Daily Kennebec journal., 1876-02-29
o,onelnded from first page ]

rs my fathers. Ill,
lyon know The hens were our only
compapjons. Becoming convinced, thal
unIess thew were brought into the house
they would be lost 5: TO mother, i
mnst ,rv and save them She advised me
not 10 attempt it. The thought, however.
of parting with them without an effort was
NOT to be endured, so seizing a basket,
ran out few yards after the rollers had
passed, and the sea fell off little, with
The water knee deep to the coop, and res
cued all but one. 1t was the work of a
moment, and was back in the house with
the door fastened but | was none too
quick. for at that instant my little sister,
standing at the window exclaimed, oh,
look look there the worst sea is COM
ing That wave destroyed the dwelling
and swept the rock. | cannot think you
would enjoy remaining here any great
length of time. for the sea is never still.
and when agitat"d, its roar shuts out every
other sound, even drowning our voices
In the spring of 1857, Mr.. Burgess left
the rock to obtain his salary and secure
provision and fuel. He was prevented by
the weather returning, and his family ran
short of fuel. Awaiting until famine stared
them in the face, because OF the rough |
ness of the sea, the son started III little
skiff equipped with sail made by the aid
of his sister, for succor. As he pushed OIL
from the rock, he was lost sight OF IN the
trough of the sea, and was seen 70 more
except on the top of the sea for a short dis
tance for twenty-one days, during the
whole of which time the mother and four
girls were reduced to cup of corn meal
cruel and one egg each per day. To the
horrors of isolation and famine in mid
ocean was added awful suspense as to the
fate of the father and son. Had the one
perished in attempting to return, and the
other in his effort to obtain succor9 Dur
ing all sAAess days It ws.s Atbie who ls,boi--
ed and cheered. 1t was she who without
aid, far out on the bosom of the ocean.
was fully equal to the emergency, and as
the star of Bethlehem shone out to guide
the wise men to the birthplace of a Say
iour, SO from the setting sun to the rising
thereof, each day for all this long and
weary period, did the rays of her lights
shine out upon the trackless ocean to guide
the mariner safely on his way.
With heroism born only of true great |
ness, knowing her duty, she performed it
under circumstances which might well
have appalled,. Who can tell, had it been
otherwise, what disasters might have fol-
lowed-but that vacant chairs would have
existed where now the family circle is un-
broken. Not only did she care for the
lights and domestic duties, but it was she
who bathed the burning brow of moth
er, who held the cooling draught to the
fevered lips OF sister. In 1861, Mr.. Bur-
CESS was, in the change of administration,
superseded by Captain John Grant and
e IL al.
sitions, the services of Abbie were secured
to instruct them in their duties and teach
them the manipulation of the lamps, for,
in 1857, the Government had reconstruct
ed all the buildings, and the appointments
were of the most approved character, re-
quiring no little skill to run them. Dur
ing the year, she was married to Captain
Isaac IL. Grant; the assistant keeper; so
again it became her home. In 1864, the
residents of the rock witnessed the confla-
grafton of vessels fired by the Confederate
pirate Tallahassee. Five of these were
in view at one time in flames. May. 1865, |
Mrs. Grant, the principal keepers wife
died during gale, and it was not until
the fourth day after that her remains could
be removed from the rock.
The steam blast was established in 1869
after which Abbie was appointed one Of
the assistants, serving four years. The
season of 1875 found her still on the rock,
the mother of four children, with the many
cares incident thereto, and as her heart
went out towards her children, it was not
strange that her thoughts should wander
to the main land, and desire arise that
her children should have the advantages
OF education and society. and also be re-
leased from life so isolated and monot-
onous. In the spring of 1875 vacancy
occurred at White Head Light, in the
town of st. George, and the situation of
keeper was rendered her husband and ac-
copied, and Abbie was appointed assistant
1t is only after twenty-five years of uncon-
scious herosm, in life OF exile, that she
finds home on the main. During all
this period, she had left the rock only at
rare intervals. She had been deprived of
everything that ordinarily makes life at
tractive. Twenty-Five years had the
trees budded and put forth their leaves,
but not for her. twenty-five years had
the flowers bloomed and thrown out'their |
fragrance, but for her was only the air of
the briny ocean. Twenty-Five years had !
the newly mown hay filled the air with
its perfume, but for her was only the odor
of burning oil. Twenty-Five years of re-
finement and culture had come and gone,
but hers was the refinement of duty hero
ically performed and culture received
from the grandeur of the elements Mrs.
Grant possesses good share OF culture
and refinement, and her happiness now is
in anticipating the time when with her
husband and family she can retire from
Il. r.