Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-04-20

II n II 4 IL h / q II T. II u I = n.
tMARY E. WILKINS in Harper's Bazarl
Government had for several years sadly neg
lected job of mending in the case Of the
Bar Lighthouse bridge. Here and there
boards had begun TO spring suspiciously be-
meath unwary footsteps; then the wind had
begun to tear them off, and the rain to rot
and mouder them down. What was every
mans business was nobodys, and no individ-
uai was disposed to interfere with the prov
ince Of that abstract millionaire, the United
States government To be sure, the keeper
of the Bar Light, Jackson Reed, who was
naturally more solicitous concerning the hold.
ing out of the structure than any one else,
had wildly and fruitlessly patched some OF
the worst places, of and on, after hard
"northeaster when he awoko more keenly
to the eXigencies of the case and the hopeless
diletoriness of his employer. But long neg
lect had rendered something more than mere
patching necessary. Now the quarter-mile
bridge leading to the Bar Lighthouse, if not
in an absolutely unsafe condition, was not cal
cuated to inspire any degree of confidence in
the unaccustOmed crosser, at least II was
not quite so bad at low tide, or on mild,
still day there was not much to fear then,
except a little fall and ducking-that is, if
one cleared one of those ragged apertures sue
cessfully. But on q dark night, with the
winds bowling over it and the ocean thunder
ing beneath, it was the sort of bridge that
only disembodied spirit could be supposed
to cross with any degree OF nonchalauce
The lighthouse itself was only an ordinary
dwelling-house, strongly built, with q tower
for the light 1t stood on a massive pile of
rocks, with little tufts OF coarse vegetation in
the clefts. Jackson Reed, who had an unfor
tunate love and longing for a garden spot, had
a,,fr, .srl. 1.l A.
mainland for a little patch a few yards square,
aud when he was not engaged in fruitless
struggle with the dlapidated bridge he was
engaged in fruitless struggle with his gar.
den. A pottering old man was Jackson Reed
lacking in nervous force and quickness of in
tellect but he had never let the light 90 out
and the only thing absolutely required of a
light house keeper is to keep the light burn
ing for the sailors who steer by it,
The wonder was that his wife Sarah should
have been his wife. She was person not Of
a different mould merely, but of a different
kind not Of a different Species but differ
ent genus. Nervous and alert, what her hus.
band accepted in patient silence she received
with shrill remonstrance and questioning. Her
husband patched the bridge, crawling over its
long reach on his old knees she rallied, as
she watched him, at the neglect of govern
ment He uncomplsiningly brushed the sand
from his little puny, struggling plants, and she
set her thin face against the wind that cast it
there.
In both the religious element or cast Of
mind was strongly predominant but Jackson
Reed simply looked out on nature and into
his own soul, and took in as plain, ncontro.
vertible facts the broken bridge, the tossing
sea, his little wind swept, sand strewn garden
patch and God in heaven. Neither proved
a a 1. a. -
simply there. But Sarah Reed, looking out
on the frail, unsafe bridge which connected
them with the mainland the mighty, sense
less sea that had swallowed up father and a
brother whom she idolized, and the poor little
tender green things trying to live under her
window, had seen in them so many dumb de-
malls Of either Gods love or His mercy or His
existence. She was rheumatic old woman
now-almost helpless, in fact-unable to step
without aid from her husband. Aud she sat,
day in and day out, at one of the sea windows
of her sitting-room, knitting, and holding her
defiant old heart persistently against the
pricks.
The minister at Rye, a jealous young man
with an innocent confidence in his powers of
holy argument, had visited her repeatedly
with the view OF improving her state Of mind.
She had, in her youth belonged to the church
over which he now presided; it was the church
nearest the light house, but was not less than
three miles away. The minister had heard
from one of his flock, who was connection
of hers, that Mis- Reed had lost her faith, -
and straightway he was fired with holy ardor
to do something for her spiritual benefit; but
even his tonguey confidence and ingenious
ness could CLEAN but little satisfaction from
his interviews with the rheumatic and unbe
lieving old woman,
mo, Mr. PendletOn, she used to say shak
ing a thin, rheumatic hand with an impress
iveness which her hearer might have copied
advantageously in the pulpit lit aint no use
You kin talk about seein' with the spirit nd
worshippin' with the spirit, but body needi
little somothin to catch hold on with the
flesh when it's all spirit it's too much for
mortal bein' to comprehend, and the Lore
knows | amt never had much of anything bu
spirit aint never had any evidence, so tC
speak. l aint never had prayer answered il
my life. If have, I'd Jest like to know how
Mebbe you'll say they've been answered jes
the same, only in different way from wha
l asked for. Ef you call it answerin' prayer
to give one thing when you asked for another
| don't An I'd ruther not b'lieve there wa
any God than to b'lieve He'd do a thing likt
that. That's Jest contrary to what He saiC
| about Himself nd the bread nd the stone il
the New Testament. It's worse to think He't
cheat anybody like that than to think He ain
anywhere, to my mind. No, Mr.. Pendleton
human bein' needs a little human evidence
once in while to keep up their faith, an
amt never had any. I'll Jest tell you littl
how it's ben. Here l am, Rn old woman, an
me an Jackson's lived here on this rock TO
forty year. An there's ben things that Nv
wanted different but aint never had EN-
things that I've cried an groaned an praye
the Lord for-big things nd little things bu
never got one. Eff the Lord had give m
one of the little things, it seems to me Nigh
have got feelin that He was here.
Forty year ago, when Jackson nd me wa
jest married nd set up housekeepin' here
there was an awful storm one night, and m
father and brother was out yonder in it,
stayed on my knees all night prayin'. Nel
mornin' their two darlin bodies was washe
ashore. My brother had only been married
few months-the sweetest, lovingest littl
thing she was. She began to pine. praye
to hev her spared. She died, leavin' her littl
baby"
"And you had him for your own, did 20
not 2" interrupted Mr.. Pendleton, desperately
"Has he not been comfort to you, and di
not God display His love and mercy in th
case in sparing him 10 your
''Mr. Pendleton"-and the rheumatic han
went up again-"I amt never asked to hay
him spared to me of l had, it would hay
been different. But amt got through ye
There's ben lots of other things-big one
that might jest as well not speak of, and Ii
tie ones Look at that bridge I'll ventu
to say that you shook in your shoes when yc
came over it, an wouldn't be sorry this mil
| ute il YOU WAS safe back Whenever Jacksr