Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-02-06

aunt, and first met Archie Lowell,
and, like himself, fell in love.
Trusting, guileless, and acquainted
with little else than her father'sand
mothers uprightness of character,
she knew nothing Of the worlds de-
ceit and uncertainty, and believed
as firmly in Archie's constancy as
she did in her own; so that her
fathers remark created no suspi-
clon or jealousy in her bosom.
The light had long been lit; aud
Lizzie had retired to bed. Lee was
busy about his nocturnal duties,
when fierce squall broke in on
the serenity of the night and car
ried the fog off and away inland.
The heavy gust was merely the pre-
lude to a series of heavier winds,
which at last became continuous
and increased to the fury Of gale,
which even shook the light house
in all its strength, and woke Lizzie,
accustomed as she was to the roar
OF rough seas and fierce blasts. -
The fog had lifted, but the sky was
overcast and the night was intense
ly dark.
'Lizzie,' cried Lee, after time,
get up, girl. There's a brig try
ing to round the lighthouse, and L
doubt if she'll weather it. Get up
and prepare for accidents
The vessel, befogged for days,
aud unable to get a reckoning to
ascertain her position, had been
drifted out of her course and near
er to the coast than the lighthouse
when the first sQuall struck her,
The only chance Of safety lay in
weathering the rocky ledge at the
end Of which the lighthouse stood.
And this they were attempting to
do when Lee first noticed them.
Being doubtful if the light, only
made to shine seaward, would be
seen by them, he removed one side
of the reflector to give them the
benefit of its aid, and warn them
off the reef This timely aid was
soon apparent by their altering
their course. They had not pre-
viously noticed the lighthouse, and
even if they had, before its light
told them what it was, it was more
likely to prove snare and lead
them into greater danger by making
them strike the middle or most dan
gerous part Of the rect than to help
them to escape into safer waters.
Lizzie and her father stood watch
ing the vessel with intense anxiety
from the lofty lighthouse balcony,
as they saw her alter her course and
stand more out at sea in the at
tempt to weather the light-hOus 81
rock. 1t was a case of salvation OF
destruction life or death. The
ship was ably handled, and well
found. Not a rope or spar gave
way, as she kept bravely on in her
course, almost in the teeth of th'
wind.
But who can struggle against the
inevitable2 At the most critical
moment, when a brief lull in th'
breeze or even a temporary steadl
ness would have allowed her t.
weather the rock and pass the dan
ger, fierce gust laid her almost OF
her beam ends, so that she los
headway and would not answer he
helm. Instead of gliding past th'
base of the lighthouse, she lay
= still for a moment, then drlfted to
| ward it, and, carried by a hug
wave, dashed right on the sharpes
5 pinnacle, a helpless, unmanageabl
d wreck, doomed to destruction.
e AS the heavy waves struck ht
= now fixed hull, they made shol
S work of her and her crew. In te
9 minutes she was in pieces. A
J. iron n-clad could not have withstoo
i the irresistible force and weight
r those waves and very soon not
4 vestige of her was to be seen.
Lee and his daughter heard fl
despairing cries Of the drOwnin
men, but were pOwerless to rend'
aid. Their little boat could NJ
y have lived in such sea, even
they could have successfully launcI
- ed her. Even if Lee had descende
, the narrow iron ladder that led
the narrow ledge at the foot of IL
i lighthouse, he could not have r
mained moment but would haN
been washed away like the wrecke
mariners.
y He descended, however, as {;
" as the lower landing and stoC
watching and peering through th
% darkness into the surging billow
70 below. Ere long he thought b
% heard a cry from the back of I'll
~ rock and moved round to recO
O. noitre. Sure enough, there was
Us man clinging to the life rope whiC
8 girt the base of the light hous
III Partly by being washed and par
ly by swimming, he had be-
ne carried into the eddy, and fort
1t nately caught hold of the life lin
~ Lee had no means Of descen
O. ing to help him, except by Il
ne stout iron lightning rod; dow
Us which he slid to aid the near
exhausted seaman by lifting hi