St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-01-22
In the Lighthouse.
a story of Special Providence.


were covered thickly with leaves
True, when the wind blew it rustleo
through brown, dry foliage very diff
ferent to the living tints of mouth
back bat when you looked at the
soft, muddy roads, or the clear blue
sky. You scarcely realize that it wa:
Just past Christians. John Hudson
keeper Of the lighthouse at Fishing
point. was brushing his weather-beat-
Ell coat (Ouce black, now almost "sagc-
green, and giving parting direc-
ti0ns to John Hudson. Jr.,--calleC
Jack" 10y his familiars. "New minC
and don't set the house on fire while
am gone. ] must fix that chimney
when get back, or well he burnt ont
vet and don't take to fooling with the
OiI-therc- isn't much of it, left now.
There's that cord of wood in the yard
| guess you had better ill the wood
boxes, and pick mp bit. expect the
Inspector viii he round before
long, aud we want to have everything
taut and trim when he comes. Get
your dinner when you're ready | may
be back in time, and ! may not, with
all these errands to do in the village
but, anyhow, | shall be at home this
afternoon. Good by, s0uny," and he
trainped briskly away through the
trees.
"Stub Stub. here, sir. You must
stay home with me. Father don't
want you There's II rat, sure's / live!
Sick it, Stub! S-s-s-sicE it :"
"Now," said Jack, after an exciting
chase, in which boy and dog had
howled and barked II most powerful
duet, "now, Stub, we'll wash the
break fast dishes won't weP'
Stub looked IL Knowing assent, and
sat graVely on "a chair (Which he first
knocked the cat ON, while Jack wash
cd and dried the few dishes as deft us
girl. He had lived here as long Us
he could remember. His ear
liest recollection was looking at the
bright reflector upstairs, an seeing i'll
it sweet, loving face, with tender
blue eyes, near his own. His next
memory of the face was in coffin,
pale and still, while his father held his
hand, and the minister from the viii
lage talked in a low sad tone. But
this was years ago, when Jack was (Is
he would inform YOU ''Only a little
fellow" Now, from his dignified age
of ten years, lie felt himself arrived at
mans estate. His father was formerly
sailor, but in consequence of losing
one of his fingers in the icy regions of
the north, he had accepted the position
of light house keepeT-lOving the sea
to well too think for IA moment of any
work further inland. Such stories as
he used to tell Jack in the winter days
when they would he cut OFT by SNOW
drifts from the rest of the world. Such
thrilling adventures delighted the
boys ears in the long, solitary even
a H.. I 4.
when a tremendous whale capsized a
boats crew, and two men got drowned;
of the mutiny that once broke out on
the Fair BetScy, aud the sneaking Ital-
ian who got put in irons for starting
it.
Jack would go to bed with ''creepy"
kind of feeling after these stories, but
the morning light always drove away
the shadows, aud he would vow to
himself never To let such ridiculous
stories Brighten him again. "Stub,
let's play Robinson Crusoe in the yard,
now that the dishes are all washed !;
Jane Ito the cat), yOu can come, too, If
you want" said Jack, opening the
door. Stub accepted the invitation
for himself and Jane by making IA dart
at her as she lay blinking near the
stove, and rushing her out of doors
with scant ceremony.
''This shed here shall he the cave,
and I'll wear fathers fur cap and he
Robinson CIusOe. You can be Friday,
Stub. You are black and You don't
know much and Jane shall sit up here
on the wOOd-pi and be the parrot.
Now, Friday, you just stay there while
| go to get some sticks for the wood
box :" and Jack, making his work into
,.-.,I Il NNin ,,rlil. th.,
waves rompcd and tossed about on the
shore like merry children, and little
gray cloud, no bigger than IA mans
hand, rose slowly in the north and
made another dash of color in the
brilliant sky.
'Why, 1 declare, if it amt going to
snow / wish father would hurry up.
How quickly the clouds have come,
and they look heavy, too, as if they
were just bursting with the piles OF
snow flakes hid away I'D them. My
won't it be jolly cOasting. though 1t
hasn't beeu half winter yet no
snow, except Il little that melted right
away, and none of the ponds frozen
over. | guess had better see if my
sled's all right; - and away ran Jack
on this hollow pretense, this delightful
piece of self-delusion about the con
ditiOn of the ''Artful DOdger :" for had
he not examined it daily for the past
two months, and longed impatiently
for chance to use it 2 my. there's II
SNOW flake, as sure's the world and
there's another. and another swarms
of 'em :" exclaimed happy Jack to his
small hut select audience OF Stab and
Jane. They were very amiable, and
frisked and gamboled with as good an
appearance Of happy innocence rs
could be desired.
otis getting dark very quickly; not
4 o'clock yet. | guess it's going to he
"a pretty big fall this time, and -whew
hear the wind; sounds squally, dom
it 2"
Stub looked with an air of gravity
through the window, and seemed t.
be of the opinion that it certainly did
appear threatening.
"What keeps father so late. | won
der9 If 1t keeps on getting dark a:
fast as this the light will have to bC
fixed pretty soon"
Thick and fast fell the snow flakes
hurTying, scHrrying down, as if il
haste to see which could first reacl
the earth. Every now and then
violent gust of wind would come tina
rOmped and riOted among the dry
leaves that still cluug to some of Jh'
trees, and near at hand the wave,
surgsd and dashed and tossed them
selves on the shore and against tn,
rocks.
al know the lamp ought To be lit
I'd better go right away and do it, :
said Jack, addressing his companions
Az they raised no objection Jack start