The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-02-03
The Penitent's Lighthouse.
A LEGEND FROM THE FRENCH.

west OF R0chelle Is situated QlrIy anu
miserable village called Lalen There
are only a few fishermen there. The
coast is barren and inhospitable. The sea
shuts in its white belt of shingles. divided
from place to place by immense rocks
and when it is stormy, you can hear the
distant rumbling of the 'Mou de Monmus-
son, an immense funnel, which sucks up
fishing boats that approach too near it.
At low-tide, the women 60 and pick up
shells among the sea-wrack, whilst the
men are busy in the fields. The fisher
men are some of them stationed at St
Martin de Re; others at | Lochelle, that
old Huguenot port, fortified by towers
and ramparts Along the coast are vast
marshes, oyergrown with mushrooms and
bordered by thyme. l started one morn
ing in the month of September, before
sunrise, with Captain 1aihades. We had
spent the night at Portneut, where Rear
Admiral Bourde had entertained us, and
at dawn we had lett his hospitable house,
with our guns on our shoulders, our game
bags, and our pipes The first rays Of the
sun dissipated the fog, and we saw the
sparkling ocean. The islands of lie and
Oleron were visible on the the horizon
like two black spots, and some sloops
were tacking about, their sails spread to
enter La Rochelle After five hours OF
painful march, we found ourselves on the
coast of La Repentie, which is the most
barren part Of that arid shore.
Now" said Tailhades, "let US try to
find out where we are. Here is the Saut
du Bouc; the coast-guard'S hut ought to
be over there; and since we are the stron-
est, we will make a raid on that solitary
officials breakfast. Did not say so? Do
YOU not see the curling smoke? Let US
bear to the right; we shall get breakfast
in that direction.
The coast-guard received Us with open
arms and having given our dogs an i'm
mense basin of soup, we did honor to the
promiscuous breakfast. If | spend so
much time in bringing before my readers
the legend of the "Repentie," it is that |
thought it indispensable to transport them
to the place where it was related to me SO
that they may forgive its simplicity on ac-
count OF its truth for did not invent it.
| will now let the coast guard speak
before they had built the two light
IOuStS NIllCl otlIlIC IL Inv wv ottAo
between Oleron and Re, you might have
seen on the top OF the Roche du Bouc, q
post strengthened with iron clamps, and
surmounted by an enormous lantern.
Every evening the coast-g guard lighted it,
and the boats that came up to the rock
turned away when they perceived the
light Worthy Rebard, whose age no one
knows. has often told me about the coast
guard Herman, who spent the greater part
OF his life contemplating the lantern, and
people said he was in love with It. The
lantern, at all events, was always bright
and in good condition. In stormy weather
when the sky was black and thundery,
when the broken shingles rolled like thun
der, it was visible at the end OF the post:
and the sailors, who thanked Heaven,
when they had escaped the reefs, blessed
Herman a little in their hearts. lie was the
only one who loved and protected the lam
tern, ior it had many enemies. All the
wreckers on the coast hated it. Formerly,
a storm was good thing for them, and
after a night of misery to those at sea. they
snatched up all the riches that were
thrown up on the coast 1t was 4 vile
trade: but amid the waits there were Of
ten rich finds, and the lantern had ruined
them. They had attempted to break the
lantern and to throw down the post but
Herman declared he would shoot any one
he found attempting such a thing again
Among those the lantern had beggared
was an old woman called La Nlouette (the
sea gull J but nevertheless, she ought to
have had pity upon others, tor her son, a
brave sailor, was at sea. He was twenty
years old, and called Jack, whom every
one in Lalen loved, because of his good
heart.
The season had been fine that year.
and a number of the wreckers had gone
| inland to seek work La Mouette bias
phemed from morning till night, and one
dav, threatening the lantern, she said
Cursed lantern, they have placed you
there to ruin people; but that must be
put an end to-
"'You are very wicked, La Mouette.'
Herman answered; and God will punish
YOU
at was at the time OF the equinoctal
gales. The sea found its bed too narrow.
| One night, the waves, like giants escaped
| from prison, rose up towards the sky
the wind howled like guilty spirit; and
| signals of distress We're heard at sea.
Herman filed mis- lantern with the best oil
he had, he put in fresh wick, and when
| he saw the beneficent light shedding its
rays around the rock, he went to bed
praying God for those who were in dam
| ger.
LA Mouette had watched his proceed
| ing and when he was gone she climbed
| the rock in her turn. BY dint of throwing
| stones, she had succeeded in breaking one
OF the sides of the lantern, so that the
| wind and rain rushed in and put out the
| light. AT sea the signals of distress were
| redoubled but at daybreak, Herman, to
| his dlsmay found his lantern broken.
La Mouette on her side ran to the
shore. 1t was covered with fragments of
all kinds, but there were also some dead
bodies. She ran from one to the other.
pulling off the rings, turning out the pock
cts. But suddenly she grew pale she
stumbled, and then fell on her knees on
the white stones. Her eyes were blood
shot, she turned one body over and over;
| she put her hand to the heart she kissed
| it, crying like mad woman, for she had
recognized her son-her son Jack! She
| carried the body away, and brought it to
her hut. There she wrapped it in warm
| linen. and called her boy by name. implor-
she never left her cottage. She remain
| ed like statute of Grief, seated night and
day on stone.
'Some kind neighbors gave her some
food The cure of Lalen came to see her;
and she prayed and cried SO much, that
people came from miles around to see her.
One morning so they say - she was
found dead on her stone. They wished to
carry her away. but nobody could succeed.
The water that dropped from the rock had
petrified the old woman. She was there,
sad and pale. like statue of Grief And
as people had often bestowed money upon
| her, the cure of Lalen, according to La
| Mouettc's wish. had another beacon put
| instead of kernan's lantern. 1t is to this
| day called The Penitent's Lighthouse.
IN. Y. Observer.
| A Chinese cook, with butchers hatch
ct as sharp as razor, will. IN ten min
utes, thoroughly bone and skin fish. so
that not particle is wasted. He will
| give YOU an unbroken orange full of ten