e fro th e h a rb or-b ar se ts i n ke m , An d o ve r a li fe o f t ime an d se n se T r -s r i ei r in d e n ce h e c hu c h pi es l ft th v a fe , As if to scatte r th e b olts of Go d. ’ in lC lvi n s t un der-rod W i th th e po ts o f a h , St i a s h e f i ts c i i crown ll , t e g m o v c , ’ o * w rld s reno wn P re ci us be yo n d th e o ,

Hi s memo ry h allo ws th e anci en t t own .

r J ohn Greenleaf Whittie . 1 97 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

N EWBU RYPO RT

The intimate charm of any plac e is never delineate d so well as by one who is part of that plac e and of that The e e r e e charm . tal nt d and vivacious Ha ri t Pr scott Spoﬂo rd caught the happy atmosphere of Plum Is land and de scribe d the ﬁne st details with a pre cision h r that adds lasting valu e to t e tuneful ve ses .

INSIDE PLUM ISLAND

W e ﬂoated on th e id e rbree e l— z , W i th al l o ur sai l s a srh i ver ; Th e s i ni n ti d e cam so t t rou h g e f ly h g h , A e r nd ﬁll d Plum Isla nd Ri ve .

Th e shini ng ti d e st o l e so ftly up cro ss th e wid e re en s -l e n dtor A g p , Cre ek swe llin g cre e k ti ll all i n o n e urren Th e marsh e s ma d e s d e r.

Anldl cle ar th e ﬂo od orf si lver swung i i Be twee n th e b r mm n g e dg e s, d e s re d a r nd no w And no w th e pth we k , a ’ h e s Th e boa t sli d o e r t e sed g .

An d h e re a y ello w sand -spi t f! oamed: i d h re at sea me ado ws Am t e g , And he re th e sluimbe rous wate rs g loo me d: do Luc id i n eme rald sh a ws.

t e i r ri end mu ti tud e Whi l e , i n h f ly l E ' ed ‘ on our uarter ncamp al g q , Th e ho st at h ay -coc ks se e med to ﬂoat With d ouble s i n t h e wa te r

1 98

THE ROMAN TIC SHORE

B en ea th our k e e l th e g re a t sky arch e d Its li quid lig ht an d azure ; We swun ‘b etwee n t wo h e a e n s e ns' e red g v , ph , Wi t i n eir arme e mbra r h th c h d su e .

D e e i n t at wa ter firmament p h y , Wi th fli ckeri ng lustre s spl en di d oi se d i n h i s e r e ct i t sa P p f fl g h , we w Th e ai nt e a w sus end e d p d h k p ,

An d t e re th w i e th e at-si d e an d h , e h l bo e l e , 'W t out an d au te r ad en i h y h l g h l , W e saw th e re d ﬁn f th e e rc o p h , ma mh d n W e saw th e swi ft a e .

O ut si d e th o ow se a mi t c r , e h ll gh y , Th e wai li ng wi nd g i ve warni ng ; N w i s er sa dd en e us s ut i n o h p d , h i un s i n nd h m rn i n W th s h e a t e o g .

O h far f ar o ff th e wea r wo r d , , y l W i t al i t tumu t wa ite d h l s l , Fo rever h e re wi th d roopi ng sai l s Wo uld we h ave hung b e late d !

Yet en e ﬂ c ame u i n do wn , wh t h aw r ffl g , An d round us c url ed a nld salli e d e s imme d wi t b ubb e s n ur trac W k h l o o k , n i As g lad a s wh e we dall ed .

B d t b ar rown Hu n dre ds rose ro a ly h e e b , Th e e rd t e i r h o ows e e in h s h ll k p g , And c lo ud s of wi ng s ab out h e r ma st '

From Swa ll owba nk s we re sweep i ng .

Wh il e e ve rmore th e B luff b efo re r re en o n o ur i sio n G ew g ly v , L i fti n g b en eath i ts wavin g h oufgh s E sian Its g ra ssy slope s ly .

200 FAMOUS POEMS OF THE NORTH SHORE

Th e re all da on th e su er , y l g , mm sea Cre ams murmuri ng up th e shin gl e ; T e re a ll d o n i r f h , ay l g , the a s o ea rth W t ai rs o e n i n i h f h ave m g l e .

Sin i n w went o ur a a g g e h ppy w y , Sin n ld sin s nor n g i g o g , ote d no t e oi ce t at wi t us san A h r v h h g , As wi n and win we e g g ﬂoat d.

Ti us ed we i st ene d w i th e ai r ll h h , l , h l e W t musi sti beati n i h c ll was g , V o ic answerin tun efu oi ce a ai n e g l v , g Th e word s we sang repeating

i t of fluti n ec o e s sen A fl gh g h , t ’ W it e lfl c r a h n aro l o e n , Mo re swe et than b i rd -song i n th e prime Ran u h e se -b o n orus g o t t a l w ch .

B e hi nd tho se d une s th e ste m s h ad h eape d I a ll a nta s i fa s ion n f t c h , Wh o syllabled o ur son g s i n strain s Re mo t e fro m human p assio n ?

n r e u o ur own Wh at to e s we e thos tha t ca ght , F r rou i an d i stance ilte ed th gh l ght ld , An d tossed them g a yly to and fro Wi th such a swee t i nsi stence ?

a f se a-s ri te s t the sun Wh a t sho l o p , o h mar i n ocki n Alo ng t e g ﬂ g , i t d ews rom th e e e s D ri pp ing w th sal f d p , M i s me od i ous mocki n ? ad e th —l g l au hted a und red oi ces rose W e g , h v In a i ri e st fai ri e st augh ter ; —, l W e san g a h undred vo i ce s quired r And sang the who l e song ai te .

201 THE ROMANTIC SHORE

O n e stand i ng eag er i n th e prow B e w o ut h i s b u e h e er l g l c ly , An d fa r and wid e the i r h orn s repli ed M r si e r ! nd c e ar o e lv ly a l ly .

An a l i n d own t e l i tid e d f l g h fa l ng , S an d mo re o w o i n lo w sl ly g g , F o wn fa r o wn far o w t in an fine l , fl , fl n a t d , r e i s i n W e h e a d th r horns till blo w g .

T en wit th e a st d e i ci ous no e h , h l l t T t er ri n o o h ski es a llu g , D o wn run th e sa i ls; b en e at h th e Bluff

Th e h er mo oring .

P tt rd Harri et resco Spoﬁo .

202