Page 35 - Mae Wilcox, 98 - Poet from Big Lorraine

ISSUE : Issue 59

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1992/1/1

Parties--house parties. And there was a church there. Church parties. School parties. Everything. Everyone had their own wharves. Now, there's a piece in there explains that: "I still can see my father / With yellow oilskins clad / Throw? ing the fish upon the wharf-- / Haddock, cod? fish, and shad.// When they were cured, they were salted down / And left to dry in the sun? light / And sold for three cents a pound....' Painting of part of Big Lorraine said to be the vessei laying the Mae laughs. "But down there now, in Lorraine, / No fishing wharves I see / Nor are there any houses / Where so many used to be.// But in the quiet cemetery / Where the white daisies grow / Sleep the friends of my childhood / Whom I loved so long ago." My grandmother often (told me this story) --she was a Townsend. And she lived in Louisbourg--born in Louisbourg, lived in Louisbourg, down--you know where Bill Le? wis's house is there yet. Well, that was the Townsend property. And she lived there. There were 12 brothers and sisters. And somehow or another they got notice, got word some way--her brothers were fish? ermen- -that a schooner was coming in. They were privateers, if you ever heard of that. And they were going to take whatever they could get, I guess, from the fisher? men and all those along the shore there. So her brothers were prepared. And they had musket-loading guns. It was some sort by the late Harry Jewell. Small boat with smoke off the harbour is Transatlantic Cable. of a musket, and they put shot in, powder in, then something else. Had a ramrod, pushed that down--that'd be their guns. So when they knew that this privateer was coming in, they were prepared for them. And they went upstairs. But they came, they came to the house. And were pounding at the doors and windows. So they went up? stairs, they had their guns out. They didn't shoot anyone, but they fired them. And they scared them away. They went. And the next morning, there were two--I guess f • w* . BALLOON BOUQUETS • GORILLA & CLOWN SERVICE (Singing Telegram) . AIR TANK RENTALS • DECORATING SERVICE ' . CUSTOM IMPRINTING Jfl. . BUTTONS |fi THE { 0( WE DELIVER 4 ' m '. m??w ' wkr'x 'L. Hfj ijJJn 1 SJ'Ss'LI ?//lrlJI#/*i mMnmu U' • GIFT IN A BALLOON • FLAMINGO RENTALS '' • WEDDINGS & 11 W PARTY SUPPLIES 11 IT' * HELIUM 2'' • ' Br>iiniiPT