Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1869-06-11

IDA LEwIs.-Ar the close Of a storm,
March day Of this year two soldiers wer,
crossing from Newport to Fort Adams in /
sail>boat managed BY ar inexperienced lad
When they were partly across a blast sud
denly struck the craft; the boy was con,
founded, the boat capsized and for half ar
hour, clinging to the keel the hapless men aat
boy &truggled with the waves. Then tho
hold OF the boy relaxed, and be sank; bn
. boat had put off from the Lime Rocl
Light>hcuse, about half mile awsy, and
before the men were exhausted il had reach
ed them, and they were saved. The per.
sons who saved them were Ida Lewis and
her brother Hosea, childrea of the keeper
ofthe light.
Ten years ago in the same harhor foul
young felluws we're upset in a boat, and the
same girl FASTENED in her skilf TO rescue
them. A little later three drunken soldiers
stove hole in their boat far frcm the light
Two swan ashore, the third vas saved b,
Ida Lewis when nearly exhausted. Two
years ago some men we're driving sheep
upon the wharf in Newport. The animal
plunged into the wafer, aud three men run,
nieg along the shore in pursuit at length
found skiff and put out into the harhor.
A heavy SOU 'wester was blowing, and the
skif was swamped. Once more Ida Lewis
Tushed off for them, ard bringing them
safe to shore, returned and landed the sheep,
In the next winter . scape-Qrace stole !
sail>boat from the wharf and made oil. Bu,
the gale drove it upon the little Lime Rock.
mile from the light !; aud the thief clung
to the mast from midnight until moruing,
when Ida Lewis saw him, and rowing to his
relief, found him, as she said, shaking and
Goc-hlessing me, and praying 10 be sci on
shore.''
This Is a girl in her twentyeighsh wear.
slender, blue-eyed, with IiyhtLrovn hair,
frank and hearty, nnd likely to be more ias
nous next summer than any Newport b.lle.
But the heroic story Of which these are
the incidents suggests some vssy improving
refieciions upon the sphere Of woman. No
ono can reed Tho report in tho newspa pers,
no one certainly read the brief telegrapic
nc tice upon the following morning, without
thrill Of admiration and sympaihy. But
are We TO understand that such emotion
was natural and proper3 Are we 10 believe
that i is "feminine" for young women 10
row boats in storms? Is it s.womanly. 10
tug, and strain through atempest, aud then
pull hAlf>drowned men into skifY
Now, speaking soberly, no man VIII be
such an-les ~ say donkey, as to ins ist that
It was uufeminine ia Ida Lewis to null off
in her boat to Save men from drowning.
Il was no more unfemiuine than to sing 1
babe to sleep. And il this be 50, then il
was perfectly womanly to learn tile use Il
oars--t0 acquire the means of doing 80
great : service to her fellow creatures. 1
service which touches the heart aud the i'm :
agination, and, as in the iassa,,cs of Grace
Darling, will become poetic tradition.
When we have come us far a. ihia ,ahere
is certaialy no need Of asking ~hether incl
actions fall within the sphere of woman. 81
whether they are compctant 10 r0w borss
Ida Lewis hns shown that she can rovi "a
some purpose, can row indeed to such pur~
pose that every heart spplauds. This seems
70 settle the whole vexatioEs question about
women. Indeed there is really NO nsors
question about women than about men,
And unless the whole dehafa npOn tic subs
jeet Of the righss Of men, which has shaken
society now for 80 many years, and ofien 10
such tremendous results. is folly, that npon
the rights Of women can hardly b ssn;led
away.-EAsr CHAIR, in Hdrpr's Mago>
ztss.