The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1868-07-29
Seleft e Stotp.
The Light in The. Window.
BY MARY KYnE'DAELAs.

Frt'I1l keep the light in the window,
Sandy. till you come back" r. -.
'-,"Ncver mind, mother said the boy,
standing at the door in an uncertain,
I.s'ouching kind of way, 81 might
be late" I'd ..-. -.-...
cts dark along the lane," said the
mother, "and bit Of candle-iiSht would
be i'll spared, if you got tumble by
it. III keep the candle burning till
ye come back " ~ -..l. -.... -
She was hard featured Scotch wo-
man, healthy and active. though no
longer young, and, az she talked, she
work ed on, ironing ths linen she had
washed and siarched, and heaPing 1t,
ike a snowdrilt, in great basket be-
side her. -Four other children were
in the room, girls and boys, too young
to do much for themselves, bat Sandy
was eighteen, tall, hanjsome fellow,
with ripe lips ard checks, and dancing
eyes. .t''If Sardy only aeonld have been
little sicadier," the mother s ghcd /;
but, to be steady was not Sandy's
forte Of ever and always to theriver
side, where other lounsiug boys watch
ed the beats come in at the Jerry, or
pIuneing stones into the water for the
village pet, the great Newfoundland,
.'Wbiskers," by name, to ''fetch. No
harm in that, the mother though, If
the boys had all been good but even
ings, at the store, they were worse and
the decent wasbeTwoman shiyered as
she listened to her boys home coming
step, at nights. lest some day he should
cory Squire HPeeier's boys who were
her. terror, though they were sons OF
the richest man in the neighborbood.
But now, IS Sandy stood in the door,
so tall, and bouny, the mothers heart
grew light. ys'He'd be sure to settle
down a1dchelp her with the BARNS.
same day. she said No doubt of that /;
he was but Bit boy now; and she
ironcd on i,until her work was done, ard
then put the candle in the VIII dow 10
Hight the boy along the lone y lane ar
his home. coming. The candle burnt
itself away and suI-k into the socket,
and the very wick smouldered cut, Ieav-
ing only smell and smoke behind it.
and still lit noiSandy acros the thrcsh.
old of his humble homa, for that night
Sandy ran away. 'sw ---. r- -.
The life at home wss too hard for
him. The restraints Of his mGthcr's s
watchfu' eye tired him. To do his own
will, to have his own way, Sandy left
his home behind him, but he had grace
enough 10 remc cmber, with panS, these
words .-r--zf..-4
7H'I'll keep the light burning till ye
come back, Sandy" - -. 90,
I. Some yag1e hope OF being rich, and
doing great, things fer those at home,
was in his mind, or he believed so but a
selfish desire to escape the drudgery
and the restraint gave the actual i'm
pulse to his steps. He. shipped as a
sailor the next day, and Began, in earn
est. a wild and reckless. sailors life.
it suited him. Now and then, when
the storm was at its height, and far in
| the. distance the lamps Of some tall
light house shone like a greet red eye,
| the tiny flicker of that window shelter
ed candle would dawn upon his memo
ry, and he would hear his mothers
voice, saying, .I'l keep 1t burning
until ye crne back, Sandy" Now and
then, amidst the yarns and songs OF the
| forecastle merry making, he heard the
grooming of the tunes she used to sing
over her work-old Scottish ballads,
or, perhaps some hymn handed down
| from the time when the old Covenan-
tiers worshipped God, and defied man,
amongst the purple heather. They
never lured him to help her, though
The years rolled on, and even this
one sting of conscience ceased Its pain
ing. In those days there was no such
beings as sober sailors, nor captaips of
Temperance principles. Hard drinkers
were most old salts, and most young
ones Sandy drank with the rest
He grew broad and stout. His cheek
| was bronzed, his light hair changed
its tint, his voice grew deep and coarse.
| He was in no way good man but he
uods a good sailor. As-the years pass
ed, he came to, be an oficer-frst mate
of the Agamemnon. His pockets were
! full enough for all his purposes. The
sea was better than land to him, and
when on shore he led that kind of bois-
ferrous life that drives the thought OF
mother from mep's very souls. He
/ had friends, at least he thought so, men
who knew when his tpay'. Jingled In
his pockets, women who did net blush
Ito receive the lavish gifts from the jov-
ial sailor. He was not niegardly, nay,
[ OF &c he had tmptied his last remaining
1 dollars into beggar's hand. It bap-
pened to be prettyish beggaf girl,
/ and he had gone on three years
crnise shneless. and during shipWreck