Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-01-06
THE PENITENTS LIGHT.HOUsE.
A Legend from the French.

west OF Rochelle IS situated a dirty and
miserable village called Lalen. There
are only few fishermen there. The
coast is barren and inhospitsble, TIE
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 Monmusson, an immense funnel,
which sucks up the fishing boats that ap.
proach too near to It. At low tide the
women 20 and pick up shells among the
sea-wrack, whilst the men are busy 10 the
fields The fishermen are, some OF them,
stationed at St. Martin de Re; others at
La Rochelle, that old Huguenot port,
fortified by towers and ramparts. Along
the coast are vast marshes, overgrown
With mushrooms, and bordered by thyme.
| started one morning in the month Of
September, before sunrise, with Captain
Tailhades. We had spent the night at
Portneuf, where Rear-sdmirsl Bourde
bad entertained US, and at dawn we had
left his hospitable house, with our guns
on our shoulders, our game-bags and our
pipes. The first rays Of the san had dis
Sipsted the fog and we saw the sparkling
ocean. The islands OF Re and Oleron
were visible on the horizon like two
black spots, and some sloops were tack
ing about, their sails spreRd to enter La
Rochelle. After Eve hours Of painful
march, Wefeund ourselves on the coast
Of La Repentie, which is the most barren
part of that arid shore. HT
" Now, said Tailhades, I" let US try to
End out where we are. Here is the Saut
du Boue; the coast guards hut ought to
be over there; and since we are the
strongest, we will mako raid on that
solitary officials breakfast. Did / not
say SOP Do you not seethe curling
smoke2 Let US bear ts the right; we
shall get a 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
premiscuous breakfast. II | spend so
much time in bringing before my readers
the legend Of the Repeutie, it is that
Thought it indispensable to transport
them to the place where it was related
to me; so that they may forgive its sim.
plicity on account Of its truth, for | did
not invent it.
| will now let the cosst-gusrd speak.
" Before they had built the two light.
houses which shine at night like two
stars between 0leron and Re, you might
have seen, on the top of the Roche do
Boue, post strengthened with iron
clamps, and surmounted by an enormous
lantern, Every evening the coastgusrd
lighted It, and the boats that came 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 10
love with it. The lantern, at all events,
was bright and in good condition. In
stormy weather, when the sky was black
and thundery, when the broken shingles
rolled like thunder, it was visible at the
end OF tao post; and the sailors, who
thanked heaven when they had escaped
the reefs, blessed Herman little in
their hearts. BE was the only one who
IoYed and protected the lantern, for it
had many enemies ALL the wreckers
on the coast hated it. Formerly, storm
was good thing for them, and after
night of misery to those at sea, they
snatohed up all the riches that were
thrown up on the coast. 1t was devil
ish trade; but amidst the waits there
we're 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 anyone he found attempting such
a thing again. Among those the lantern
had beggared was an old woman called
La Moutte (the sesgall), but nevertheless
she ought to have had pity on others,
for her sou, q brave sailor, was at sea
he was twenty years old, and called
Jack, whom every one in Lslen loved,
because Of his good heart The season
had been hne that year, ele number of
the wreckers had gone inland TO seek
work, La Mouette blasphemed from
morning till night and one day, threat
ening the lantern, she said: Internal
IanteYR, they have placed you there to
ruin peoplej but that must be put an
end to.
"'You are very wicked, La Mouette,
Herman answered; and God will punish
you.
1T was at the time Of the equinoctial
gales. The sea found its bed too narrow.
One night, the waves, like giants es.
capped from prison, rose up toward the
sky; the wind howled like guilty spirit,
aud signals Of distress we're heard at sea.
Herman filed his lantern with the best
oil he had, he pat in fresh wick, and,
when he saw the bene6cent light she'd
ding its rays round the rock. hs vent to
bed, praying God for those who we're in
danger.
LA Mouette had watched his proceed
ings, and when he Was gone, she climbed
the rock in her turn. By dint of throw
ing stones, she had succeeded in break
ing 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 we're redou6led, but at dsybresk,
Herman, to his dismay, found the lantern
broken.
La Mouette on her side ran to the
shore. 1t was covered with fragments
of all kinds; bat there were also some
dead bodies. She ran from one to the
other, pulling off the rings, turning out
the pockets. But suddenly she grew
pale; she stumbled, and then fell on her
knees on the white stones. Her eyes
we're bloodshot; she turned ono body
over and over; she put her hand to her
heart; she kissed it. crying like a mad
woman, for she had recognized her SON
her son Jack She carried the body
away. and brought ii to her hut. There
she wrapped it 10 warEn linen, and called
her boy BY name, imploTing him to ans.
wei her. After that day she never left
her cottage She remained like a statue
of grief, seated night aud dsy on a