Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-03-23
TEE EMERGENCY DRILL

I'LL LIN MLhUDNO L DhllID,
Sometimes in the long winter even
ings Henry Bruce amused himself
making out lists of lonely people, and
his own name always stood at the head.
He agreed that Robinson Crusoe had q
hard time, but Robinson Crusoe could
remember when he had as much com.
pany rs he wanted, and Henry could
not. The Man in the Iron Mask was
solitary enough, but how about the
time before he wore il? AS for st.
Simeon Stylites, Henry would not put
him on the list at all, because, even if
he did choose to live on the top of a
high pillar, he always had crowd
gaping up at him. Henry's grievance
was one he shared with Adam; he had
never had boy to play with him.
His father was the keeper OF a light
house on the northern coast of Eng
land. The lighthouse stood on a rock
two miles out at sen, but Henry lived
with his mother and little sister in a
cottage on the mainland. There was
not another house within sight, and not
= boy within days travel. Men used
to come up the coast shooting end
Ashing, but curiously enough no boys
ever came along, and although Henry
had seen him on vessels, he had never
had a good, honest hours play or talk
with boy in all his life.
There was another odd thing about
she life here. At all lighthouses in
these times there are two or three men,
30 il one gets sick there will be some
one to take his place. But Mr.. Bruce
had never had an assistant. Everything
had always gone on right, and so the
government had never realized that he
was alone, and he never spoke of it
because he was afraid that he would be
paid less If he had q man 10 help him
He expected Henry to take the
place OF assistant as soon as he was old
enough. In the meantime to educate
the boy for possible contact with the
world he used to put him through
what he called I" The Emerge ncy
Drill" This related to different mat.
ters, but 1t always began in tho same
way. The first question was: "what
Is the matter?' The second: "What
first 2" Then, "Do need helpT and
II the answer to this was Eyes," then:
Where shall get it ?" Henry became
30 used to these questions that he put
them to himself on many occasions, and
he often amused himself playing he
was > general on the battlefield, or a
king ont hunting. and he imagined all
sorts of troubles when the " Drill /" was
Of use.
One morning \ fishing boat came in
bound to the nearest town, and Mrs.
Bruce asked the men to take her along
to buy yarn for the children's stock
ings. They agreed, but told her she
would have to walk back, but she was
willing to do this, although the dis.
tance was twelve miles, because, as
she said, il they did not take her she
would have to walk both ways.
Everything went on very well until
near sunset when the sky began to
cloud, and little Lucy became cross and
sleepy and cried for her mother. Henry
gave her bread aud milk, but still she
fretted. She did not want to play and
she would not go to sleep.
my goodnessF r. he cried. 81 wish
all babies were grown up I would
rather hunt lions than take care Of yonT
He then picked her up and carried her
10 the door. Now" he said, "we will
watch for man.
The rocks slood mp against . gray
and heavy fky. The wind had begun
70 moan, and the birds flew screaming
over Tie water. ThoTe was not . sign
Of their mother coming on the beach,