The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1869-05-25

Ibl I8aH At ,hc close 81 stormy
March day q tbs year two soldiers
we're crossing FROM Newport 10 Fort
Adams in a sail-boat managed by an
inexperienced lad When they were
partly across a blast struck the craft,
the hoy Was eopfoanded the boat cap
sized. aud for half an hour, elinging 70
the keel, the hapless men and boy strug
gled with the waves Then the bold 81
the boy relaxed, aud ho sank but a
boat had put % from Lime Rock Light
house, about half mte away, aud bo,
fore the men were exhausted il had
reached them. and they were saved
The persons who saved them were Ida
Lewis and her brother Hosea. children
Of the keeper Of the light
Ten years ago in the same harbor
four young fellows were upset in boat,
and the same girl fastened in her skiii
to rescue them A little later three
drunken soldiers store hole IN their
boat not far from the light Tive swan
ashore, tho third was saved by Ida
Lewis when nearly exhausted. Two
years ago some men were driving
sheep upon the wharf in Newport. The
animal plunged into the water, and
three men running along the shore in
pursuit at length found a skiff and put
out into the harbor. A heavy sou ives.
ter blowinF, and the skiff swami J.
Once more Ida Lewis pushed off for
them, and bringing them sale 70 shore
returned aud landed the sheep. Ia the
next winter seape grace stole sail
boat from the wharf aud made OF
Bat the gale drove it upon the little
Lime Rock, annie from the light and
the thief Jluag to the mast fIon mid
night until morning, when Ida Lewis
saw him, ard rowing 10 bis reliei, found
him, as she said, shaking and God
blessing me, and praying 70 b. set on
shore,
THIS is a girl in her twenty eight
year, slender, blue eyed, with light
brown hair, frank and hearty, aud like
/ ly to be more famous next summer than
any Newport belle
But the heroic story Of which these
are tho incidents suggests some very
improving reflections upon the sphere
Of woman. No one can read the re-
port in the newspapers no one certain
ly read the brief tclegraphic notice up
on the following morning, without a
thrill Of admiration and sympathy
But are we to understand that such
emotion was natural and proper? Are
we TO believe that it is feminine for
Young women to row boats in storms Z
Is it "womanly' to tug and strain
through tempest, and then pull half
drowned men into a skiff?
Now, speaking soberly, no man will
be such au--let us say donkey, as TO
insist that It was unfeninine in Ida
Lewis to pull off in her boat to save
men from drowning. 1t was no more
unfeminine than to sing babe TO sleep.
And if this be 80, then it was perfectly
womanly TO learn the use OF oars to
acquire the means Of doing so great a
service to her feilow-er creatures, o ser.
vice which touches the heart and the
imagination, and, as in the instance Of
Grace Darling will become a poetic
tradition
When we have come as far as this
there is certainly no need Of asking
whether such actions fall within the
sphere Of woman, or whether they an,
competent to row boats Ida Lewis
has shown that she can row to somC
purpose, can row indeed to such pur
pose that every generous heart applauds
This seems TO settle the whole vexatioui
question about women. Indeed ther'
is really no more question about wo
men than about men. And unless th,
whole debate or subject Of the rights Q
! men, which has shaken society now 70
, 81 many years. aad often to such tire
, mendous results, folly, taat upon th
rights Of women can hardly be smile'
, away Hppers Magazine