Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1869-06-25
Ida Lewis.


At the close of stormy March day oil
this year two soldiers were crossing from
Newport to Fort Adams in sail-boat
managed by an inexperienced lad.
When they were partly across blast
suddenly struck the craft /; the boy was
confounded, the boat capsized, and for
half an hour, clinging to the keel, the
hapless men and boy struggled with the
waves. Then the hold of the boy relax
ed, and hesank; but boat had put off from
the Lime Rock Lighthouse, about half
mile away, and before the men were
exhausted it 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 hastened in her skill to
rescue them. A little later three drunk
en- soldiers stove hole in their boat not
far from the light. Two swan ashore,
the 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 skifl
and put out into the harbnr A heavy
sou'wester was blowing, and the skif was
swamped. Once more Ida Lewis push
ed off for them, and bringing them safe
to shore, returned and landed the sheep.
In the next winter a scrape-grace stole a
sail-boat from the wharf and made off
But the gale drove it upon the little
Lime Rock, mile from the light ). and
the thief clung to the mast from mid
night until morning, when Ida Lewis
saw him, and rowing to his relief, found
him as she said, " shaking and God
blessing me, and praying to be set on
shore" This is girl in her twenty
eighth year, slender, 6lue-eyed, with light
brown hair, frank and hearty, and like
ly to be more famous aext summer than
any Newport belle.
But the heroic story of which these are
the incidents suggests some very improv-
ing reflections upon the sphere of woman.
No one can read the report in the news
papers, no one certainly read the brief
telegraphic notice upon the following
morning, without 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? Is
it womanly to tug and strain through
a tempest, and then pull halfdrowned
men into skiff? Now, speaking sober
ly, no man will be such an-let us say
donkey, as to insist that it was unfemi-
nine 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 SO, then it was
perfectly womanly TO learn the use of
oars-to acquire the means of doing so
great a service to her fellow-creatures, a
service which touches the heart and the
imagination, and, as in the instance of
Grace Darling, will become poetic ira
dition. 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 are
competent to row boats Ida Lewis has
shown that she can row to some purpose,
can row indeed to such purpose that ev-
cry generous heart applauds. This
seems to settle the whole vexatious ques-
tion about women. Indeed there is real
ly no more question about women than
about men. And unless the whole de-
bate upon the subject of the rights of
men, which has shaken society now for
so many years, and often to such tremen-
dous results, is folly, that upon the rights
of wcmen can hardly be smiled away
Harper's Magazine.
SCoLDING.-I never knew a scolding
person that was able to govern family.
II