Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-08-09
A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW"
The Story o n which the Well Know
song Was Founded.


Few are probably the persons who
have not one time or the other heard
the Sunday school song, "A Light IN
the Window" Unless | am mistakes.
says a Louisville Times write,. it is
founded upon a story told upon the
little island Of Sylt. but which might
easily have It's exact counterpart on al
most any seashore where a mothers
heart beats with yearning love for her
sailor son and keeps its fond promise
from night to light.
Among the simple fisher folks on the
island lived a N and her son. He
was her only child, the pride of her
heart as well as the source of constant
dread, for the boy loved the sea as his
father before had loved il, and nothing
gave him SO much pleasure rs to watch
the incoming tide tumble its curling
waves over the sands. No sooner was
he strong enough TO WELD an oar and
steer a boat than he joined the men in
their fishing expeditions.
The mother, with all her fears anG
the fate of a long line of sailors in her
mind, yet would not have had ii other
wise, for it would have been deemed
dishonor among the hardy coasters to
have kept the boy at home or sent him
safely at work for some farmer. What.
ever the dangers they must be faced
for the sake of family pride. He was a
great favorite among the 'longshore
folk and with the sailors, and when at
last his 18th year came around and he
obtained the consent of his mother 10
60 to sea he easily found a good ship
and captain. Then there was parting,
and tears shed by the mother, while
he looked forward into the great, wide
world with all the joyous eagerness of
a boy. But with her last blessing the
widowed mother promised that every
night a light should burn in the sea.
ward window Of her cottage to light
him homewcrd and to show him that
she still lived, awaiting his return.
The ship JAILED. Six months passed
and sailors lropped into the village and
told how she had been spoken and all
was well, and the neighbors came to the
cottage and told the pleasant news to
the waiting mother, who nightly tim
med the candle, Lit ii and set il in tn,
window to make a bright path up the
sands. Again six months elapsed, and
other sailors arrived from far off lands,
but they lad no news to tell of the
ship. A great storm had happened
and she was overdue. She might vet
make port, but-and the people shook
their heads and carried no tales to the
widow, whose candle burned brightly
every night and east long streamers OF
light out upon the sea. Another year
passed, but the sailors going or coming
brought no news of the ship, and the
~neighbors whispered apart and shook
their heads whenever any one spoke Of
the widows son, but no one was cruel
enough to cut the slender threads
which held the anchor of her hope.
And thus the light continued to glow
out toward the sea at every cleaning
and burned steadily through every
night.
Years came and went. The children
who had played with the sailor lad
had grown to be men and women. her
own head had been silvered with age,
her form was bowed, yet no one dared
to cut the cables of her hope. Tender
words cheered her and tender hands
smoothed the way for her as she pa.
tiently waited for the home coming of
her fair haired boy, and every night
the glow of her candle streamed out 10
seward and told the story Of the Low
ing heart waiting at home.
How many years did she watch
watt do not know. But one
at eventide, there was no glea
patch Of light across the sands.
window remained dark, and the ac
toned beacon failed the fisherfolk.
when they wondered and went to
cottage they found that the mott
soul had gone out to seek the son.