Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-08-02
The Story Of the Lighthouse.

The Story OF the Lighthouse.
"aJl
sometimes in the long winter evenings
Henry Bruce amused himself making out
lists OF lonely people, and his own name al
ways stood at the head ne agreed that
hoblnson Crusoe mad hard time, but kob,
lnson Crusoe could remember when ne mad
as much company as he wanted, and Henry
could not. The Man In the Iron MASK
was solitary enough, but now ABOUT the time
before he wore 1t AS Tor ST. Simeon Sty-
ltes, Henry would not put MIN on the list at
all, because, even II he did choose to i've
on the top OF high pillar, he always had
a crowd gaping up at him. Henry's griev-
ance was one ne shared with Adam ne
mad never mad BOY TO play with MN.
HIS father was the keeper OF lighthouse
on the northern coast OF England Inc
lighthouse STOOD on rock Two miles out at
sea, but Henry lived with MS mother and
little sister In cottage on the mainland.
Ihere was not another house within sight
and not boy within days travel. Men
USED 70 come up the coast shooting ana nsh-
ing, put curiousiy enough no poys ever
came along, and although Henry mad seen
them on vessels, ne had never nad good,
honest hour 5 play OF oaiR wi.h ooy IN all
MS Thoao liie. .... ..o.,.. -, .,,, .lo.. .,o
:, lhere was another odd thing about the
ii1e mere AT all lighthouses In tnese Times
tnere are Two or three men, 80 II one gets
SICK there VIII De some one 10 take MS
place. But Mr. Bruce had never had an
assistant Averything had always gone on
rlght, and so the government mad never
realized that ne was alone, and ne never
spoke OF II because ne was AFRAID that ne
would be paid less If he had man to help
him. lie 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 "The
Emergency Drill" This related to differ
ent matters, but it always began in the
same way. The first question was What
is the matter :" The second: What first 2"
Then, &C DO l need help I" and If the an
swer to this was Yes, then " Where shall
get it :"
Henry became so used to these questions
that he put them to himself on many occa-
sions, and he often amused himself playing
he was general on the battlefield, or a
king out 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 stockings. They agreed,
but told her she would have to walk back !;
but she was willing to do this, although the
distance was twelve miles, because, as she
said, II they did not take her she would
nave 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 Tor her mother. Henry gave her bread
and milk, put she 1retted' ohe did not want
to play and she wouldn't go TO sleep =,
| my goodnessF ne cried, 81 Wish all
Daoles were grown up would rather hunt
hons than take care oil you J. ne then picked
ner up and carried her 10 the door, NOW,
ne Said' we VIII watch lor mamma.
me rocks ,S $1,000 up against gray ana
nea'y shy' Inc winu nau oegun W moan'
and BIRDS hew screaming over the water.
| There was not sign of their mother COM
ing on the beach, and Henry felt more lonely
than ever. He looked over to the lighthouse
and wished his father would light it up, and
it seemed to him that sunset, the time for
lighting, must surely have come. Suddenly
little flag appeared in the lantern. Henry
sprang to his feet.
"What is the matter ?" he exclaimed in
real earnest.
al don't know" was the reply.
"What first Z"
"To go to the lighthouse"
But he was mistaken. The first thing he
had to do was to dispose of Lucy. He could
not take her he could not leave her.
"If you were only horse" he hurriedly
cried, " could put you in the stable II you
were COW, I'd tie you to the stake but
what can do with baby 2"
"Lucy can co." said the child
"No, she can't |" he answered and then
he looked out again, but his mother was not
yet in sight, and the red flag, which meant
"Come at once |" still shook and beckoned
to him.
He tied Lucy into her little chair with an
apron, and wrote note to his mother
"Dear Mother Father wanted me right AWAY
and the lamp is not lit, and 1t is after sunset and
hope Lucy won't get into any trouble.
Your son. HENRY BRUCE
He put this note in front OF the lamp and
hurried off. A boat was always kept ready
and Henry sprang into 1t, and rowed of
with energy. 1t was dark, however, when
he reached the lighthouse, and the rain had
begun to fall, lie tied his boat to the little
pier, and ran to the tower. lie opened a
small, heavy bronze door, and entered a
large, always dimly-lighted room, in which
was stored coal and WOOD, OIL 1or the lamp
and fresh water from the mainland. The
stairs were in this room, and Henry ran up
The room above was the kitchen. Over that
was the bedroom, and from this ladder led
to the lantern; Henry called, but there was
no answer. He went up into the lantern
All was dark and silent. He spoke again
and again, but still all was silent; then he
heard groan, and he rushed down the lad
der, got the Keepers hand-lamp, and rar
BACK Ills iather lay on the moor MS eye
were closed and blood ran from his temple
1t was plain that he had fallen and hur
himself
Henry began to cry. lie did not know
what to do, and the Emergency Drill
didn't occur TO him then he remembered
that he ought TO stop the How OF blood, and
taking his fathers handkerchief from hi
pocket, tied up the wound. sun MS lathe
neither spoke nor moved then ne crie'
again and then ne thought OF MS mother
one must oy TINS tiine pe AZ nome ana
without hesitation, ne rushea OH again pu
TINS Time 10 ms poat III tooK put mo
ment M 70 gntie % II hn anu sPring IN ana 90 on