The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-08
"a LIGHT IN THE WINDOW"
The Beautiful Story on Which the Well
Known Song Was Founded.


From the Louisville Times.
Few are probably the persons who have
not, one time or other, heard the Sunday
school song, "A Light in the Window u
UnleS | am mistaken it is founded upon a
story to Id upon the little island of Sylt. but
which might easily have its exact counter
part on almost any seashore where a
mothers heart beats with yearning love for
her sailor son, and keeps its fond promise
from night to night.
Among the simple fisher folks on the
island lived woman 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 it, and nothing gave him SO
much pleasure as 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 Ter fears and the
fate of a long line of sailors in her mind,
yet would not have had it otherwise. 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. Whatever the dangers, they must
be faced for the sake of family pride. Had
not the boys grandfather been a captain
when he went away the last time? Had not
his father sailed his own ship when he went
down in a great storm? The child was the
last of his race, but he must not dshonor
it by tame and cowardly safety on shore.
So the boy grew up, tall Of his age,
straight as q mast, nimble as the feet
est and bandiest boat, blue-eyed, fair
haired, true bearted-a real son of the
sea. The fishermen taught him the
tricks of his craft until he knew how to sail
boat, splice rope, or do many little things
which sailor must know. Whenever
ship was in the otfing he was soon aboard,
learning the rigging and how work was
performed upon her. 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 bis mother to go to sea, he easily found
good ship and captain. Then there was
parting, and tears shed by the mother.
wnile he looked for ward 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 light
should burn in the seward window of her
cottage to light him homeward and to show
him that she still lived, await lg his return.
The ship sailed. Six months assed and
sailors dropped into the village aud 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 trimmed the candle,
lit it, and set it in the window to make a
bright path up the sands. Again six months
elapsed. and other sailors arrived from far
off lands, but they had no news to tell of
the ship. A great storm had happened and
she was overdue. She might yet make
port, but-and the people shook their heads
and carried no tales to the window whose
candle burned brightly every night and
cast long streamers of light out upon the
sea- Another year passed, but the sailors
going or coming brought no news of the
ship, a1d tue neighbors whispered apart
and shook their heads whenever any 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 gleaming, and burned steadily
through every n'ghs.
Years came and went. The children who
had played with the sailor lad had grown
to bs 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 ten
der hands smoothed the way for her as she
patiently waited tire homecoming of her
fair-haired boy, and every night the glow
OF her candle streamed out to seaward and
told the story of the loving heart waiting
at home.
How many years did she watch and wait?
do not know. But one day, at eventide,
there was no cleaning patch of light across
the sands. Tine window remained dark,
a d the accustomed beacon failed the fisher
folk, AMI when they wondered and went to
tae cottage they found that the mothers
soul had gone ous to seek the son.