Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-06-05

port in little Rhode Island where the
late pleasantness occurred, and among
things that looked at with much inie-
rest was the Lime Rock" lighthouse
in the harbor. We all know, Of course,
that this is the home OF the young
woman above mentioned and that she
did something to make herself famous;
but just what did she do, is the ques-
ton. Perhaps she talked the matter
over with herself.
There she was in a world greatly
over run with water. Men wanted water
to jump into and they would have it.
You couldn't keep them dry by law or
Gospel. They would use il immod-
erately, too. They would go out in
boats when the bay was frightfully
rough; those would venture who could
not manage their little crafts, and in
various ways they foated into danger,
some in spite OF warning and some ig-
norant Of their peril. The young
woman who lived in safety on the
Lime Rock knew this. She was safe.
Her family had good sense and wisdom
enough not to run any risks. II Shall we
blame her if.she took the prudent, ju-
dicious course with regard to the fool
ish, unfortunate men who tried as hard
as possible to get themselves drowned
And Soft I tell the story rightly
she looked about, from her safe home,
in calm, pensive way, and as she
looked, said to herself: "This is terri
blel How much water there is in this
world 1t does seem SO bad so many
folks should be drowned. l presume
some one is losing his life in the water
every hour. | know a great many
perish right around Newport. Things
have got so desperate that there is no
use doing anything; you can't help it.
Why, | declare, believe there are two
men struggling out there in the waves
nowl Yes, right out there towards the
fort, and no one seems to care for them
or even to see them. How sorry lam.
It will be dreadful for the wives and
children if they are drowned, and
think they will be, How desperately
they, struggle! / could save them l
suppose, I almost know l could. But
how it would look a woman, to en-
gage in a work fit only for a man. A
woman's sphere is home. Who would
rock the cradle while am out. in the
boat. True the baby is fifteen years
old, but the quence jelly might boil
over and things in general might hap
pen. And, moreover, these men are
no relation to me; my people, am
thankful 10 say, meyer did take much
to water. Dear me! | wish / might
never hear of such homes as shipwrecks
and boats capsized, and watery grave:
and things. 1t does seem as though
some folks delight in keeping record o
the trouble the ocean causes. They
llr.nt whole papers for the express pur
pose of getting people to avoid it, ant
even absolutely try to make them thinl
they are safe from drowning if they
don't go near the water"
"And do you know" she said to her
self: 81 think these fanatical people
who so on so about the bright, fasci
mating sea, which is such good crea
ture Of the Deity and ought to be SO re,
garded, are somehow, most Of them,
not quite in good form, painfully ultra
you know; well meaning and all tina
you know; have honest red blood If
their arteries, to be sure, but are quite
lacking as to the stately deliberate
flow of the azure fluid in their veins
and that makes the entire a do con
corning the matter truly fatiguing.
can't do everything about it SO thinl
won't do anything. II shut my eye
shant see the peril and the victims;
close my ears l shall not hear thei
cries; must preserve my dignity ant
be womanly, l think those men ar
comfortably drowned by this time, ant
III go in before my crimps becom
damp, or the spray dashes on this ney
wrap"
Later--I am informed that the abov,
was not Ida Lewis. She so far forgo
her home, her womanliness, her rela
tons to that nondescript-woman'
sphere, her feminine weakness, her fac
Of mice, &C., as to spring into her boa
and row thro' the dashing waves to saw
drowning men, time after time,
know not how often.
Iapologise TO her, here and now, 70
having even coupled her name vaguel
with the fantastic, dudesque q
who shall be nameless here forever
more, unless we style her poor, httl'
nobody or fashionable belle.