The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-08-30
night vas vary cold, land ! ran along the
hr3dse and | found WiHinms waiting for

81
trimming ,but, Of course you hive Learned
all that at Blackwell" 4 4 =. "a. 4,,s,.
Z "oh, yes" I said, II know oil about It.
well, good night" said Williams, mt
of no ran to have his nights rest. <
The light was burning very brilliantly
I walked about, aud looked carefully 4
everything. The wind was very high
and tho waves wercinaking u fearful nolsl
In dashing against the rock. 1then wen
down into the watch.room and took up I
book, and tried to read, but somehow III,
idcus were all Of heap, ind ! could no
make head or tail OF the Arctic voyages
which the book described. Ga lq'llg3j
Then thought | would write 10 Mary
and found u pen and Ink; but there was
nothing but newspaper to write on, SO
was Obliged 10 give tint up. One O'clock
oil, how slowly the time passes! | wen
and looked at the light, md then though
would havo another try at the Arctic
Voyages. l read OH mechanically, and
begun to have some indistinct notions
about floating iceberg with light insitlc
which required constant attention, and II
was tho duty OF some mailman to look
after II, and somehow that mailman was
ulySelf-when thuinp came something
which made me jump clean out OF my
chair! What was it? Everything seemed
the same, except the time, which had
started Oh twenty minutes. But the noise
what could 1t have bccnP II seemed
like Il tremendous bang on tho door; but
nothing WIS there. What was it? came
over in cold sweat Vague ideas Of np-
partitions and spirits crowded into my he
wil,lercd mind. thought Of many sins.
| repeated tho Lords prayer; and finding
that my fcars were not realized, and moth
ing further happened, l began to recover
my composure; but still could not
account for the noise. Three o'clock. |
read tho regulations over and over until |
knew them almost by heart: Good light
to be kept from sunset to sunlight. Instant
dismissal OF keeper ii found asleep in his
watch. Instant dismissal OF keeper II the
light goes out in his watch through his in
attention." etc. .
Walked abogt for some time, and ut
4 o'clock went up into the lantern anil
trimmed the lamp. WINS leaving the
lantern to go down into tho watch.room,
when | was startled by violent blow
against the outside OF tho lantern glass,
and my eye caught q glimpse Of something
white. Again my heart was in my mouth.
My brother Toms words flashed across
me-"tiat his mates tell queer tales about
the poor chaps at the lighthouses" No
wonder poor Jones went mad something
more than religion was the cause OF his
going out Of his mind. What can these
blows and noises mean? 1t was Il very
wretchcd time for mo. These strange
sights and sounds, the whisting 0i the
WIND outside, and tho noise OF tho dash Of
tho waves against the rock; all this, COM
biaed with tho blackReSy OF the darkness
outside, ind tho pcrturbcd state OF my
mind, made that short time rs miserable
to mo as any | had ever experienced In my
life; and, what was worse, was alone
Williams fast asleep, no doubt, and with
out n soul to seek sympathy or consolation
in my frightened Ignorance.
went into the watch.rOom and walked
round and round until o'clock, and grad
ua|ly became tile moro eafl,Iased. /
began 10 reflect upon the responsibility
OF my position, and how much depended
on my maintainingthc light In good order.
went into the lantern, determined that
nothing, neither ghost nor anything else,
should brighten nc again; and that
would do my duty rcsolutoly, and not care
4 rap for all the noises. must say felt
much better all the rest OF my watch; hut, !
at tho same time could not account for I
what ! had seen and heard. .e
Neither noise nor any other interrup-
ton again oopurreal anIlt Eas with con.
siderable pleasure that At last saw q dull
gray gsimmcr begin to make Itself unpa- |
rent, and strcaks OF morning High: 10 break
the sombre gloom Of the sky. When the
day had fairly set in put ont the light,
drew the curtain Of the lantern close, and
hEricd out toward the cottages,
had u few hou,s' sleep, and afterward
met Williams, who asked me how l lot on
in my watch. | told him the cireum-
% 9 sSy At haa SSGHs ,Ns h who ~t %% I'll
scr'ptlon Of my feelings; and concluded
BY asking him II he cvcrcxperionced such
things, and what he thought they were. |
Instead OF sympnthzing with me, was
astonlshcd ut his bursting ont into loud |
laughter, Az last he saidi
"C0mc with me and will show you the
ghost that frightened YOU" ,a'
! followed him to the lighthouse, and
went outside the lantern, and there, on |
tho floor OF the gallery, were two large
soa:gulls apparently dead!
"Ihis was the goblin" he said, again
laughing, "This Kind Of ghost very often
troubles new keepers, especially on dark
night thc hirds ily with all their might
toward the light, and come bump against
tho lantern glass, and arc often killed. As
to what YOU said about the clock starting
on, lot MO alylae you to be more careful
in the future and learn to keep your eyes
open, for actually, il were to say nnytlling
about il up at the house you would DO din.
missed from the scryicc.'
| thanked Williams ior h!s advice, and
though ] have had many watches since
then, and have married Mary, and am stu.
toned ut a pretty place on the south coast
Of England, havo never been so fright.
oned rs ! was tho first night by my noe
turnal visitors. -.