The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1853-09-14

mother managed the little household,
and a great deal of time was spent in
reading and study. 1t speaks well for
the family that all the children acquir.
ed good common education, and
/ Grace learned to write in an elegant
and rapid manner. No doubt the
the family enjoyed many pleasant eve
nings in work and study, safely shell
tered in the light house, while the
waves dashed and roared on their very
door step.
Visitors to the island were pleased
with her sweet aud modest disposition.
She was Of the middle size, of fair
complexion, and pleasant countenancc,
which ordinarily expressed nothing but
mildness but ct times her eyes would
flash with enthusiasm, and under her
modest exterior there was an express
ion Of the firmness that showed her
capable of the most exalted heroism.
There is something, unqucstionably, in
the scene Of Grace's early years cal
culated to arouse an enthusiastic spir-
| it. Living on that lonely spot in the
midst of the ocean, with the horrors
Of the tempest familiarized to her mind,
her constant lullaby the sound of the
everlasting deep, her only prospects
that of the wide-sprcading sea, with
its rocky shores, and the distant sail
on the horizon-Grace Darling was
shut out from the active scenes Of life,
and from the innocent enjoyment of
young society. Often had she witness
ed the distressing shipwIecks and
when her father would bring i'll the
poor Ealfdrowncd wrctchcs, it was her
gentle care that watched over them,
ministering to their wants, and sooth-
ing their hours of agony. She soon
became known among sailors, and was
called "The Little Guardian" But
the incident which has spread her
name over the whole civilized world,
occurred when she had reached her
twerty-sccond year.
The Foriarshirc, large steam ves-
sci, sailed from the city Of Hull on the
evening Of Wednesday the 9TH of Sep
tcmber, 1898, having on board sixty
three persons and valuable cargo
There can be no doubt that her boilers
were i'll culpablo state Of disrepair,for
they were examined, and small leak
closed up before she left Hull. In
this inefficient state the vessel proceed
ed slowly on her voyage. She enter
ed the Fairway Channel, between
Farne island and the mainland, late
the next evening, but here the storm,
which had been all the while incrcas-
ing, burst upon themin all its fury,
and the ship rolled and pitched so fear
fully that the leak in her boilers in
creased, the fires were extinguished,
and she was tossed hclplcssly towards
the shore. Men were stationed to
pump water into the boilers, and the
fires relighted but the water ran out
faster than they could pump. The
captain, fearing that he should be
driven upon the rocks, hoisted sail fore
and aft in order to get her before the
wind, and keep her off the land. Thus
they beat about during the middle of
that fearful night, the rain pouring
upon them in torrents, ana the fog
hanging so densely around that they
could no see the length Of the ship.
About three o'clock in the morning
the Farne lights were discovered very
near them, and the next moment they
heard the horrible roar Of the breakers
directly before their bows. A scene
of wild confusion and anguish followed;
the screams Of women and children,
mingling with the hoarse voice of the
raging elements. In vain the crew
strained every nerve to turn the ill-fa'
ted Forfarshiro from the rocks she
had become unmanagcable, and every
billow drove her nearer to destruction.
Soon there come huge wave tower
ing like a liquid mountain behind them;
the trembling vessel was hurried along
on its submits, and dashed on the
sharp rocks, where the water descend
ed sheer down hundred fathoms. The
shock was so terrific that most of the
passengers were knocked senseless,
hardly having time to recover before
another wave come roaring upon them;
Iitlifted the vessel high above the rocks,
and then rushing back, let her fall up
on the sharp points with such force
that she broke apart in the middle ,and
! the stern with the entire cabin, con-
tainingmany people, was swept through
the tremendous channel between Farne
and Lightstonc. Some had previous
ly put to sea in the longboat, and, af
ter the ship parted, others plunged in
to the sea hoping to reach safe place,
but most of them were drowned. Nine
persons still remained in the ship
crowded around the windlass, where
their situation was truly deplorable, as
the frail timbcrs might be swept away
at any moment by the fierce billows
The only persons in the Lighthouse
at this time were Mr.. Darling, and his
wife and daughter. The great lamps
were lit at an early hour, and the fam
lily then busted themselves with theil
evening employments. AS the storm
increased, they did not wish to retire
but sat listening to the fearful sounds
; without. Sometimes they though