Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-04-18

would get into his head and he might
fall over the rocks way down into the
dreary moaning waves. Perhaps 1 shall
never see him again. I know what I'll
do. I'll just take the lantern and go
after him."
She did not seem to think of the wild
storm outside or the perilous and dark
road she had to traverse-al she ap-
peared to remember was that her father
was in danger and that ii was her duty
to rescue him from his peril if it were
in her power to do so.
She covered over the fire with ashes
and, having taken all due precautions
against a confagration she wrapped
herself in her cloak, tied her hood
closely over her head and with the
lighted lantern in her hand started
forth on her merciful errand. Her
progress was slow, for even with lantern
alight and the red light shining in the
distance but dimly, the road she trav-
eled was full of deceptive holes, into
any one of which she might stumble
unless she took heed where she placed
her little feet.
The wind was high and would often
strive to whisk her cloak from her
shoulders and snatch the lantern from
her hand, but bravely and nobly did
this child keep on, praying all the
while to God to give her strength to get
to the hut of Joe Clay's-praying God
to keep him there until she had placed
the lantern safely in his hands.
Ever and anon would her light be
thrown on the surrounding objects,
fearing if her father had fallen on the
way she might miss him. The red light
never seemed so far off to Maggie as it
did that night-it seemed to keep going
farther away the more she advanced
towards it. What if it should not pro-
ceed from Joe Clay's house at all but
merely be some "will O. the wisp" at
tracting her towards the sea and then
into it?
At last it shone brighter and brighter
and Maggieknew she was near her Jour-
ney's end. Then she could hear loud
voices above the storm then she ap-
preached the window and peered in
she could see Joe Clay and four other
men seated around the table, smoking
and drinking, but her father was not
one of them-her father was not in the
room
Maggie's heart sank within her-a
binding flash of lightning shot through
the sky. Maggie gave one wild, pierre
ing scream and fell prostrate below the
window.
The scream called the men from the
room and as they gazed out into the
darksome, boisterous night, this was
the scene presented to their view.
A little figure drenched through with
the rain, lying on the ground clasping
in her cold hands the lantern. They
thought she had been struck by the
lightning, but she had only tainted
from exhaustion and excitement.
"Why, bless my soull" exclaimed
Joe Clay, eff it haint Mark Gordon's
little gal, Maggie What could have
brought her out such a wild and un-
canny night?"
They soon knew well enough, for the
child opened her eyes and, looking
vacantly about, exclaimed GIVE
brought the lantern, father ;" then, as
if the memory of not seeing her parent
came to her mind, she added, "He is
not here. He is dead, and Maggie will
never see him more"
Don't take on so, little one-your
fathers not dead-he's sound asleep in
my chamber he was drowsy like, and
so thought I'd best put him to bed.
He wanted to go home, but I was de-
termined he shouldn't as he was per-
sistent, I jest put him in my room and
turned the key upon him." said Joe
Clay.
Maggie told her story to the men as
sembled there-it struck deep down
into their hearts and the roughest of
them felt twinge of conscience.
"See here, my men" Joe Clay says
and Joe was himself the speaker-"i if
this wee slip O. a gal had died out in
this storm, I should always have felt
that I murdered her-yes, jest as much
murdered her as if I'd shot her down.
Now, from this time forth and forever
more as long as I live on these premises,
the light that shines from that window
shall never be the danger signal red,
but the purer one of aOhite, and you
very well know what that means, eh ?"
"It means that you'll sell no more
liquor ?" said one of the men.
Precisely SO, and you know when I
put the white light in the window you
might as we'll try to make mountains
walk as for me to sell liquor"
1t was a wise resolve of Clay's-bet-
ter and wiser still that he kept his
resolution. It made the cliff better,
and the dwellers on it happier.
Maggie's father-when he learned
how much his child had imperiled her
life to save his-forswore the use of the
wine cup, and did all in his power to
make Maggie's life far pleasanter than
it had been before. He never strayed
from his hut at night-he told her
tales of the dead mother while she
listened, and, at their close, would
sing him sweet songs of home and
heaven. Such is their present life
may their future be as calm and peace
full as it has been since the banishment
of that ill-omen in Joe Clay's window
the red light.